The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-04
Survivors of Companies That Re-
sponded to Boston's Call For
Assistance Will Observe the
Event Saturday
SUPPER WILL BE SERVED
AT HOUR OF THE ALARM
Worcester's Part in the Work of
Fighting the Fire Fiend Re-
viewed in a Recent Publication
Dealing With the History of the
ConfIagration

Twenty years ago,next Saturday
November 8. 1879. occurred Bostons
great fire, and the surviving members
of the 81 fire departments from all the
New England states, except Vermont,
that sent the 81 engine, hose and ladder
companies that were in service, Will
observe its anniversary as they have
done annually since 1897, with supper
and will sit down at TIA o'clock, the
time the first alarm was given from
famous box 81.
Worcester will be represented as it
has been at all the previous suppers,
and all who were members of the de-
partment at that time, and in service
at that fire, are eligible to participate.
The fire which commenced at the
corner of Summer and Kingston
Streets at a little past O'Clock on
that memorable Saturday evening, at
the close of a magnificent fall day,
was not checked until the next Sunday
noon, and swept all that section be-
tween Summer. Washington, MIX,
Post Office Square, Congress, State,
Kilby and oliver Streets to the water,
destroying 776 buildings, covering 90
acres. With a total loss Of about
SCI, 179, 300, and IS lives, all but one &C
tive or volunteer firemen, and was the
second largest fire on the American
continent, that of Chicago of October 8,
1871, which destroyed II ,450 buildings,
with a loss of $191, 672, 500, being the
largest.
There was recently published at Bos-
ton the story of the service rendered by
the several departments and compan-
les at the fire. The Worcester depart
ment service Is described as follows:
I'm response to a Geographic mes
sage for assistance Chief S. e. Combs
at 1910 o'clock sent in an alarm from
box IA in School Street and ordered En-
gines l and 8, with details from the sew
eral companies to the old Washington
Square station for Boston, in charge
of Assistant Engineers William Bro
| ply and William Knowles. Box A. at
LIS o'clock, was for additional ap-
paratus and Hose 3 was sent by a
special train which made the 44-mile
| run in the 40 minutes. Engine l and 3
made the run in "A minutes.
| Gov. Lincoln Engine / arrived at
! the fire about 1885 o'clock, and locat-
| ed at the reservoir. corner of fremont
! and Park Streets, as it's hose coupling
would not connect to Boston hydrants,
! being of a different thread. Its line
was run down Winter Street to the
! corner of Washington and Summer
1
reached and then with others fought
the fire along Washington Street &c
| Milk to prevent it's crossing to the
west side, which was successfully done
| 1t subsequently moved to the rear Of
City Hall in Court Square, then tc
Milk and Washington Streets and
finally to State and Kilby Streets
where it was when relieved about
O'clock, Sunday afternoon.
while working in Milk Street
| Thomas Maloney, 20 years of age a
| member of Hook and Ladder of Wor-
! cester, and Lewis c. Thompson, a
young volunteer, received injuries by
falling walls, which soon after caused
their deaths. One of the most heroic
! acts during the fire was that of As
sistant Foreman, now Chief E. l..
Vaughn, and others of the company
who bravely faced death to save their
fallen comrades.
"a. B. Lowell Engine was located
and worked with Engine l and the two
together worked along Washington
Street from Summer to Milk, down
Milk to Post Office Square, to and down
Water Street to Broad, the western
and northern boundaries of the fire.
Eagle Hose 3 arrived at the fire
about $3.50 o'clock, Sunday morning,
and went to the Common at fremont
and Park Streets, where 1t remained
until o'clock, when Chief Delano Of
Charlestown, put it into service, piecing
out line from a Navy Yard engine at
the corner of fremont and School
Streets, which was laid down School to
the corner of Washington and Milk
Streets, with stream on the Currier e.
Trott building and pipe in charge of
this company. 1t remained here until
the building was demolished by gun
powder, when 1t went into Transcript
building and played onto the fire in it's
rear. At l o'clock it connected to an
engine in Water Street and with its
line through the new Post Office build
ing played onto the buildings in Milk
Street below Devonshire. 1t remained
here until ordered home at 5 O'Clock,
Sunday afternoon. 1t was first in
charge of Assistant Foreman G.. +. Nc
Knight and later Captain George
Parks. Among It's members were Cap
tain H. r. Williamson Of the Protec-
tive Department and treasurer Of the
Massa chusetts State Association and