The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-04-11

and Quantities OF gunpoWder and loaded
shells for shotguns and rifles.
This combination of explosives and
oils was consumed by i've terrific ex-
plosions,. and the six persons asleep
overhead must have been killed OF
burned TO death almost instantaneously.
Flames Spread RAPIDLY.
The Charles Eddy building. which was
the nearest structure TO the doomed
Clifford building. caught fire almost i'm
mediately, and was a mass Of flames
before single hose had arrived. The
flames then jumped across from Main
street TO the private residences on
Church street, and the residence OF
Frank MATse, On Houston street. was
ignited by flying embers carried on one
OF the widest gales that swept through
the town this winter Here the wind
shifted a number of degrees, and sparks
and embers soon ignited the Bun block
and the Mahanza blocks Both of these
great buildings were consumed by the
flames within half hour The Ueop,s
residing in them escaped in their night
clothes and were unable 10 remove any
of the furniture.
This wind carried the embers so far
that the FIRE departments from Lee ana
Pittsheld near ty, which had been sum
moned by telephone. had TO devote all
tnelr laboSs to keep the rest Of the
town from burning up.
Another Explosion.
Every building that was discovered 10
be afire had TO be abandoned ana at
ten-aoa devoted TO preventing its suread.
Ao5HI O'Clock another explosion shook
TIE guiding. This time the garage OF
Thomas Morse. which contained a huge
gaSolene tank, burst into flames and
drove the iremen back. About hfteen
stables and sneds al burned ike finder
and were allowed 10 blaze as the fire
men fearel that the entire town was
doomed in the heavy wind.
At O'Clock this morning the IRE was
under control and the hremen work
Ing in relay and aided by society people.
were directing the hoses into the ruins
instead Of protecting the neighboring
residences. At 10 O'Clock this morning
two of the six bodies had been discover
ed, the death Of the other four had
Eeen assured and at least three others
remained unaccOunted for.
The Curtis Hotel near by was filed
with people who had left the big cities
TO spend the Easter holiday The entuS
damage was confined to about $500, ,O0a
most OF which was uninsured About
twenty-five horses. many Of them val
liable animals. belonging to summer
residents, who leave them with the rex
dents all winter instead of sending them
back To the city, were killed.
Search for Bodies.
The search for the bodies viii be made
as soon as the ruins cool and the bodies
Of the three persons Unaccounted for
are expected to be found.
The reason for the fires rapid spread
is due mainly 10 the high wind and the
fact that the blaze started in a build
ing at the top CT the highest hill in
Lenox- Embsrs were carried by the
wind and many Of the villas occupied
in the summer by prominent society
people were saved by the out-of-town
iremen. who seeing that it was iHi-
possible TO save the burning property.
devoted their whole time to putting out
small blazes in the nearby houses.
Never before has such a gathering of
weT-known and prominent society peO-
pie assisted fremen in lighting fire.
Charles Astor Bristed. of New York, a
reat-grandson Of the late John Jacob
Astor. was one OF the first society
DeODle to arrive at the scene of the
FIRE and without a moments hesitancy
he rushed into the home Of Joseph
Regnier and aided townspeOple in bring
ing crippled woman TrGm the house.
After this act was performed Mr.
Bristed gathered together a number of
prominent men who, with small garden
hose, played on a number OF the villas
and thus prevented the spread of the
fire
Fire Chief Hurt.
Chief Of the Fire Department
Timothy Dunn, who was directing the
pulling down OF part of the Bull build
ing. was struck in the head by a large
timber aNd was rendered unconscious.