The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-10-14
GneGttslE9sneer.
FIRES IN HISTORY.
The Great CONGREGATIONS of Ancient
and Modern Times.


blessing and scOurge Of the human race
While ministeriEg to human wants, II ha
never failed 10 give TO war TodOubled hOr
rOrs, and invest peace with uncertainty
and dread, The dreadful scenes at tht
fall Of Troy are invested with urid
ghastly splcndOr when Homer describes
the dcmoniac flames bursting from the de-
voted city, roaring and battling with the
Clouds while the Greeks, frenzled with
victory, and maddencd by their ten years
absence from their wives and children,
rush through the blazing streets and
slaughter the Trojans in their ancestral
halls. When Alexander returned from
the lIydaspses aud entered Persepolis, the
mysterious and wonderful capital, he re-
venged himself for the Grecian cities
which had been ravaged with fire and
sword no years before by burning that
city, OF which the sublime Chehelmi-
mar, or Forty Pillars, alone remain to bear
actual evidence Of its former greatness, A
century later the world was appalled, by
the COnlagration that swept Carthage in
tOiOblivion. In her last melancholy strug-
E'S WIN i"ihSt -'iIlllAhuSi thC bSolSEH5
general, carried fire to be applied to the
houses rs the only means Of gaining u
footing within the walls The city was
allowed to burn six days, when the flames
were eXtinguished. On her final subju-
CATION, ZONES memorable decree, scar
Mago dcoaGa Cst' was carried into effect.
The city, was set on fire, and in many
quarlers.at once the renewed conilagra-
ton ragged with incredible fury for II
days Here, unlike at Chicago, the flames
were assisted rather than resisted by man;
but 50 vast IN extent and so filled with
treasure was the African metropolis, that
Tor ~ days the smoke Of her burning pal
aces ana warehouses assembled.
In time Rome herself was burned. The
flames ragged Tor SIX days and seven
nights, and ont OF fourteen quarters only
three escaped unframed INC origin OF
lhs dreadful calamity Is involved IN
Doubt although the frequent occurrence
Of mInor ilrcs IN Bone lends probability
TO inc assumption thRt II was duc TO acct
dent 30 common were conIlagratlons IN
Rome lhal CraSsos a,nasSed much OF his
great wealth ny spGCHlallnig on these ca.
lAIhIles' Mhcll llrG broke out nc would
hasten 70 IhG scene WIN gang OF slaves,
ana would lhducG Tue allrlghtcd house
holders 10 part WIN lheir burning proper.
W At considerable under Its value. lie
WSou,a llch employ MS saves IN arrestlIlg
inc names anu a'ierWaru would have the
buildings repaired III TINS way he be-
came Itlu!o'u o. great part OF home'
Uonstantln0pIc ms suffered most oil oil
pIaceS rom Ilrc' EarIy III tne reign OF
Jus,hIah IL was inc scene OF inc greatest
cohl,aSratIoh known IN history, ana 10
ihc turkish capital retains It's proVerbial
ILaDlIlly 10 inc rllyAgcs Of IRE
lhc great IRE OF London broke out ut one
O'Clock on sunday morning, September =,
loOo, Al me mouse OF one Earryncr, on
krr, IN i'NdGlng lane, Flsh.street I'LL.
Whether 1t originated in accident or dc.
sign point on which historians by no
means agree, while all concur in repre-
SschllnS ltAs, at once, more destructive IN
lis progress, ana ultimately productive OF
more beneficial cllecls, than any conila.
Gr''Ioh recorded IN history. The part OF
HE Guy where 1t began consisted of mar.
row lanes anu passages, and tho houses
were prlncipally 0l wood. The Il re soon
spread to the adjacent houses, and dehcd
tue power OF water poured from buckets,
,or Tue engines could not be brought to
pear upon 1t successfully ON account OF
lhc harrowness OF the streets. II was
'hcll suggested To tue hOru Mayor, who
arrived on Tue spot At y o'clock III the
morning, tIht II would be advisable to
pun down several houses to interrupt the
progress OF INC flames, but he refused to
permit SO prudent measure, and is said
10 IltVe expressed ms opinion OF the fire
III Illppaht ana lhucllcatc terms. by 3
O'Clock IN inc morning II had reached
l'oiuVh i1fluEe ana lhere divided Inc
ulaIli nouy OF lhe names pressed forward
mo Thames street, which was filled with
ComOusliDlc materials tlmtaugmenled the
, a conslueraDIy, winch ragged with great
Jury 'he WhoIc Jay ana struck the in.
laOlIants win such terror, that, says
horu Clarendon, "All men stood amazed
rs spectators only, no man knowing what
remedy to apply, nor the magistrates
what orders 10 give"
On Monday the winds changed and
spread the flames over places deemed
quite secure the day before. Grace
Hlurcll street and parts OF Lombard and
renclUrch streets were soon in flames,
anu Tue ilrc was then burning in the form
ol bow. The night Of Monday was
more dreadful than the preceding one.
ihc lire shone with such fearful blaze
III lhat the streets were as light as MONDAY.
nc oalheural OF 81. l'auTs was entirely
consumed On Tuesday night the fire
continued, sweeping away Ludgate Hill,
IhG Old Bailey, the whole Of Fleet street,
ana the Inner Temple, and threatening
even The Court at Whitehall, which now
began to be alarmed, and gave direction
to blow up several houses with gunpow.
HGr' On wednesday morning, when the
Inhabitants Of Westminster and the sub.
lrls were preparing for flight, the wind