Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1871-10-21
The Great Fires Of the Past.

Der, 1866, will always Stand pre-emi-
nent for it's terrible destructiveness
1t followed upon the great plague,
which had carried off one-third of the
population in the previous year, aod
swept over nearly five sixths of the
space included within the city walls
at that date. 1t lasted four days,
and the ruins covered 436 acres. u
destroyed 80 churches, Gncluding St.
Paurs.l tie Royal Exchange, the
CustoIn Htuse, Guildhall, Zion Col
lege, and many other public build
ing., besides 1920 private houses
Four hundred streets were entirely
laid waste, and about 100000 Of the
inhabitants of the city we're obliged
to encamp for so ne time in the open
fields of islington and Highgate. The
most disastrous fire in London since
that date occurred on the 25th oi
March, l74S, when 200 hundred
houses in the Cornhill Ward were de
stroyed. Many destructive fires have
occurred in the British metropoli, at
! later dates, the most recent. worthy
of special note, being the burning Of
the cotton and other wharves Of Too
lev street, in June and July, 1861. -
The fire continued raging with great
er or less fury for nearl q MONTH
Several persons were killed, and pro-
perty was destroyed to the value Of
.E2,UOO,O00.
On the 9th of May, 1S42, fire
broke out in the city Of Hamburg,
Germany, which ragged with great
fury for four days, destroying about
one third the city. Sixty one streets,
containing l,747 houses, were utterl y
laid waste, and thousands Of people
were rendered homeless. There We're
few public buildings Of value destroy
ed and that portion Of the city was
quickly rebuilt in much more sub
stantial manner than before.
In this country great fires, especial
~ before the day of improved fire
engines, have been comparatively fire.
qucnt. In Ne" York during Sep
tember, l176, soon after the city came
into the hands Of the British, Ave
hundred houses were destroyed, form
.ng at time a large part Of the town.
The buildings We're rather huddled
,o2t .Aer at the lower end OF the ls-
land. and We're most V of wood, and
the district west of Broadway and be-
low Con,tlandt street WAS swept bare,
New York WAS visited by another
great cvnflacratlon, the greatest III It's
| history, on the 10th Of December, lS-
35. Six hundred warehouses, and
property to the extent of over S2o,-
| 100000, we're consumed. On the 9th
Of September, 1899, the city had
another severe visitation, when forty
six buildings, and property valued at
$lO.uO,uHO, were destroyed. The
next confederation OF large extent
took place on the 18th Of July. 1913,
when three hundred and two stores
and dwellings in the lower part of
/ the citv. were destroyed. These,
however, were of comparatively inie-
rior valnc. the whole loss amoun ing
to $4,000, 600. -Four lives were lost
ON this occasion. Since that time,
owing 60 the increased efficiency OF
the means mployei to prevent and
cxtinsuith fires, they have generally
been confined to a single building or
= small group.
In tl,. same year of the last great
Ere in New York, lS45, Quebec suf-
itcred terribly from the same destroy
ing element. On the 2Sth Of May :
fire broke out in the Fauhourg ST.
Roch which destroyed 1900 build
ingS before it could lie quellcd Sev.
eral lives were xlSo lost. Exactly
one month later, 800 buildings We're
burned, and by these two conhagra.
tions nearly two-tiirds oi tie city
We're laid in ruins, The I4cuniary
loss has been stated at $1,000, ,OoO.-
In the same year, Oh the 18th OF June
nearly The whole town Of st. johns
Newton 1dland, was destroyed, and
6,OOO people we're rendered homeless
Albany suffered from a great con
migration on the 9th Of September
1913. Six hundred bindings, besides
steamboats,, piers and other property
valued altogether at I3,OoO,UOo, Were
burned. Twenty-tour acres Of lane
within the city limits We're coverec
with ruins.
st. LoniS had a great fire in May
lS49, when fifteen blocks of houses
and twenty-three steamboats, wer'
consumed, causing a loss Of over IS,
600, 900.
Philadelphia has been fortunate il
having few great fires. but one occur
red in that CITY on the 9th Of JuIy
1850, which destroyed $50 buildings
These We're of inferior value, and th'
whole loss was but 81 100000, though
45 popaons were killed, 8 drowned
and l20 injurod
A large portion of San Franoisc'
was destroyed in 1851. On the 3r'
of May fire broke out which con
: snmed nearly $500 buildings, caus
ing loss Of S3,50O,000. and sevora