New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-08-27
THE FIRE ~ NEJVBEDFORD.

NEw-BEDFoRD, Thursday, Aug. -, 1889.
One of the most peculiar and most destructive fires
! have ever seen, commenced here yesterday, sooa
siter noon. In the City Hall, where ! was, we ssr
inmente volumes Of i1ky smoke sseepipC upward.
and 90 nesr Il seemed, that it alnos. produced 8
panic For four hours, these magnificent volumes Of
Internal gloon rose toward the northwest, sud at
night the misty air lit up with still more infer
ra! glow. More than quarter Of million gallons Of
oil were burning and il Is not easy to imagine what
an Egyptian akpess of smoke they naie-al bum
ing without rag Of wick. Daring the FIRE, q
stream Of oil swept down Water street, spreading
fame and destruction it rolled, anG till late in the
night the singular spectacle was seen of water, OF
rather a stratum Of oil on the top Of it, on fire.
From The N,t,-B,eford STANDARD Asgsa2 =
Yesterday afternoon We were visited by one Of the
most exte sve anddetTuctive conagratons that ever
took place in this city. The FIRE broke !; az time
when very many Of our citizers were participating IN
the festivities h which they favored the presen;
week. and the swift destruction Of valuable property
WAS appalling.
Below We give the particulars far we hsye been
able to gather them which Will be found TO be correct
in the men having taken particular pains to get al the
facts from the most authentic sources.
There vas destroyed about 800 OOo worth Of oil aud
bore. and sixteen thousand barrels stored in close
proximity 10 the fre-tourteen thousand IN lot
very narrowly escaped. II mey be considered very
singular that there so little insurance Oh the prop
eTts destroyed. But the location was considered
dangerous one, and Insurance companies demanded
yry high rats Of insurance on buildings IN that locality
occupied e. they were, aud being so combustbe.
TIE flames spread with fearful rapidly, and threat
ened 10 make clean sweep of eyerythlo 10 the direc
ton in which they driven by the wnC aad their
progress only arrested by blowing up the buildings
with p0wde-.
The roofs Of many Of the houses in the northwest
part Of the city several times on fire, snd most OF
o. Af.uN l.U
the constant watching Of their occupants.
The fire originated in the steam saw and planning nil Of
William Wilcox, on North Water street, ard was seen
bursting from the engne-room by two men employed
in the mill the rest of the hands having lust gone 10
diner. In a moment or two the whole buling, which
was a yery large oue was enyecPsd IN tames and
entirely destroyed, with its contents Of machinery
stock &c, together with the pile wharf upon winch II
built. The wharf EXTENDED some distance in tue
Of the building and upon it Timber stored for
the If the mill.
AZ a strong southeast wind was prevailing, the
flames sprtad al. directions, but were prevented
from woIk to the south by the dock which crosses
Water street, and in few moments the buildings op.
posite and roth Of the MIL were II tanes.
From The sei, B,dlo,8 Ms,cu,y, .fsg. q. p. n.
We presume there Is scarcely a well person within
the bounds OF a.. city who has not yited the locality
of the disastrous COnasratlOn Yesterday the be-
ing so remarkable and the destruction complete.
The fire not burning more than two hours in ia
hight the wind not blowing very fresh, yet, from the
inersely ccmbustible nature of the materials ont Of
which the cOnlagrGtion nsde, II swept with resist
less fury, and if by magic, nearly third of mil
lion of prorsvty away IN the aho~- ''r'-t space.
Not only the amount of property DESTROYED, but the
loss to many OF most worthy citizens, IS rrep
be, men whose all lay in the burned district, aut who
lad mere trihe if any insurance. These sufferers
have the ult sympathy OF TIE community, aud will
receive, doubt not substantial aid to enable them
10 recruit their shattered fortunes.
The burnt district presened of The moot singular
spectaoes this morning possible. great portion Of
the literally covered with the hoops Of the
oLcasks a. if mower had in with his scythe
aud cut down iron harvest. the oil which the casks
had held was ruuIlng down IN the cutters with man
stationed in the drain 10 bail il il along
The wharves streets, sidewalks were one color and
covered with subsanoe-Ol men were baiiOg up
the commodity from the dock, and oilcasks were float
irg IN the water
As far as We hear the amount of oil baed up is
from 800 to $50 bbls., and from OJO to 200 bbs will
be saved According to a careful estimate, the num-
Der Of hoops lying the ground in the oil shed OF Is.
Il. Howaro is 600. Casks Of oil nave been h0ls.ed
from the dock the north side Of Wilcox Rich.
monds wharf. We are glsd 10 learn that the books
and papers Of counting houses were preserved by fire.
proof safes, in spite Of the fearful Intensity of the
iames tie ou,sites berg melted and 80 much warped
that they required the use of bars aud hammers 70
open them.
Among other singular incidents, one of the gardens
on Second street found at or tie me 70 be ready
cooked, the corn AID beans being done to turn.
After Widow Maxields house was blown up, on the
partition Of a room .eft perfect, hanging, usual
en- oldfashiOped looking glass without crack, while
nearly all the windows in the house opposite were
shattered to II agmens. Most OF the persons the
he supposed their turn would come next, and were
more or les inclined TO move. la one Of the nearest
houses the lady insisted contrary to the advice OF
friends, that nothing should be moved, AMI al was
saved. a. midnight, the whole eastern part Of the city
next the ire Wa. liz mp by the burning OIL and the
sky with the fog, had the appearance OF beautiful
sunrise.