Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-11-22
GREAT FIRES OF THE PAST.

1866, will always stand pre.emlnent
for its terrible destru ,tiveness. ltio.-
lowed upon the great plague which
carried off one.third Of the population
in the previous year, and swept over
nearly fvc.sxths of the space iucludcd
within the city walls at that date. II
lasted four days, and the ruins covered
436 acres, H. destroyed so churches
[inclnding st. Paul's, the Royal EX.
change, the Custom house, Guildhall,
Zion College, and many other public
buildings, besides l3, ,20Opriyate houses.
-Four hundred streets were laid waste,
and about 100000 Of the inhabitants
of the city wero obliged to cncamp for
some time in the open fields Of lslng,
ton and Highgatc. The most disas.
trous fire that has occurred in London
since that dalo occurred on the 25th
of March, l74S, when two hundred
houses in tho Cornhill Ward were des.
troycd. Many destructive fires have
occurred in the British metropolis at
later dates, the most recent worthy
Of special note being the burning of
the cotton wharves OF Tooey street in
June and July, 1861. The fire con-
tinued raging with greater or less
fury for nearly a month. Several
persons were killed, and property was
destroyed to the value OF e2,000,000.
On the 9th Of May, 1912, fire broke
out'in the city Of Hamburg, Germany,
which ragged with great fury for four
days destroying about ono.third OF tho
city. Sizty.ono streets, containing
l,7I7 houses, were utterly laid waste,
and thousands Of people were render
ed homeless There were few public
buildings of value destroyed, and that
portion Of the city was quickly re-
built in q much more substantial man,
nor than before.
In this countryigreati fires, especi.
ally before the days Of improved fire.
engines, have beon comparatively fire.
quent, and New York has had her full
share. In September, 1875, soon after
the city came into the hands of the
British, 500 houses swcro destroyed,
forming at that time large portion
of the town. The buildings were
rather huddlcd together at the lower
end of the island, and were mostly Of
wood, and the district west Of Broad
way and below Courtland street, was
swept bare. New York was visited
by another great conhagratiou, the
greatest in its history, on the 10th Of
December, 1925. Six hundred ware
houses, and property to the extent of
oversee ,000,0 600 were consumed. Oar
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 sl0,000,0O0 were destroyed. The
next conGagration of large extent' in
this city took place on the 18th OF
July, 1915, when S02 stores and dwell
lings in the lower part of tho city
were destroyed. These, however,
wcro of comparatively inferior value,
the whole loss amounting to S6,00O,-
| 600. Four lives were lost on this
occasion. Since that, time, owing to
tho increased efficiency of the means
employed to prevent and eXtinguish
fires, they have generality been con
fined to single building or small
group.
In the same year Of the last great
fire in New York, 1915, Quebec. suf.
Gered terribly from the same destroy
irs eisv>s-, 90 'lse osh, af Mn,, ;,
\ fire broi.o out 10 the Fanhonrg ST.
Roch which destroyed 800 buildings
before il could be quelled. Several
lives were also lost. Exactly one
month later 200 buildings wore burn.
cd, and by these two conhagrations
nearly two thirds of the city was laid
in ruins. The pecuDiary loss has
been stated at SS,000,0O0. In the
same year, on the 18th Of June nearly
the whole town; of st. Johns, New.
| fouudand, was destroyed, and 6,O0O
people were rendered homeless.
Albany suffered from great con-
hagralion on the 10Th of September,
1918 Six hundred bnildinrs. besides
s,comboots nicrs and other property,
yolncd oItoya,hcr nj en- OO0 600 were
burned. Twenty four acres Of land
within thc cirv limits werc covered
with rnina
81 Ionis bod n great fire in Max.
1919. when fifteen blocks of houses
and tgontr,tbrco s,.omboois were
conspmod cansinc n loss of over So.
00o 00o
PhiIod,Inbio bos becn fortunate in
hoying fow grcot frcs lint one oecur.
rcd % in tho civ on the OH Of JulylS5O.
which DESTROYED 35O buildings. These
,ror, oc infog;o. yolro and ibo wholo
ioss s,T ,r"s ~ bnt s1 5oo 0oo ,hongb Il nor.
sons wcro Iiilej o drowned and 100
in;nroI
lnr,o ror,iop Of San Francisco
,,as ossroIod in 1881 On,tho RI of
Way n fra broke ont which Consumed
III 2 . Sn6 LniId;n,rs causin, loss
~ e5 soG 00n and sorcroI Ii,cs
G,Lo o,or month Ia,cr On tho 29d
D .