The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-11
The First Evidence of Colder
Weather Led Oil Stoves to Act
QueerIy and Boys to Set Brush
Fires
SEVEN ALARMS SENT
IN DURING THE DAY
The Demolition of an Oil Stove
and the Burning of a Hole in
the Roof of a Tenement House
the Greatest Damage Caused
BY the Fire

Five still and two bell alarms kept
the fire department ON the jump yes
terday. Cold weather necessitated ex-
ira fires in tenement houses and also
gave Young America an excuse to
start brush fires. AS result the mem
bers of the department. We're able to
pass away the time in business-like
fashion.
None of the fires was serious and the
one causing the greatest damage was
at A Exchange Street where an oil
stove in storage since last winter was
started for the first time. The accumu-
lation of dust and dirt of year
caused the stove to explode shortly
after the wick was lighted. Word was
sent to Station / and officer William
J. O'Brien went to the house. He put
up a battle with the stove and left
the house with everything apparently
all right. At 11.56 a call was received
at headquarters and Chemical was
sent. Capt. Sullivan's men wasted no
work with the stove and hardly
second after the apparatus arrived at
the house the stove reposed in pieces
in the rear yard.
AT 7.45 o'clock yesterday morning a
still alarm sent Chemical to the
corner of Crescent and Harlow Streets
for a brush fire. The fire had been set
by boys who intended to roast pota-
toes The potatoes were getting COM
fortably roasted when one of the
neighbors became alarmed at the size
of the fire and telephoned headquar-
tiers. The chemical men got to work
on the blaze and ended the potato
roast.
Ten minutes later the fire
broke out afresh and another
call was sent to headquart-
ers. Engine 8 was sent on the next
call and not a semblance of fire was
left after the engine company got to
work on it.
At 1130 o'clock another call for ap-
paratus was received at headquarters
and Engine was sent to the rear of
the Isolation Hospital, A brush fire
was assuming alarming proportions
when the company arrived. The blaze
was extinguished with no loss.
A chimney fire in house at 279 Mill
bury Street owned by Daniel Brennan
gave Capt James w. Boyle's men of
Hose Z a good fight. The fire started
from the chimney and the sparks set
fire to the roof. A telephone message
was received at headquarters and Hose
Z was sent. The blaze which with the
wind might have resulted in a heavy
loss was eXtinguished and apart from
a hole in the roof no loss was sustained.
The damage will not amount to more
than so.
A bell alarm from box 6S, at Grafton
81 Knights tannery, Bloomingdale
Road, was sent in for a chimney fire
in a house at IS Bloomingdale Road,
owned by a man named Ballard. The
fire originated in a chimney and was
confined to that section of the house.
Peat Meadow again came to the fore
yesterday for the fireman. At $50
O'Clock a still alarm was received at
headquarters and Chemical and Engine
We're sent to the call. The fire gave
the department men a good battle but
was downed after an hours fight.
A chimney fire in a house owned
by Partridge & Torrey at Davis
Street brought out the department at
1923 o'clock last night Sparks were
seen coming out of the chimney and an
alarm was sent in from Box 121, Pied
mont and Davis Streets. The fire was
extingushed without loss.
At 10 o'clock yesterday morning
officer Frank P. A. Gilchrist stopped a
boy from ringing in an alarm from Box
343, Green and Gold Streets. The boy
with a number of his playmates saw
smoke issuing from the window of a
house at the corner of Green and Gold
Streets. The officer investigated and
found the smoke was due to a defec-
tive back draught. The defect was
remedied with out aid from the depart
ment.
The number of still alarms yesterday
goes to show in the mind of Chief Ed
win L. Vaughn that people are getting
sensible and are not running to fire
alarm boxes every time they see smoke.