Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-18
BosToN's 100000 BLAZE.

Boston, Jan. IA puff Of flames
shot mp from the rear OF the most eE-
tensive automobile storagfe and repair
Liant IF the city, located near Park
Square, shortly before dawn today, and
One-half on hour later $50 automobiles
valued 1T $275.0,N. We're 4 mass OF tan
eled steel and iron. The fire also spread
to the old train shed of the Park
Square Railroad station, formerly used
as the terminal of the Providence di-
vision of the New York. New Haven <
Hartford Railroad and destroyed the
bicycle track and Il large dwelling
used for exhibition purposes. 1t is
expected that the damage to these
buildings will bring the total loss to
above $S00000. There were SIX gar
ages. including several used chiefly for
repair. in the big storage plant former
ly the station freight sheds. The prin-
cipal occupants were: The Park Square
Garage, the Boston Motor Co, the
Rambler Motor Co.. the Boston Auto
Exchange. the Concord Motor Car Co.
and the repair shops of the Marnon
Co. The old freight shed occupied the
yard to the south of the station lie
tween Columbus avenue and Berkeley
street and was one Of the most pcpu-
lar places in the city for the storage OF
automobiles
According to the Waterman the fire
shot up from the vicinity of the boiler
room. about S o'clock. 1t seemed but
an instant before the flames swept
through the building. which was one
story affair, bursting through from one
section to another and, fed with gaSo-
line soaked floors and quantities of that
fluid stored in tanks in different sec
tiCns of the shed. When the firemen
arrived there was mass of flames
81 t;r~ o Gs"t in tho air, threatening
LACE .usint:Ss blocks on Columbus
avenue OIL one hand and the bicycle
track and old train shed on the other
Fortunately the business blocks We're
well protected by iron shutters and the
firemen were able to prevent the
flames getting any foothold in that
direction They were not so success
full however. on the train shed side and
soon the roof and the shed and end of
the bicycle track had caught. Realizing
that the garage was doomed, the fire.
men bent their energies to save the
old railroad station and managed to
stop the fire before it reached the
main part of the former station with
its high clOck-tower.
In the several garages there We're
many machines for summer use, while
a large number of those burned We're
owned by business firms. All the large
sight seeing automobiles in the city.
numbering upward of dozen. were also
burned, while there We're between 80
and 40 expensive cars stored i'll the de-
stroyed garages. Out of the entire $50
automobiles. only two We're saved.
The insurance rates on the destroyed
property were somewhat higher than
those in effect in other buildings of like
use in the city and many of the owners
who rlefully viewed the great mass Of
bent and twisted steel rods ana other
joints today remarked that they had
no Insurance on their property.
About 20 workmcn were in the build
ing when the Gre broke out. bat all
managed to get out. although several
Of them narrowly escaped being cut off
by the flames ard dense, overpowe ring
smoke
The fire is the larges, which has
occurred in this city since last sum
ntcr Coming just before dawn. IN Il
dark morning with the air filled with
smoke and the streets slippery with
ice, the spectacle when the. firemen
reached the scene was an imposing one
That portion Of the city south Of the
Common was brilliantly illuminated for
the great garage seemed to burst into
1ames as il one great torch.
In each of the different compartments
of the long freight shed In which were
tie garages. there were stored cans
and small tanks of gasoline and as
the fire communicated to each. ex
blossoms followed, which made hazard