Connecticut western news., 1871-10-20
Great Firss of the Past.

upon the great plague, which had carried off one third of the population in the previous year, and swept over nearly fve-sixths of the space included within the city walls at that date. It lasted four days, and the ruins covered 436 acres, It destroyed eighty-nine churches including St. Paul's), the Royal Ex- change, the Custoru-house, Guildhall, Zion College, and many other public buildings, besides 13, 2U0 private houses. Four hundred streets were entirely laid waste, and about POO, ,000 of the inhabi- tants of the city were obliged to encamp for some time in the open fields of Ellington and Highgate. The most dis astrous fire in lLondon since that date occurred on the 25th of March, 174S, when 200 houses in the Cornhill Ward were, destroyed. Many, destructive fires have occurred in the Britishs metropolis at later dates, the most recent worthy of special note beingst the burning of the cotton and other wharves of Tooley street in June and July, 1861. The fire continued raging with great or less fury for nearly month. Several per sons were killed and property was des- troyed to the value of s2,OO0,O00
 On the 9th of May, rs.lS442; a. -fRe -hroke out in the City of Hamburg, Germany. which ragged with great fury for four days, destroying. about one third of tue city. Sxty-one streets, containing 1,- 747 houses, were utterly laid waste and thousands of people were erendered home less. There were few public buildings of value destroyed, and that portion of the city was quickly rebuilt in a much
 
 In this country great fires, especially before the day of improved tire-engines, have been mparativelys frequent, and New York has had hsf full share. In September, 1776, soon after the city came into the hands,~of the British, 500 houses were destroyed, forming at that time large part of the town. The buildings were rather huddled together at the lower end of the island, and were mostly of wood, and the district west of Broadway and below Cortland street was swept bare. New York was visited by another great tconhagratlon, the greatest in its history, on the 18th of December, 1885. Six hundred ware houses, and property to the extent of over .$20, ,000, 900, were consumed. Our oldest inhabitants still remember the horrors of that terrible disaster. On the 9th of September, 1889, the city had another severe visitation, when forty-six buildings and property valued at $1O,- 00O, ,000 were destroyed. The next con- fagration of largo extent in this. city took place on the, 18th of July, 1845, when 302 stores and dwellings in the lower part of the city were destroyed. These, however, were of comparatively inferior value, the whole loss amounting to $6, ,0OO, ,O00..- Four lives were lost on this occasion. Since that time, owing to the increased efficiency of the means employed to prevent and extinguish fires, they have generally been Econtined to 8 single building or 8 small group.
 In the same year of the last great fire in New York, 1845, Quebec suffered terribly from the same destroying ele- ment. On the 18th of May 8 fire broke out in the Faubourg St. Koch which destroyed ], 1,5OO buildings before it could be quelled. Several lives were also lost. Exactly one month latter 1, 300 buildings were burned, and by these two confagra- tions nearly two-thirds of the city was been stated at $5, ,000,000. In the same year, on the 18th of June, nearly the whole town of St. Johns, Newfoundland, was destroyed, and 5000 people were rendered homeless.
 Albany suffered from 8 great con- fagration on the9 9th of September, 1848. Six hundred buildings, besides steam boats, piers, and other property, valued altogether at $3,O0O, GOO, were burned. Twenty-four acres of land within the city limits were covered with ruins.
 St. Louis had .s 8 great fire in May, 1S49, when fifteen blocks of houses and twenty three steamboats were consumed, causing loss of over $3, ,OOO, ,00O.
 Philadelphia has been fortunate in having few great fires, but one occurred in that city on the 9th of July, 1850, which destroyed $50 buildings These were of inferior value, and the whole loss was but $1, ,500,0 900, though twenty five persons were killed, nine drowned, and 120 injured.
 A large portion of San Francesca was destroyed in 1851. On the -3d- of May a fire broke out which consumed nearly 2,50O buildings, causing asloss of $3, 900, 900 and several lives. A little over a month later, on the 22d of June, 50( more buildings were burned, valued al $3, ,000, 900 or more.
 Twelve acres of land in Syracuse were burned over on the 9th of November 1856. About 100 buildings were destroy ed, and the loss of property amounted to $1, 100000.
 The scene most naturally recalled by this fearful disaster in Chicago is the terrible celebration. of the Fourth o+ July in Portland, Me, in 1866. The leading facts of that great event are stil fresh ill the public mind. The fire, be- ginning in boot store. on High street swept north, and destroyed in it's course nearly one-half of the city. The pecu niary loss was about $15, 5,000, ,O00, an6 one-fourth of the population were ren dered homeless.
 It seems probable from the report: thus far received that the terrible fire 1T | Chicago has no parallel s. in semoder1 history, unless in the confagration' kindled by war. Even the great fire O London. though relatively more de structive, did not equal it in absolute extent The London of that day wal little more than two-thirds the size O the Chicago of to-day, having less thai 25O, 900 inhabitants two-thirds of Chi cago is in ruins, the desolated territor, is far greater than the fve-sixths O London said to have been laid waste il 1866.
 GERMANS IN THE UNITED STATES. total number of Germans residing in tn United States is 1,690, ,533, destributed a follows
 Alabama, 2,4S2; Arkansas, 1,563 Cali fornia, 29,701; Connecticut, 12,443 Delaware, 1,142 Florida, 597 Georgia 2,761 Illinois, 203, 759 Indiana, 7S, ,0OO Iowa, 66, 162 Kansas, 12, TIA; Kentucky 3O,319; Louisiana, 1S,933; Maine, sos Maryland, 47,045 Massachusetts, F, ,O71 Michigan, 64,443; Minnesota, fl, 364 Mississippi, 2,960; Missouri, 113,61s
 Nebraska, 10,954 Nevada, 2,lS1: Ne,