map of New Hampshire

Fires

DESTRUCTIVE CONFLAGRATION!
SIX ACRES OF DENSELY POPULATED TERRITORY BURNT OVER!
ESTIMATED LOSS, $300,000!

Manchester -The most disastrous fire which ever occurred in this city took place this morning, commencing about 3 o'clock, and continuing with unabated fury for three hours. The fire was first observed in the rear of Drake & Carpenter's flour and spice store on Manchester street. It evidently caught near the furnace used for roasting coffee. Before the alarm was given the fire had made such headway that the whole building was soon in flames. It was sometime before the steamers arrived, and when they did, there was much delay in getting the engines to work, on account of the difficulty in getting a supply of water. It is said that the steamers' supply pipes were stopped up so that a full head of water could not be obtained from the reservoirs until the gates were raised.

The fire progressed with fearful rapidity and in a few minutes the building occupied by Drake & Carpenter in the lower story, and by Carleton Richardson, shoe manufacturer, and W. E. Moore, printer was consumed.

The fire then attacked the stable of S. S. James & Co., and in a short time it was wholly burned. All the horses and nearly all the carriages were got out safely. The wooden building attached to the north end of Dr. Pattee's brickbuilding, adjoining that where the fire first appeared, next took fire. This building was occupied by Merrill & Aldrich, carpenters, S. L. Corning, carpenter, and Patrick Hamilton, junk and rag dealer. From this the flames extended to the building occupied by Abbott & Kelly, painters, Neal & Holbrook, carpenters, John Custalow, barber, A. Bunten, engraver, J. N. Bruce, painter, Lahey & Russell, cigar makers. This was soon destroyed, and the flames then assailed the rear of Masonic Temple, which was owned by E. W. Harrington and Dr. Jones.

In the meantime Pattee's brick building on Manchester street, next to Merchants' Exchange was on fire. This building was occupied on the first floor as press room for the Union and the Mirror, on the second story by John b. Clarke for his newspaper composing room. The third story was occupied by Warren S. Hill, machinist. The brick walls resisted the surrounding flames for a time but the building at length yielded to the destroying element. The fire soon broke out in the rear of Merchants' Exchange, in that part which is owned by Daniel Clark and J. G. Cilley. The building was greatly damaged, but by great efforts of the firemen, and on account of the brick partitions in the building the fire was at length arrested.

The lower part of the building is occupied by J. A. Howard, fancy goods; Jackson & Co., Piper & Shepard, and by Fearing & Co., all dry goods dealers. All of them were more or less damaged by the sudden removal of their goods. The upper part of the building was occupied as offices and Exchange Hall. The south end of Merchants' Exchange was at one time in great danger, and was several times on fire about the coving of the building.

It was evident Masonic Temple and the wooden buildings on Hanover street, next east, could not be saved.

Large numbers of people were engaged in removing the goods from the stores and the furniture from the tenements and the yards of the houses owned by James U. Parker, Dr. Buck, Dr. Wells, and others were occupied by vast piles of goods of every description.

It was feared that the fire could not be prevented from extending across Hanover street, but just as Masonic Temple was fully on fire the wind veered round to the west, and the flames were borne toward the east, and the large building owned by Wm. B. Johnson and the Brown and Colby Block were destroyed.

The lower portion of Masonic Temple was occupied by Jonathan Pressey, milliner, G. S. Holmes, fancy goods, the Misses Fairfield & Shattuck, milliners and N. S, Clark fancy goods; the second story was occupied by Moore & Knowlton , for the Waverly Rooms, and the third story was occupied by the Free Masons, Johnson & Son, dry goods dealers, and C. S. Fisher, the undertaker, occupied the lower floor of Johnson's Block and the upper part was occupied by tenements. Brown & Colby's Block was occupied on the lower floor by A. A. Ainsworth & Co. grocery, Sylvester P. Fiske, clothing, Scott & Jewell grocers. The upper part was occupied as tenements and by dress makers and milliners.

The next building was owned by John Prince, and was occupied by George W. Rogers, picture framer and by tenements. The fire extended as far as Chestnut street, and the tenement block owned by Hamilton Melendy, Timothy Sullivan, Ephraim Hodgman, and George W. Hunkins, was destroyed.

After destroying James' stable, the fire attacked E. W. Bartlett's building, occupied on the first floor by James M. Clough, grocer, and as tenements above. Next to this was a brick building owned by Thomas J. Smith and occupied as tenements. Next to this was Harrington & Johnson's Block which was occupied on the lower floor as stores by John Wermis, James Goggin, S. B. Hadley, Leonard Mitchell, and Patrick Mc Guinness.

On the south side of Manchester street, the American House, owned by Joseph Mitchell and occupied by Mrs. N. J. Clement was destroyed.

The fire extended east on the south side of Manchester street nearly to Chestnut street and destroyed the buildings belonging to the following persons; Joseph Mitchell S. S. James & Co. Edson Hill

The market owned by Timothy Collins, John Daley, John Connelly, John Rourke, Timothy Connelly, Michael McCabe, John Collins, the widow of Humphrey Kerren and John Nolan.

