Yesterday was quite a day for petty fires, which fortunately were taken in the bud by the fire department, and resulted in doing but very little damage.

The first was a still alarm at 9:55, caused by the firing by a defective chimney flue of the first floor of the residence of E. F. Drake, a two and a half story stone at 509 Lafayette avenue. The loss was fully covered at an estimate of $15, mostly in damage to the woodwork of the room in which the fire broke out, which was fully covered by insurance.

The second alarm was sent in on box 85 at 2:06 p. m., which was caused by a one-story frame house owned by Mrs. Blodgett and occupied by Mrs. Wright, 209 Charles street, taking fire in the roof from a defective chimney flue. The loss was very trifling and the premises were fully insured.

The third alarm was at 3:49 p. m., on box 473, which was caused by the small barn of Wm. Booth, 421 Blair street, having taken fire from some unknown cause. The barn was consumed and the adjacent two-story frame dwelling of Mr. Booth somewhat scorched. The loss on buildings was $300 and on contents $75, both being covered by a $1,300 insurance.

Later in the afternoon one of the window awnings of the jewelry store of Myers & Finch on [Bridge] square was discovered to be on fire by a passer on the walk and it almost half consumed before the flames were extinguished. How it [became] ignited is one of those mysteries, which alone a burning cigar stub or a mischievous sun glass can explain.

In running to the Charles street fire hose carriage No. 2 in rounding into Jackson from Seventh street at good speed turned a short corner to avoid colision with a team, when one of the wheels caught in the street car track and it was turned bottom up as deftly as the ancient house wife could transpose a "slap-jack" on the hot griddle. The driver's seat was mashed, the reel badly bent up and twisted, and all the light machinery badly banged up. Driver Gruber had his leg and arm badly bruised and had a very narrow escape with the two men on the rear of the carriage from serious accident. The machine was taken to the blacksmith shop for repairs and will be on duty again to-day.