North Adams, Massachusetts Fire
February 17, 1898
EARLY MORNING FIRE
Clothing and Photograph Firms Burned Out. Narrow
Escape from Suffocation.
The stock of the Bell Clothing company,
J. H. Levin, agent, was totally
destroyed by fire this morning. The store is at
41 Eagle street in a building owned by
E. D. Angell.
An alarm from box 6 was sounded shortly after 5
o'clock and all of the companies responded
promptly. For some reason there was a little
delay in getting water from some of the hydrants
and the fire had gained considerable headway
when the water was turned on. It took about an
hour to subdue the fire and the stock in the
store is a total loss. The stock was estimated
by the proprietors at $4,500 and was insured for
$2,500. The building is badly damaged, but the
loss is covered by insurance. B. J. Boland,
whose grocery sore adjoins the building on the
north, suffers a slight loss by smoke and water,
which is covered by insurance.
The worst sufferer is Photographer
Bombardier,
whose gallery was directly over the clothing
store. In the floor was a skylight about four
feet square. The glass was soon broken by the
heat and the smoke poured up into the gallery in
large volumes. Mr. Bombardier slept near this
skylight and narrowly escaped death by
suffocation. When he awoke he was almost
overcome and it was with difficulty that he got
out of the building. He had not time to dress,
but made his way to the street in his night
shirt and ran up and down looking for a fire
alarm box, which in his excitement he was unable
to find, and the alarm was given by some one
else. Mr. Bombardier
lost $45 in cash and all of his
clothes, and the loss on his photographic outfit
is large. He estimates his total loss at from
$400 to $500, and he had no insurance. He is
thankful that he escaped death.
The origin of the fire is not known.
Chief
Engineer Byars says it started not far from
the stove in the rear part of the store, but he
does not think it caught from the stove. It
spread very rapidly and while not much of the
stock was totally consumed, all was ruined. The
caused [sic] will probably be investigated.
Mr. Levin,
formerly of the Troy
cash grocery, had run the store for three or
four months. It is not known whether or not the
business will be resumed.
Wallace Kearn
has charge of the building, which will be put in
order as soon as the insurance is adjusted.
North Adams Transcript, North Adams, MA 17
Feb 1898
Transcribed by
Ken. Thank you, Ken
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