The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-11-18
Great Fires of the World.

Great Fires of the World.
In view of the present terrible confagration IN
Chicago, a short summary of great hres tnat nave
! occurred in various parts of the Worio III years
past, may not be uninteresting
THE LONDON FIRE.
The great fire in London IN 1000 ourlng r nnI
reign OF Charles II, is probably without pa
in history. 1t began at a bakers mouse II y
dington Lane, behind Monumental laiu o.
Guiding st. Paul's), the city gates, the hoyai L1
change, the Custom House, Guilahall' Leon C4l-
Iege, and many other public ouliolhgs' "~
13, 200 houses, laying waste 4OO streeps; teso
tended over an area of 43o acres. anu ~ ~ :
was estimated at that time at $50 ,OUO.O oU. u
narrow streets, the houses built entirely OF WOOD,
a dry season, and a violent east winu' -
many concurring circumstances, "hlch r.
it easy to assign the reason of the destruc.ion .
SO much property. The progress OF I1is AZ ,.are
only stopped when a NUMBER oi uiO
blown up.
THE NEW YORK FIRES.
The CITY of New York has, on different occa-
sions. been visited with most disastrous nres, tne
largest of which occurred on December To.n'
1885, when a fire swept through the rlrsl "atu'
east of Broadway and below wan e1ree', &c
stroying GAS stores and ware houses ano properly
valued at $40, 600 900. 80
In September. I776, soon after passing into the
hands of the British, 500 buildings were con-
sumed by fire. -.
September 9th, 1889. f~orty-six buildings were
DESTROYED, entailing a loss of $4,000. 600 and
ON july 10Th, 1875, 302 stores and dwellings,
valued at Sc, 900 900.
THE HAMBURG FIRE.
On the 5th of May, 1912, Hamburg, Germany,
was visited by the fire fend, and a tract nearly a
mile square was burnt over, being nearly one
third of the city 1,747 houses were destroyed,
laying waste sixty one streets, and ragged three
days. This portion of the city was built on a
piece Of swampy land, reclaimed from the river,
and the whole surface was raised four feet by the
debris from the fire.
IN PHILADELPHIA.
In April, 1S45, 1000 buildings were destroyed
by fire in Philadelphia, with a loss of about So
000, 900: and again, in July, 1850, a fire de-
stroyed $50 buildings, with a loss of So, 900 900.
This fire spread over a tract of fifteen acres. 1t
commenced in a saltpetre warehouse, and, owing
to an explosion that occurred in the building soon
after the fire started, the fremen could not be
persuaded to go near the building, fearing anoth-
er. At the fire Is persons were killed, 9 drowned,
and 120 wounded.
FIRE IN CoNsTANTINoPLE.
In 1881 Constantinople suffered severely from
a fire, in which 10, 900 houses were destroyed,
among which the palaces of nearly all the Am
bassadOrs, and property estimated at So 900 900.
The houses here for the most part are built of
wood, the streets are ineonceivably narrow, and
disastrous fires, consequently, are of frequent oc-
currence.
FIRE IN YEDo.
In 1906, a fire in Yedo destroyed a large part
Of that city, including the palaces of thirty-seyen
princes, and in it some 1920 lives were lost. In
1854 an earthquake laid the greater part of the
city in ruins, and in the confiagration that fol-
lowed, or in the falling buildings, it was estimated
than at least 200 600 people persisted. But lit
tln brick Or stone liz uAa1 in hha construction Of
buildings there, owing to the frequency of earth
quakes.
FIRE IN PORTLAND.
On the Fourth of July, 1866, at Portland,
Name, a frecracker, thrown by a boy during the
celebration of Independence Day, kindled . fire
that destroyed the greater part of the city, and
rendered 10 900 persons homeless. Eight churches,
the banks, hotels, and newspaper Offices were de-
stroyed; in all, property valued at $l5,OOO 900.
FIRE IN CHARLESTON.
In April, 1888, 1,l5S buildings in Charleston,
S. c., covering l45 acres of ground, were de-
stroyed, and in February, 1865, the city was al
most entirely destroyed, together with great
quantities of army and naval stores.
QUEBEC.
In Nav, 1915, in Quebec, Canada, 500 build
ings, many lives and an immense amount of prop
erty, and in June, less than a month after, 300
dwellings, in all two-thirds of the city, was de-
stroyed.
OTHER FIRES.
In July, 1852, 200 buildings, valued at 49,
OOO, 900. were destroyed by fire at Montreal.
September 9th, 1913, at Albany, 600 buildings
were destroyed. besides steamboats,, piers, etc.
Twenty-four acres were burned over. Loss,
about So 900 600.
The fire in Pittsburg, in 1916. April 10th, de-
stroyed l 200 buildings loss, about Sc 900 900.
In San Francisco, May Sd, 1851, $500 build
ings were burnt and many lives lost. Loss, 3d.
SOC, 900. Again in June, 1851. 500 buildings
were destroyed, valued at about So, 900 900.
In London. in June, 1861, Colton's wharf and
depot, and other wharves in Tooley street, con-
tanning oil and other combustibles took FIRE and
continued burning for a month, and several per-
SONS were killed. Loss estimated at SO. 600 900.