The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-05-20
The Recent CONGREGATIONS.

how general continental war can be easily
avoided.
The Recent Conflag rations.
We have been called upon during the last week
to record several most extensive and ruinous con-
fagrations. Watertown, in this State, has suffer
ed severely. The fourishng, rapidly rising town
of Milwaukee has also been visited by similar
calamity. On the 7th instant there was a large
fire at Charleston; and the first at Racine, there
was confagration, which was large for the place,
and destroyed much property Last of all, comes to
us the sad intelligence of the terrible fire at ST.
Louis by which almost all the business part of that
most hourishing city has been laid in ashes.
Twen<y-seven steamboats, destroyed, and five
millions worth of property given to the flames No
one can help being most seriously affected by the
intelligence Of these awful calamities, by which
many of our brethren andfellow-citzens have been
bereft Of their property, and some Of them, we
PANIED to add, of their lives. Severe as the blow
must be, there is yet some source of consolation.
On all these occasions of serious disaster by
fire, affecting populous cities and towns of our
country, one result has sgnally exemplified the re-
markable elasticity and immense resources of such
communities. We allude, Of course, to the rapid
ty with which the ruin wrought by the flames has
been repaired There are always, necessarily,
many cases OF great individual loss; but the COM
munity itself does not seem to be retarded in its
career of prosperity. New public buildings, and
warehouses, and streets, appear on the site OF
those destroyed, with degree Of rapdity
which is quite marvellous to those unac-
auainted with the moral and physical re-
sources of our people. We all recollect the ex-
tent of the last great fire in this metropolis; whole
streets, on the morning Of that memorable day,
presented only heap Of smoulderlng ruins I'M
mense warehouses had been annihllated, with all
their valuable contents hotels and private dwell
ngs were laid in the dust property to the amount
of many hundreds Of thousands of dollars had been,
in few hours, reduced to ashes. In few short
months, almost every vesge of the calamitous con-
fagration had disappeared. New streets had been
builtup and many of those noble piles devoted to the
great operations of commerce, which now orna-
menr lawe- part of our city, had been erected
Our sister city, Brooklyn, III sle -can still so be
ssyled, now that she has been almost merged into
her colossal neighbor, also presented, after the
fire which laid many of her stores and dwell
lings in ruins, similar illustration of vigorous
prosperity in the industry and success with which
she rebuilt the desolated quarter And the same
spectacle has been exhibited in all portions of the
Union, under similar circumstances Nor must
we, In this connection, omit mention of the
prompt and efficient manner in which the
generous sympathies of the people of this
country have responded to the call made upon
them on these melancholy occasions. The most
substantial evidence has been given publicly
of the sincerity with which the communica-
tions of our cities and towns have sympathlzed
with the sufferers in those cases; and it is par
ticularly worthy Of notice that the commercial
classes, who have been too often accused of being
selfish and mercenary, have, in these instances,
nobly indicated themselves against such an asper-
sion, by their munifcent donations. In private,
and known only to heaven itself and the recipients
there has been manifested degree of benevolence
and charity, which has reflected infinite honor on
those from whence the stream of fraternal genera
sity proceeded
The frequent occurrence of these extensive and
destructive confagrauons should impress upon the
municipal authorities Of our cities and towns the
absolute necessity Of a proper and efficient organi
eaton OF the police and fire departments In MANY of
our cities and towns particularly those in the West
and Southwest, great many of the buildings of |
which they are composed have been built of wood |
There is alss reason to apprehend that there is |
often, on the part Of the occupants Of stores and
dwellings, culpable carelessness in guarding
against the occurrence of fire. If their stores |
and dwellings, are insured, many persons do no, |
maintain that viglant precauton which Is abso- |
lutey necessary prevent the terrible calamity of
fire in a city or town. Again, the arrangements
for obtaining an adequate supply of water are
often defective in cities. Springing up with
so marvellous rapidly, it is not much to be
wondered at, perhaps, that in many Of our towns
and cities the municipal regulations should be de-
fectve. We think that the occurrence Of so many
destructive conflagratlons about the same period
VIII produce salutary effect in this respect.
tbs, indeed, quite singular, that so many extern
siVe hres should occur almost simultaneously; and
our readersw naturally enough recall the remark |
able instances OF the same melancholy coincidence
which presented themselves in the year in which |
Our own city last suffered from an extensive con-
hagration-that conhagraton out Of which prew |
the famous question, "Will sapetre explode We |
have not yet been enabled to Judge whether anv |
or all of these recent conhagratons were the result
Of incendiarism. No doubt rigid investigation |
will be instituted in each case. 1t is said that the
insurance companies of this city will not suffer