The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-07-04
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
Thursday Morning, July 4 1867.
POR1LAND.
NOMINATION.
FOR GOVERNOR,
JOSHUA L. CHAMBERLAIN

OF BRUNSWICK.


The Annissrsnry.
A year ago the brightest Of mornings ush-
cred IN our national holiday, The long shad-
oWs oil the trees in the love- part of the city,
older than the Oldest citizen now living,
stretched westward over street and housetop.
and cool southerly breeze freshened the air.
The sidewalks were early thronged bv gay
2romenaders. A long procession of Fantas-
tics wound through the laughing crowd, and
conspicuous among the maskers marched an
ancient fire company, white bearded and
white haired, clad in the costume of sixty
years ago, and dragging with them the vaner-
able old Cataract" built in Philadelphia in
1900, and for many long years the pride and
glory OF the Portland fire department. 1t was
the last public appearance OF the ancient tub.
The balloon which lay at anchor near the foot
# fGreen Street, collapsed, and the waiting
crowd turned their attention to the prepare.
tons for the evenings display of fireworks
Hundreds as the day advanced, focked to
the circus, and other hundreds to the trotting
park, and yet others to Ligonia, where the
Eon and Lowell base ball clubs played a
match game In he afternoon. The wind
grew fresh, interfering seriously with the
game. About five o'clock spectators looking
back to the city saw thin column OF black
smoke, bending before the wind, and waving
Ike a dark plume over the city. BY seven
O'Clock the fire had become unmanageable,
the wind was blowing gale; and before
morning hundred and thirty acres of the
oldest and busiest portion of the city lay In
ruins, the custom house standing alone in
the midst of the desolate district, its stone
walls blistered and peeled by the intense heat
of one of the most terrible confagrations ie-
corded in history. Irr 1000 a.r
When men came down town next day,
still weary with the exhausting labor
and excitement of the night, they saw
everywhere only long lines of smouldering |
ruins and scorched and lea6ess trees.
Looking down Middle street, straight through |
the space once occupied by Woods hotel |
and the fine stores which fanked 1t, one saw |
beyond the level waste the blue waters OF
Casco Bay. Banks, law offices, insurance
offices, printing offices, dry goods stores, shoe
stores, jewelers. stores, more than hall OF Our
manufacturing establishments, eight hotels
three school houses, eight churches, the libra
RES of the Christian Association, of the Mer- |
camille Association and of the Atheneum,
the fine collection Of the Society of Natural |
History, the City Hall-all gone like a |
Greenland ten thousand of our citizens |
turned almost naked into the streets-it was
dreary, d. cary day. Mems voices trembled
as they greeted one another, and women
wept aloud as they looked upon the shapeless |
neaps which few hours before had been
pleasant homes.
The story OF the labors of the next few
weeks can never fully be told The city gov
ernmsnt, aided by committee OF citizens,
grappled resoluteiy with the chaos before
hem Tents and temporary barracks fur
nished shelter, aud our cwn resources and
tho5e OF neighboring and neighborly cities
from Quebec to Washington were taxed to
provide food and clothing for the many iami
lies who had lost their all. The work Of re-
construction began promptly. While tie fire
was sill raging, men who had been burned
out on Middle street were seeking rents IN
Commercial street, and publishers were tee
graphing to Bost,n tor new type. Whether it
would take five years, or ten, or twenty-five,
to restore the city to the point she had reach
ed before the fire, was matter of opinion;
but that sooner or later she would be restor-
ed, no man allowed himself to doubt.
A year has passed since that fatal day, and |
the results OF thai years steady, persistent |
work have exceeded the most sanguine anti
cipations. Exchange and Fore and Middle |
streets begin to look like themselves again
The Portland Sugar House has been rebuilt. |
and two new reflneries are now in operation. |
The shoe trade on Union street is as brisk as |
ever. The book stores and auction rooms on |
Exchange street and the dry goods stores on
Middle and Free streets were as busy yester- |
day as a y,ar before. The dome OF the City
Hall is rising again A public library has |
been founded which will more than rsplac
the Athenaeum. Our streets have been |
Strengthened and improved, and pleasant |
park las been laid cut near the City Hall |
Dwelling houses have sprung up as ifby magic
all along the line of the fire. The new build |
ings, as might be expected, are more commo-
dious than the old some OF them unsrupass-
ed for beauty tn New England. The fouuda-
tons are being prepared tor Lew custom
house and new post Office, and new hotel |
long needed, is rapidly rising on Middle street
On every side, one hears the cl lex ofthe trow-
ell ard the chirp of the plane Nor do we rest
satisfied with simply rebuilding the City, By
two different routes we are stretahing out our
hands to the fruitful West, and offering our,
whaIyes for the business which in the future
near or remote, will follow the completion of
the Northern Pacific rail ay- The water
question which was approaching solution |
before the fire, but slumbered for time after |
that disaster, has been revived, and there is
lair ground to expect that in one way or an
other this great necessity win be reliev-
ed
So much have We tobe thankful for, on this
anniversary to the kind Provi-
dence which has overruled and graciously
tempered our misfortune, and to the generous
souls, near and far, who in our sorest time of
need were the agents OF His bounty.
I