Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1872-11-15
SIXTY ACRES OF TERRITORY
BURNT OVER.
LOSS EIGHTY MILLIONS.
Good Insurance About $4,000, 900.

Boston has sustained the greatest calam-
ty recorded in her history. Sixty odd
icres of territory, nine-tenths Of which was
occupied by the finest palaces of trade in
his city, have been swept by FIRE. The Sec
ion Of the city which contained all the edi-
ices which were regarded with pride by every
business man, and which combined the mod
srn commercial appliances with architectural
beauty, are a mass Of ruins. Summer street
and Franklin the locale of the largest dry
goods firms in the city, Pearl street and High
street, the headquarters of the leather, boot
and shoe trade, Washington street from Sum.
mer to Milk street, and also Milk street.
Congress street, where the large wool houses
are located, these and others enumerated be-
low may be seen only in sad outline Of half
burnt facades and skeleton side walls. The
wealthiest portions of the city of Boston ex-
list no longer it is estimated by the city as.
SCISSORS that property, to the amount of one
hundred million dollars has been destroyed.
this heavy blow has not caused so
large an amount Of personal suffering as tho
great fire at Chicago, as there were but com.
paratively few habitations destroyed in Bos-
ton. In the vicinity Of Fort Hill and to
the south there were some tenements, and
many families were driven out to find such
shelter as they could among the mass Of
goods which accumulated upon the unim-
proved portion of Fort Hill.
The horrors Of the dreadful fire of Chi
cago were in measure repeated on Satur-
day night and Sunday morning, the same
days of the week which witnessed that men,
orable fire. The prospective extent of the
fire was at once almost foretold by those who
witnessed the angry flames as they plunged
from wooden cornice to Mansard windows
and ran along the tarred roofs of the five or
six story buildings, defying the efforts Of the
hremen to conquer or subdue. Nearly all
the buildings destroyed were first ignited on
the roof and burnt downward, the roof fall
ing in, and floor after floor crumbling as the
timbers gave way, thus intensifying the mate
rial into one vast combustible mass. By
twelve O'Clock at night the streets were
crowded with teams carrying merchandise
to places of safety. The Common, near the
central malls, was transformed into one vast
depot of rescued goods, while City Hall
yard and the interior of the building, and
also all the leading hotels were made receiv-
ing stations. The streets were alive with
people, male and female, and the rattle OF
vehicles and the speculations Of the hundred
thousand witnesses of the grand but sad sight
was scene which we trust we may never
see repeated.
The light of the fire was seen at dis
lance of a hundred miles, and it cast over
the surrounding country glare which seem
ed like the lurid light Of burning cauldron.
The church steepes and especially the dome
of the State House, stood out in brilliant
magnifcence, while every street which cen.
tered upon the vast conhagration was radi.
ant with the light OF the great fire. The
fremen worked like giants, and we regret
that report states that several of these brave
fellows persisted in their attempts to battle
the flames.
The Fire Originated
In building at the corner Of summer anC
Kingston streets, and is believed to hav,
sprung from a furnace in the basement, ex
tending to every story in the building at thu
same time, by the elevator-way.
When discovered at I IA o'clock Sat
urday evening large volumes Of smoke wer,
issuing from the building, showing that tn,
fire had made good progress before it wa
seen. The Fire Department, called out By
the first alarm, came promptly to the scene
with the apparatus, in some instances man
power being substituted for dumb ANNA
muscle. Within an hour the department o
the ensire city was summoned to the spo
and were assigned posts Of duty in the local
ity. When the first alarm sounded few
people were near. That section of the city
it is well known, after business hours, es
pecially Saturday, presents a deserted ap
pearance, but it was soon thronged with PEG
pie. BY eight O'Clock what appeared a sc
ricus danger had assumed an alarming as
pect.
The Fatal Fall.
The spreading Of the terrible calamit
doubtless started in the fall of the luck les
building where the fire first appeared. Ia
stead Of falling in har Mess way the wal!
parted aud tumbled with crash in differ
ent directions, one falling into Summer street
another into Kingston street, and a thir
portion falling back upon a smaller buildin
in the rear. Each fall was fateful and scat
tered the fire to the three points of tn
compass.
The March OF the Fire.
Starting at the easterly corner Of Summe
and Kingston streets the fire crossed King.
ton street on the westerly corner of Kingsto
and Summer streets; then over Summe
street 10 the corner Of Otis street, taking tn
whole block bounded by Otis, Devonshir
and Summer streets and Winthrop Square
known as the Beebe block. Then il passeC
up Summer street towards Washington o
both sides Of Summer street. On the sout
side Of Summer street it was stopped by th
large store of q. +. Hovey Il Co., few door
west Of Chauncey street. On the northerl
side ofSummer streetit passed up to Washing
ton street, taking Trinity Church in its cours
and only leaving the building on the north
erly corner of Washington aud Summe
streets, occupied by the Waltham Waite
Company and Mr. A. Q. Nudge. Then
took the whole Of Washington street on tn
easterly side down TO the corner Of Wash
ington and Milk streets, when the low builC
ing on the corner, occupied by Currier
Trott, jewellers, was blown to pieces wit
powder, at about six o'clock yesterday morI
ing, During the whole night the fire VIZ
marching steadily toward the water, easterl,
carried by the northwesterly wind. I'll
water was reached by the flames about miC
night, taking all the stores on the sOutherl
side Of Summer street, the new block
buildings at the junction Of Bedford al
Summer streets, ending in the destruction
} the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad d
pot. At the same time the fire spread
the right and left, taking its outer cour
to the north toward State street. From Il
corner Of Milk and Washington streets Il
march Of the fire was along the souther
! side Of Milk street, until it passed the nc