The first Calvinistic Baptist church was about the last building that was burned. The flames as they ascended the steeple made a magnificent display. The furniture had been removed a day or two before in view of the repairs which were to have been made.

Very fortunately a heavy rain set in just as the flames were under a full headway. If it had not been for this a still larger amount of property would have been destroyed.

The members of the Head Guards did service by standing guard over property which had been removed from the burning buildings. A large number of people have been turned out of doors and homes and many persons have lost employment by the sad calamity.

It is probable that E. W. Harrington is the greatest individual sufferer by the fire. The loss of Harrington & Jones by the destruction of Masonic Temple must be nearly $50,000. It was insured for $12,000. The loss of Harrington & Johnson on Manchester street was probably $50,000. Insured for $20,000.

Waite Brothers were insured for about $7,000. J. G. Cilley was insured $5,000 in Merchants & Farmer's at Worcester. Mr. Starr, baker, was insured $1,000. W. S. Hill, $500. The loss by N. S. Clark was heavy, his insurance was light. John B. Clark was insured in the Etna for $6,000.

J. Q. A. Sargents loss was $10,000, insured for $3,000. Haines and Wallace loss $5,000 worth of stock ale, which was stored in the cellar of Masonic Temple. Colley & Abbott's loss was $2,500 on stock, insured for $500. The building was owned in Concord. The loss was about $4000.

Brown & Colley's loss was $10,000, insured $1,000; Prince's loss was $4,000, insured for $2,500; Moore & Knowlton's were insured in the Independent for $1,200; Wm. E. Moore's loss was $3,000 insured in the Independent for $1,000 and in the Globe at New York for $1,000.

Drake & Carpenter were insured in the Independent for $1,500, and $1,000 in the Tremont at Boston. The American home was insured for $1,000 on furniture in the Independent. The Baptist Church was insured for $2,500 in the New Hampshire Insurance Company of this city.

THE PRINTERS

The printers suffered badly. At one time they were literally, enveloped with fire, and nothing but a fortunate change of the wind and the timely rain enabled us to save anything. As it is, the job office of William E. Moore on Manchester street, was totally destroyed. Fully insured we understand. An advertising firm in the same office, owned by Frank O. French was destroyed. Loss $400.

The building just in the rear of Merchants' Exchange, south end, was occupied partly by the Mirror composing room and the press rooms of the Union and Mirror. On the lower floor were two Adams presses and an Hoe press; and in the second story, the Mirror had a job press, a folding machine and much other immovable material, all of which were burned.

The type and other moveable material in Merchants' Exchange was moved over the street, but is returned, in a demoralized condition. The Mirror has one news paper press left and brother Livingston in Smyth's Block tenders such aid as he may be able to render. We hope to be able to continue our regular issue, until a new press can be secured.

Our faithful pressman, Mr. Willmot, slept with his machine, and had a very narrow escape. When he awoke, egress by the door was cut off by the flames, and he was glad to escape by a window, leaving most of his effects behind him.

The Losses.- - As it was considered a hazardous locality and the rates were high but few were well insured-- Probably the total amount of insurance will not exceed $100,00-- The following companies are the prominent losers -- Etna, Phoenix, and Independent about $20,000 each. Springfield Fire and Marine, $12,000-- Most every Co. represented in the city lost something-- The New Hampshire Fire Ins. Co. lost only $2,500 -- which may be considered exceedingly fortunate.

[The Daily Union - Jul 8, 1870 - submitted by Helen Coughlin]

Explosion of Gasoline in Hands of Nurse Starts Fire in Kitchen on Third Floor

Sisters Fight Flames with Buckets of Water

About 60 patients in the Notre Dame De Lourdes hospital in McGregorville were thrown into a panic this afternoon, when fire burst out in the kitchen on the third floor, cause by the explosion of gasoline. Only the heroism of two nuns, who rushed to the fire and succeeded in smothering the flames with buckets of water, prevented what might have terminated in serious results.

Shortly after 2 o'clock this afternoon, Miss S. B. Cadette, one of the nurses, who was cleaning the floor of the kitchen on the third floor, was startled by an explosion and a sheet of flames. The basin filled with gasoline, which she had been using in her work, had become ignited in some manner, by the flame of the gas stove nearby.

The flames spread about the floor and up the side of the woodwork in the rear of the stove.

The nurse ran from the room and down the three flights of stairs screaming "fire, fire." Two of the nuns on the first floor ran to the enflamed room, and with buckets of water squelched the blaze which were increasing to large proportions. Other nuns, connected with the institution, went among the various wards and quieted the patients, who had become nervous by the shout of fire, and by the clang of the gongs of the fire department to the alarm from box 321.

The hospital is located at the corner of Notre Dame Ave. and Wayne St. and is one of the largest structures in that part of the city. In another part of the building were a large number of school children, pupils of the St. Mary's parochial school, established in the same edifice.

When the firemen arrived on the scene, they found very little for them to do as the sisters had well smothered the fire.

The floor and wall of the kitchen was badly burned.

[ Manchester Leader and Evening Union - May 17, 1913 -submitted by Helen Coughlin]

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