Year: 1875

BosroN Mass, Sept II, 1875.


The we'll known house of Jordan, Marsh & Co., large
dry goods dealers partially destroyed by fire this
afternoon Within ten minutes after the alarm sounded
the FIRE under sufficient headway to emit large vol
umes of smoke, which rolled on rapidly the har
Dor, impelled by strong southwest breeze The runor
that the wholesale house Of Jordan, Marsh Co. was
burning passed spidy from mouth to mouth, and in
creased an excitement already great There was large
influx Of people TO the streets in the neghborhood,
and the second alarm, given eight min
utes after the first, called hundreds Of other
spectators to the scene The origin OF the
fire could not be ascertained during the excitement
which prevailed, nor, indeed, did any seem to
know whether it began in the roof in quantity Of
cotton goods stored in the loft Certain it is, how
ever that it commenced somewhere in the corner
nearest the store of Messrs Hovey Co. 1t was ru-
mored that the boys employed in the building were
accustomed to eat their dinners in this room,
and it thought possible that some one
of them might have attempted to smoke
and thus set fire to the building On the other
hand, it is stated authortatively that smokingd
is allowed on the premises Whatever the origin was
the flames quickly communicated with the combustble
material In the upper story and the entire story with
the French roof was soon enveloped in flames


In short time the fire had burned of the wood work
which supported the passenger elevator and down the





elevator went with crash to the basement. This
great fall was soon followed by shower of sparks
which threatened TO set fire TO the basement and lower
stories of the building of which there were three not
including the loft and basement Inside the wholesale
building there the busiest scene Imaginable
Scores of 1remen and employees alive
with activity spreading the of the
insurance brigade and using every effort to save as
much goods possible from the damaging effects of
the water which, heated from its contact with the
flames above through the floors and ceiling and
rushed down the broad stairway like boiling cataract
From sole deep increased ankle deep and of course
caused great damage to the goods which had other
direct support than the floors The third loft used
100000 worth OF reserve cotton goods and
packages. The story below contained the
goods Of all the departments, valued at $3.50, 600
In the next the wholesale counting room
The linens, white goods and hosiery, worth upon
estimate $3.50 600, here. Then the street
story containing dress goods prints and shawls worth
in the aggregate some 100000 more. The basement
held the cotton, fannels and wooen goods, the value
of which could not fall much short of 500 000


The total value of the goods estimated was be-
tween 5000 900 and ST. 900, which there in
thirds Of their entire value The upon the stock
cannot be calculated at this time of writing nor, in
deed for days The goods in the upper story will
be found badly damaged, probably ruined by fire and
water while those in the lower stores will be more or
less injured by water and smoke The damage to the
building several thousand dollars.