Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-07-09
TWO LIVES LOST N BLAZE
Biggest CONFEDERATION Since Grea, Fire
Of Many Years Ago-Loss Lies En-
tire,y on Waterfront Property, Most
Of Which Us Said to be Heavily In
s-.r.i.
(By Associated Press.l

BOSTON, MASS, July IA nre.
believed to have been caused by Spon-
tan"uus combustion ,r locomotive
spark and fann Il by II brisk north
west wind. swept nearly a quarter OF
a mile Of the harbur front of East
Boston late today. causing a property
loss estimated at nearly Sl.5o0,o0n.
Much of the loss falls upon the Bos-
ton Il Albany Railroad Two persons
worr reported missing and it is
thought that 10th persisted in the
namCs. One Of them was Daniel Sui
livan. Il Waterman al the Cunard Line
pier and the other was Miss Sadie
Arnold. cmploN d by the Cunard
Steamship Company.
Today's fire as the biggest ana most
destructive that has broken out along
the harbor front for many years.
The flames spread with rcmarka-
BIZ rapidity and by the time the first
fighting apparatus arrived on the
scene they were beyond control and
lCaping from pier to pier.
10000 Bushels of Grain Destroyed.
Within an hour of the time the fire
was discovered four piers, three ware
houses. q. grain elevator containing
20. 600 bushels of grain and many
loaded freight cars had been destroy
Cd
Several vessels and lighters mar
rowly escaped destruction. The big
Lcyland Line steamer Devonian which
arrived Yesterday from Liverpool. was
moored along side pier which was
destroyed.
Boats Also Burned.
The discipline en- the Devonian wad
so excellent. hOwcvr. that she was
warned cut into the stream. without
even having square inch of paint
bliStersd Less fortunate wcrc the
British bark Belmont. of Yarmouth.
y. s. and the schooners Paul Palmer,
a Ave master craft. and the .. II.
Brown. a four masted schooner. The
II lmont was moOrrd by steel cables
to the pier whore The fire started. so
quickly did the flames cnvc'np the
wharf and warehouse that il was I'M
poSs;blc to slip the cables from the
mcorinc pests and il was necessary
to resort 10 the tedious process oil
cutting a half dozen OF more Of the
ct al wire ropes.
ten cut into the stream the paint had
been burned Of her hull. her caifn-
had been practically d stroyed. MT
life boats charred and ruined anc
her spars. sails and rigging badly
burned.
Tn. Paul Pain,.r Saved.
The Palmer escaped with siight
damage to her forctopsail and fore
rigging while the rigging. sails ana
spars on the toward part of the Brown
were haiiy charrcd. Tn burned
area include. pisrs and . Of the
Grand Junction decks and the pier
en- which stood rho big grain elevator.
owned nv the Roston & Albany Raii-
road Company and used by tn" Steam
cre of the Cunard line. and pi'r NO.
E owned by the Lcyland Line.
This n-opcrtv extends along tn"
x,tcr iron, to the wharf Of tn
Massachusetts, Coal Wharf Company
which adjoins III" East Boston isr's
lin Of tho BGs;or. Revere Beach
LYNN Railroad. commonly kno"h aS
the Narrow GauS".
The pf,'rs destroy d were eacn ab'"'
500 fec; long and from 20" to ~" ief'
wide Piers 7. and s were car"
covered nv a large warrhous Bc-
ivccr rirrs and 6 was the pier up
IN which the elevator Sto"h.
Fire Started in Warehouse ,
tn fire started IN the ~areh"us 4"
MGR Grand Junction docSs. In 'his
,,;ld;ne a. stored an immcns" guam
,itv Of cnmbH s' ihir material. Including
VOL Frvptian Crt'nn. Grcas" ana on
Simultaneous combustion "r spark
C-orn a locomotive aIcnEsldc the ware
Srrsc caused tho fr". NJ w" 'ith'
,b,rc were about I"" labnr-rs p.
work on the picrs ard with all "'
,b,.,n IL was rae f"r life.
Wiz Tho piers dcsiT" q. wrrn
many cars n freight fCr export. MI
W these car and their contents "cr'
Il troycd. HIiWcn pi"r and Tao
nj, r ~ the Massachusetts Coal WHAT
r.,,upany a wide stretch W water w
,cryrucd and here tn frc vas cheek.
"a nv N. Ere Anais. Ere tugs anG
,racticany tho entire strength ID tue
p.,s'nr and Chc!Sra hrc departments
Several iinlgx tho Picr and coaI pock
c,s were on firc hut the property Wa
SAID. on account ~ the Proximity