The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-18
Overheated Stove in Millinery
PariorS in Sheehan Building
Believed to Be the Cause Of the
ConfIagration
PROPERTY LOSS WILL
AMOUNT 70 $4,000
At One Time 1t Looked As If the
Entire Business Section Of the
Town Would be Wiped Out But
Good Work on Part of Firemen
Kept Blaze From Spreading

Milford. Dec. 1.-THE business block
at 172 and ia Main Street, owned by
William Sheehan, was Quilted by fire
this morning. creating damage to own
ers of property in the building amount
ing to fully $4,000. 1t is stated that
these losses are all fully protected, but
the blaze wiped out one of the busiest
little sections of Milfords trade centre
and for a time it looked like a general
conhagration in which all business
blocks in the section would suffer
The alarm was sounded shortly after
, o'clock and the firemen worked on
the burning building for three hours.
1t was o'clock when the about
signal was sounded.
The fiery fiend was getting in rapid
work in the top section of the build
ing when the blaze was discovered by
Patrolmau Oliver D. Holmes Before
the fremen arrived the flames were
shooting from the sides and roof of
the building, and the most the ftremen
could do was to cOnfine the flames to
the upper stories. The fire mad it's
origin in the rear room of the millinery
parlors of Miss Hannah G. Curey, up
enc flight in the structure, although
the firemen are unable to definitely
state just how the fire actually had its
start. The lady states that there had
been no fire in this rear room, which
had been used as a store room, and
the presumption is among the insur-
anCe men that an oVer-heated coal
stove in the milliner's work room was
responsible The ire department Off
cials say that there is every reason to
believe that the fire was of purely ac-
cidental origin.
The millinery stock of Miss Curley,
which had been recently replenished
for the holiday trade, was completely
ruined. and it was only by the hardest
kind of work, handicapped as they
We're in the zero weather, that the
| firemen were able to save anything.
They prevented the flames from reach
ing other buildings, and most of the
damage to the stores on the ground
floor was caused by water The
| service of the Milford water supply
was very adequate and the ttremen
congratulate themselves on the excel
| lenCe of this feature in their work.
The abundance of water properly used
as it was in this mornings fire, was
quite q factor In saving the property
which vas all the time in great risk.
Water, however, fairly deluged the
lower story of the block and the stock
in the shoe store Of w. II. Pyne and in
the dry goods store Of Thomas J.
Kelley & CO.. which was badly dam
aged. Water also flooded the saloon
in the basement kept by Nj. j. Nc
Cormick & Co,
The cellar of the block, next that of
Sheehan, occupied by Zunino & Gregort
and Miss Annie Lawless. was flooded
with water and a considerable amount
of their stock was damaged. Miss
Lawless had a stock of confectionery
supplies in her section of the cellar,
which was damaged to the extent of
$3.50 and about 800 worth of fruit
stock, owned by ZuninO &, GregOri was
spoiled. Both have insurance.
This is the summary of estimated
| losses, with insurance. on the Sheehan
block: William Sheehan owner Of the
block. value $4,000, estimated loss $500;
r. j. Kelley & Co. value Of stock
$500. nearly a total loss, insurance
$4,000; W II. Pyne, stock $4,000, loss
hearty total insured for $4,000; Miss
Hannah =. Curiey. stock $4,000. loss
total insurance $1,000: NJ. J. Mccormick
e Co. loss not stated. insurance 1900.
Sheehan's Insurance on the building
was $4,000.
The general business offices of the
Bay State Pink Granite Company are
! in process Of removal from Worcester
20 New York, where it is stated the
Headquarters of the company will be
in the future Ii is learned in Milford
from an authority in New York that
Contractor W. 3. Hayes of Chicago,
who also has offices in New York city.
has practically acquired the interests
Of Woodbury. & Leighton and also that
of George Otis Draper of HOpedale in
the Bay State Pink Granite Company.
II will be recalled that when the Bay
State Pink Granite Company was
formed. it was organized with the con-
solidation Of Darling Brothers quarry
interests. the Shea pink granite quarry
owned by George 0. Draper and the
Milford pink granite interests of
Woodbury. & Leighton. The acQuisi-
ton by Mr.. Hayes who is a prominent
man in the granite industry. and by
John Pierce. another well-known
granite man. of so much Of the inter
ests in the Bay State company means
two notable facts to the business in
terests Of this section. one of the inn
portant features Of which is the fact
that the wealth of the former viii
possibly result in a big boom for the
local granite industry. The location Of
the offices of the company in New
York is regarded as a wise move, for
it will increase the opportunities of
the officials to land big contracts It
IS not TO be understood that any
changes in the personnel Of the COM
rany are to take place. not for a while
at least.
Ntt--nn