The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-10-07
THREE ALARMS FOR FIRE
SUNDAY IN ST0REHOUSE

Fire in the cotton storehouse at III
West Exchange street. owned by A.
Emerson & Co.. at 5 o'clock yesterday ar
ternoon caused three alarms to be sounded
and loss estimated at $4,000. $1,000 of
which was to the building.
Only by the most strenuous work did
the flremen prevent more damage, mas
much as Starkweather e. Williams store
house. stocked with linseed oil. turpen-
tine and other highly infiammable mate
rial. is connected with the building.
The fire was discovered In the rear por-
tion OF the southwestern corner of the
structure. Frank Minor. who lives near
by, first saw the flames and turned in an
alarm from box IL, at the corner OF Bourn
and Aborn streets. Lieut.. Harry Angel of
Hose 9, realizing that the force called out
by the first single alarm would be unable
TO cope with the flames, turned in the sec
ond alarm. and the third was ordered by
Deputy Chief Holden o. Hill.
The origin OF the fire is unknown. From
the southwestern corner of the storehouse
the fire spread to all four corners of the
rear building and by the time the firemen
commenced to deluge the place with
water the interior was a roaring mass. OF
flame.
In narrow alleyway which separated
the building occupied by A. Emerson &
Co. and Starkweather and Williams
storehouse three lines OF hose were run
and while the outpour from these three
lines was directed toward the centre OF
the stock room. six other lines, which
were laid on the Aborn street side. played
from the opposite direction. Three other
lines were also laid from the West Ex-
change street side. which, run In through
the Cove street entrance to the building,
made 1t possible to fight the fire from all
three sides
The lines on the Aborn street side were
placed at convenient intervals and the
force OF the combined efforts of water
being played from three directions was
soon felt Two of the six lines on this
side OF the building were also used to
fight the fire from the roof.
The fire was confined TO the single
story, highly slated roof addition In the
rear. 1t was only by the most valiant
work that the fire was confined within
the small space it was. This rear portion
of Starkweather & Williams storehouse
is Joined 10 the storehouse which was
afre, a thick brick wall separating the
two
The stock in the four-story building OF
A. Emerson & Co, fronting on Exchange
street was valued at $4,000. covered by
insurance, but this section was not reach
ed by the flames. and accordingly the
damage. which was only by smoke and
water, which is not especially injuriou:
TO cotton waste. will not attain large pro-
portions The insurance on this building
II is said, Is held by j. w. Eddy a. Sons
w. A. Lester and T.. L. Watson & CO.
The rear portion is not covered by IN
surance, so far as could be learned, SO
that the loss will be confined entirely 10
this portion of the company's property.
A Emerson & Co. are a Boston con-
Germ owned by Henry G. Benson ana Jo-
seph r. Henderson, w. III. Webster or
a. Whitmarsh street being the local man
ager. The building. which is owned py
Wilson A. Cady Is covered by insurance.
The structure. previous TO the occupancy
OF A Emerson & Co, was occupied Dy the
Spicer stove Foundry.
The Rhode Island supply and Engineer
ing company, which has plant next TO
the building which was destroyed, mad
men in the building yesterday Installing
automatic sprinklers, and they had not
been gone a great while when the fire
was discovered.
Few fires have ever offered better op-
portunities for spectators The seat OF
the hlaze WAS located directly beneath
Federal hill In a natural hollow, which
allowed thousands TO look down into a..
1t is estimated that 10000 people watched
the fire.
The crowd was we'll handled by about
100 police. who were called from every
station In the city owing to the third
alarm. Capt Stone OF the Central sta
ton was first on hand and took general
charge OF the police arrangements Hs