The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-18
$50 AUTOS
BURNED UP
Great Fire In Boston Storage
Plant Yesterday
TOTAL LOSS OF $SOO,OOO
Within Half an Hour After First Puff Of
Smoke Was Seen, the Machines
Were q Tangled Heap Of
Metal.

Boston, Jan. lS.--Three hundred and
fifty automobiles, valued at s750,OOO
were destroyed yesterday when the most
extensive automobile storage plant in
the city, located near Park square, was
burned. The machines were nothing but
mass Of tangled steel and iron within
half an hour after the first puff Of flame
wasd iscovered.
The fire also spread to the old train
shed OF the Park square railroad station,
formerly used as the terminal Of the
Providence division Of the New York,
New Haven and Hartford railroad, and
destroyed the bicycle track and large
portion used for exhibition purposes. 1t
is expected that the damage to these
buildings viii bring the total loss to
more than Ss00,000.
There were six garages, including sew
eral used chiefly for repairs, in the big
storage plant, formerly the station
freight shed. The principal occupants
were: The Park square garage, the
Boston Motor company, the Rambler Mo
tor company, the Boston Auto exchange,
the Concord Car company and the re-
pair shop OF the Marmon company.
The old freight shed occupied the yard
to the south of the station, between Co.
lumbus avenue and Berkeley street and
was one Of the most popular places in
the city for the storage OF automobiles.
There was broad open space, formerly
the switchyard of the station, which was
used in the summer for cleaning the We
hicles, and In one corner of which there
was large gasoline tank.
According To the watchman, the fire
shot up from the vicinity Of the boiler
room, about o'clock. It seemed but
an instant before the flames swept on
through the building, which was one
story affair, bursting through from one
section to another, fed with gasoline
soaked floors and quantities OF that fluid
stored in tanks in different parts of the
shed. When the fremen arrived there
was mass of flames. shooting 100 feet
in the air, threatening large business
blocks on Columbus avenue on the one
hand. and the bicycle track and old
trainshed on the other.
Fortunately, the business blocks were
well protected BY iron shutters and the
firemen were able to prevent the flames
getting any foothold in that direction.
They were not SO successful, however, on
the trainshed side, and soon the roof of
the shed and Of the bicycle track had
caught. Realizing that the garage was
doomed, the firemen bent their energies
to saving the old railroad station and
managed to stop the fire before it reach
ed the main part Of the former station
with its high clock tower.
In the several garages there were many
machines for summer use, while many
others OF those burned were owned by
businss firms. Two machines owned by
the National Shawmut bank, two owned
BY Bigelow & Kenard, jewellers; several
belonging to the United State Shoe Ma.
chinery company, and two trucks owned
by the Jacob Wirth company, brewers,
were among those destroyed. All the
large Sightseeing automobiles in the city,
numbering upwards OF dozen, were
also burned, while there were between
thirty and forty expensive cars Of the
Limousine type stored in the destroyed
garages. Out Of the entire $50 antomo-
biles, only two were saved, so quickly
did the flames sweep through the build
ing.
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 ruefnlly vriewed the great mass oil
bent and twisted steel rods and other
joints, to-day, remarked that they had
no insurance on their property.
There were about twenty workmen in
the building when the fire broke out,
but all managed to get out, although
several of them narrowly escaped being
cremated by the flames and dense, over
poweTing smoke.
Streams Of water turned into the
seething mass of flames were absolutely
futile and very little effort was made
in that direction. The fremen, number
ing over 5000 and bringing with them
half OF the apparatus in the city, fought
the flames from every vantage point, and
for a tine were unhampered by any
crowds, so early in the morning was it.
The hardest fight which the firemen
had was to keep the flames from ex-
tending to the business blocks on Column
bus avenue. and fully one-half the entire
available force was centered on that side |
Of the fire area.
Other firemen rushed bravely into the |
great trainshed, the roof of which was
burning fercely, and there the flames
were fought until they were stopped by
the brick wall at the upper end Of the
shed.
The fire practically cleaned out all the |
buildings Of the Park square terminal
station, left when the railroad gave up
the site, with the exception of the main |
portion Of the railroad station.
This property had been the source of /
discussion FOR the last eight I
years, and the property owners in the I
vicinity Of Park square have severely /
the authorities for allowing
20 valuable a site to remain without I
active business occupants.
The garage building itself was worth /
only a few thousand dollars and the
trainshed had long outliyed its useful
ness, save as shelter for 3 vast space
for exhibition purposes and the bicycle
track.
The real estate men Of the city yes-
Eerday were inclined to regard the FIRE
- : blessing IN disguise and a chance
Tor the immediate improvement of the