West-Jersey pioneer., 1871-10-27
DISASTROUS FIRES.

The appalling disaster which has overtaken
Chicago recalls like fearful calanities to 9TH
er cities OF the great fires Of history, those
in London in y62 and 1887, in which great
portions of the city, including ST. Paul's
Cathedral. were burned, are still read Of with
great interest, though the records are but
meagre. In A. D. 1919 another great fire de-
sastated the city, beginning on the southwest
side and communicating to the other, and
hemmed in large crowd Of people who were
standing on the bridge. Over 3,0O0 of the
unfortunate creatures, in attempting to escape
the devourng element by jumping into boats
and bargss, were destroyed. BY the FIRE in
Londsn, Sept. 2e, A. D. 1866. known as The
Great Fire, 400 streets were laid waste, a.
200 houses were burned, eighty -nne churches
which number included old St. Psul's, sec
cnd time destroyed, the city gates, Custom
House. Royal Exchange, Lion College, and
Guildhall. This terrible, fire thus covered
with ruin 436 acres. and forced 2O0, 900 peo-
pie to encamp in the open air in Jslington aud
Highgate fields. London has had many large
fires since, but none whose deyastations have
extended bsyond certain districts small In
area, except in July 2l, 1874, when 600
houses and an East India warehouse filed
with salspetre were burned. cl 900 ,0G0 being
lost by the conflagration.
The stories Of the great Hres in New York
City in the last century, are interesting =
Those who saw these great confagrations are
now slumbering in the grave, but many of
their children live to repeat the oft-told story
of their childhood. These fires occurred
when New York was occupied by the British
troops. the first one breaking out on August
26th, 1875, when 433 houses all on the west
| side Of Broadway from Whitehall to Barclay
streets were made food for the flames. On
Aug. I, IT'S, 500 buildings were destroyed
in another confagration, the buildings being
located around what was then known as Con-
gers wharf on the East river. At both OF
these ircs great difficulty was experienced III
obtaining sufficient supply of water to be
OF any service. As In Chicago gunpowdsr
was used to blow up the buildings.
On the 10th Of December, 1885, New York
| was swept by the dcvouring element, and 64S
of the most valuable stores, the Merchants
Exchange, tho South Dutch church, and prop
erty valued at more than SlS,O0O,O00 was
lost In the flames. This contiagration took
place in the drst ward, east of Broadway and
| below Wall street. On July 10, fS47, anoth-
or great fire occurred 10. the city, between
Broadway and Exchange place, Broad aud
Stone streets, and $1,000, 900 were lost er
One Of the largest nres in the United States
Of late years, was that in Portland, Me-, on
July 4, &6s. Sixteen hundred buildings
were burned, with = loss of $4,000, 700, upon
which there was only aninsurance Of SO $780,
600. esaia . a-A sl- no
Ths great fire In Constantinopiei on the s5th
OF June, 1870, szsitedsIa assnsation, even, at
this remote distance, Over 600 buildings
wsre burned 10 thfs great cohjagratioh, and
l,e0e -msn,v wofdsfl- aadc ehildsss siest iheir
lives. lsAseas $2asooo, ,o0o4wss tbs estimated
loss.