Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-07-12
The Great fire a, Portland.

shavings, and from the latter a high
wind carried the fire TO coopers shop
near by. The adjoining buildings were
soon seized by the devouring element
and the flames speedily passed beyond all
control. An eyewitness of the confia-
grafton, gave TO the Boston Journal the
following particulars
'tThe fire commenced about half past |
four Wednesday afternoon In a small |
cooper shop on Commercial street, in |
the rear of Browns large sugar house. |
After burning the foundry and small |
shops in its vicinity, it destroyed the |
planning mill of Littlefed 4 Wilson, |
Upham's -four establishment ndBrown's |
sugar house. Crossing Fore street it |
took in its path several wooden build |
ings, and the large storehouse belonging |
to Browns sugar house. 1t then con-
tinued down Commercial street, destroy
ing Richardson's foundry and iron shop
and several wooden buildings up through
Fore street, extending down both sides
of the street. 1t ran up Centre and Cot
ton streets TO Cross street, from Cross
street it took Winslow's machine shop,
following on both sides of Union street
up to Middle street, extending down
Middle and Fore streets to Exchange
street. 1t devoured everything in its
path from Union to Exchange streets
1t swept both sides of Exchange and
Lime streets, taking in its progress
Woods large hotel, taking in Willow
and Deer streets, nearly down on the
south side of Middle strset to India
street. 1t crossed Middle street at Cross,
running down the latter street and
sweeping away everything to Montjoys
hill. Still on in northerly direction it
went through from Middle street to Cum
berland street, destroying everything on
that street to Montioy's hill, 1t also
extended down many other streets run
ming at right angles with Cumberland
street to the north.
The above is general outline of the
path taken by the devouring element as
furnished by our informer. He esti-
mates that it was over mile in length
and about one fourth of mile in width,
This whole area now presents to the
eye nothing but one vast forest of chin
neys, the fury of the flames famed by
the strong southerly wind being so
great that everything combustible was
swallowed up in its path.
In the vicinity of the spot where the
fire originated there were nothing but
dry wooden buildings which furnished
the best possible food for the flames, and
the water, of which, unfortunately, there
was scarcity, had no effect whatever
upon it.
The FIRE was not got under control un-
til about A o'clock yesterday morning,
and at IL o'clock, the time of the de-
parture of this gentleman a number of
buildings were still burning.
Very little was done in aid of the suf
ferers, so general was the loss.
The suffering of those thus turned out
of doors is increased by the fact that for
long time houses have not been in pro-
portion with the population of the city,
and hundreds of families cannot by any
possibility be sheltered Nearly all the
provision stores were destroyed, and this
renders il very difficult to procure the
necessaries of life, so that it is absolutely
necessary that they should be sent from
other places. Thousands of persons, male
and female, are thrown out of employ
ment, many of whom lost their tools,
and it is feared that in many instances
their employers have lost all their prop
erty, and may not be able to pay them
what may have been due to them.
The scene when the fire was at it's
hight was one of fearful terror. The
| flames, famed by the high wind, leaped
madly from building to building, some
times overlapping low buildings and seiz-
| ing upon some high one beyond them,
and then, as if jealous that their desola-
ting work should not be complete, surg
! ing backward and sweeping away, as in
| moment, those which they had before
| overleaped. The air was filled with live
Goals, and shingles and other fragments,
like devastating torches, were borne on
ward to blocks beyond the present
boundaries Ofthe conhagration, and thus
hurried on its ravages with fearful rap
idity. The occupants of houses in its
line of progress, seeing that their resi-
dences were sure to be devoured, moved
their furniture to places beyond which
they believed it could reach, only to have
to move it again, and in many instances
to find it at last consumed by the flames.
Such was the extent of the fire that the
fireman were almost powerless. While
they were CALAMITY fighting it in one di-
rection it held almost undisputed sway
in others. The firemen doubtless did all
they could, but they were powerless be,
fore such tornado of fire and flame
The people behaved well, laboring with
every energy to aid the flremen, or tC
rescue the goods of those whose resi-
dences lay in the course Of the fire
Buildings were torn down and blown W
far in advance of the fire, but the flames
would overlap the chasms thus made
and 60 on with increased force to fur
ther conquests.
Our informant did not hear any est
mate of the amount of insurance upor
the property destroyed. 1t was quite
large, bat fears are entertained that il
some instances offices may have so large
an amount as to render them insolvent
The New York and Hartford offices arr
, large sufferers.
The burnt district includes the who'll
of the ante-revolutionary town burnt b,
| Cant. Morrett in 177b and much more