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Case File: 2840 Kensington Ave arson (1888)
[External link to the original] – Page 4, Column 3
THREE HOUSES DESTROYED.
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An Early Morning Fire on Kensington
Avenue - The Loss Heavy.
Three houses on Kensington avenue were destroyed by fire yesterday morning, and the loss is roughly estimated at about $20,000. A policeman who was passing saw smoke coming out of the second story window of Mrs. Margaret Hopkin’s residence at 2840 Kensington avenue, about half-past 5 o’clock. He ran to a box near by to strike an alarm, but the storm had damaged the wires, and it was some time before he could summon the engines.
When they finally arrived, several of the fire-plugs were found to be frozen, and the big banks of snow heaped up in front of them greatly retarded the firemen in their work. There was a high wind blowing and the flames spread to the two adjoining properties, No. 2838, occupied by Philip Fitzpatrick, and 2842, occupied by John Manson. The three structures, which were of brick, three stories high, were entirely destroyed, with their contents. The occupants all escaped safely from the houses and were cared for by sympathetic neighbors. The origin of the fire is supposed to have been a defective flue.
