The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-11-16 00:00:00

GREAT FIRE AT BOSTON, U.S.

Sm. 10.
A dm begets at Boston about half -met seven on
Saturday evade. in • large amino building at the
mum of &UMW and Kingstone-strests. It began in
an engine-room in the basement, spread rapidly up the
eionator, and mos appeared from the roof. An alarm
was promptly sounded frostbe fire deportment as the
ground. By this time the root was in flames. The
engines were all working before any other store caught.
This is in the heart of the business portion of Boston,
where these are large buildings, chiefly granite. The
wind was calm at the beginning, but it soon blew a gale
from the west and north-west. The granite crumbled,
and the buildings being filled with goods this caused the
flames to spread rapidly. The fire extended north-
west and south-east along Summer-street, also fsom
that street ía • north-easterly direction. By lour
o'clock in the morning 22 blocks were destroyed, the
burnt district at that time covering about sixty se res,
bounded by Summer-street on the south-west, Big
Broad-street on the south-east, Pearl-street on the
north-east, Milketrest on the north, and Washing-
ton-street on the north-west. The intervening
area, filled with costly buildings and goods had
then been destroyed. On Summer-street the line
of fire then extended over one-third of a mile from
the Bay front at Broad-street to within one block
of Boston-common. From this line the burnt dis-
trict extended north-east about a quarter of a mile
in this area, where the fire destroyed Winthrop-
square, Franklin-square, Beebes.block, Franklin,
Devonshire, Federal, High Kingston. Atkinson, Wil-
liams, Lincoln-arch, Otis, Chauncey, Hawley, and the
neighbouring streets. Beebeoblock was valued at two
millions, and the total loss is estimated at one hundred
millions. The Boston fire department was crippled by
the epidemic among the horses, this also preventing to
a great extent the removal of the goods. Aid was
summoned from Worcester, Providence, New York,
Fall River, Lowell, Lynn, and other towns, and was
promptly sent. The firemen seemed nimble to do
much, and a thorough panic existed.
All the railways coming into Boston ran fast trains,
bringing firemen from the neighbouring cities, many
companies arrived before three this morning. The police
being unable t ) maintain order, the United States'
troops and Marines stationed there were ordered on
duty. Extensive plundering went on during the con-
fusion; 200 thieves, some of them being women, were
arrested. The loss of life was heavy, but it was im-
possibleto tell the number accunitely. No building
seemed fireproof, all succumbing. At wren this morn-
ing the fire was still spreading north of the boundary
given above. It had passed along Devonshire and Con-
gress-streete to Water-street, crossing northward and
burning on towards State street. The Post-office was
then announced in danger; the building adjoining was
burning. The banks and other establishments in
State-street, were moving valuable* to a place of safety.
Buildings in several planes have been blown up to stop
the progrem of the fire. The old brick church was re-
ported in danger. At nine this morning build-
ings were being blown up in Congress-street and
rear, this to some extent staying the flames.
North of this warning had been given and every-
body was preparing for the worst, and was
moving out. The telegram sent came from Boston and
Providence Railway station, half • mile west of burnt
district: communication with the northern section of
the city was imperfect. At noon a telegram came that
the reports were contradictory, but it was believed the
fire was under controL Its spread was checked at a
quarter past one. The telegram confirmed the reports
of the fire being under controL The total loss is an.
nounced at 200,000,000 dole., with a probability of ex.
coding it.