Account

v2:1475

The Following is an account of the late fire which begun in the Barrack, under the arch formerly improved by Benjamin and Edward Davis, about half past eight o' clock of the evening of the 17th of May. The soldiers were receiving some cartridges, by which means one took fire and communicated to many more, which immediately set fire to the room. List of Stores burned:

John Hancock, store and shed; Thomas Fayerweather, do˙; Benjamin Andrews, 2 do˙, one of his was improved by B˙ and W˙ Foster; Edward Gray, 1 do˙, Town Dock, south side; Joseph Barrett, 1 do˙; John Head, 1 do˙; Jonathan Williams, 1 do˙, with 50 barrels of flour, (donation); Kylson and Barton, 1 do˙; Andrew Black, 1 do˙; Nathaniel Carrey, do. and shed; Alexander Hill, 1 do, and shed; James Russell, Impost Office; John Soley, 1 store; John Swatzer, 1 do˙, 3 do˙, at the end of Town Dock; 6 stores and a cooper' s shop, owned by Eliakim Hutchinson, joining the Town Dock, improved as barracks; 1 store between, formerly improved by Mr˙ Elias Thomas, sail-maker; 2 stores leading down to the Barracks, improved by Grant and Webster and William Blair; Thomas Brattle' s shed hawled down to stop the fire; 1 store opposite Swing Bridge, owned by Thomas Fayerweather, and are the next to Mr˙ Hancock' s not burned; I store improved by Ellis Gray, which makes the corner joining to Mr˙ Hancack' s not burned. The stores on the Town Dock were chiefly owned by those gentlemen who kept them.

N˙ B. Instead of ringing the bells as usual, the soldiers beat to arms, by which means our people were in great confusion, not being used to such signals in time of fire.