The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-11-16
THE BOSTON FIRE. .

THE BOSTON FIRE.
HOW 1T AFFECTS NEW YORK CITY.
An Estimate OF the Losses-The Burnt
District to be Restored to Life at
Once-An Analysis OF Boston Pluck
Tho Late Electton-A New Market for
New York.
[rRoM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENCE
New YORK, November IL.
The excitement over the Boston fire was
very general here, but not 30 much feeling was
exhibited as when Chicago was burning. This
may be attributed to several reasons: Chicago
can be called daughter Of New York. She
was bound to us, also, at the time Of the fire,
by one of the closest Of ties, that Of her In
debtedness to us. Boston, on the other hand,
is creditor city. If q balance between us
should be struck 1t is probable that we would
be found In her debt She is wealthy. The
fire touched her rich men, and the sympathy
we are called upon to feel can be bestowed
only on those opulent merchants who through
from other causes, have accumulated vast
wealth.
The losses have been greatly exaggerated.
The reports Just after the fire fixed Them as
high as $25O.OOO, 600, but 1t has been ascer.
tanned that the value of the buildings destroyed
was $7,765, 900. As the business season was In
transition state the stocks OF goods In store
were comparatively small. They were the
remnants OF the winter supplies. Mr.. Libby,
of the house of A. T.. Stewart & Co.. who is q
good Judge, thlRks the losses Inclusive OF the
bulldogs will not exceed $40, 100000. To of.
set this it is said the insurances amount 10
$50, 900 600, distributed as follows: English
companies. Sic, ,000, 600; New York and other
outside American companies, $l6, ,0O0, 900; New
Eogland companies, s2o.0oO, ,9oo. Ihe assets
of the companies represented In Boston are
Sl60, ,OO0, 600.
Thus It will be seen that the "rulned" mer-
chants will be paid back dollar for dollar tor
their losses, and that the ultimate loss will be
distributed over large area, England hav-
inp q share of It. No wonder we hear 30
much about the "lndomtabie pluck" OF the
Boston merchants. 1t is easv enough to be
plucky, and talk about resuming business In
stantly, when the Insurance company stands
ready TO make sou whole at once. IL Ia likely
that insurauces will bs paid promptly, and
that In few weeks the debris will ba cleared
aWay, and the wholesale business section of
Boston will be rising again In massive granite,
but with straighter streets. Boston, with the
wonderful energy of Chicago before her, will
be put on her mettle, and there will be pro-
dipious efforts made TO rebuild the bnrnt dis
trict In the shortest space OF time. Then we
shall find the taub" airler and more toptohcal
than ever.
Mansard roofs were The cause Of the trouble.
The burnt district was formerly the poorer
mart of the city, covered with tenements and
dwellings, Of the humber kind. Within ten
wears it mas been built over with magnificent
granite and Iron warehouses. These build
ipgs were almost without exception covered
with handsome Mansard roofs. constructed OF
timber. One would suppose 30 smart peo-
caught mapping this way. You may easily
understand how the fire, when once under.
Way,, leaped from roof to roof 10 frantic
olee. whiaking the fanciful structures into
flames and smoke y as II they were 80,
much tissue paper dropping red not Goals
upon the floors below piled With fnftammable
merchandise, and bursting tne granite walls gus.
Mansard be accursed, or rather let IL be made.
OF Iron, Thousands Of the most imposing
buildings of this city are covered With wooden
Hansard tops, and we may expect some day
lust such lire as has swept through Boston.
have in my minds eye that long range OF
W6reDOuaeS Oh OEOhuWoy SuuiSu ooho oops
from Canal to Chambers streets, undergoing
cremation some windy night.
The fire has driven che late election out OF
the newspapers and out OF mems minds Tor the
moment. In one sense 1t was Godsend, for
It was relief to the vanqulshed. The TIL
bune and World have some excuse for omit
ting those unpleasant details of loss and disas-
ter, which were getting worse instead OF pet
ter as the returns came In. We shall baVe
luil of several months Ia party excitement. II
is true that few ippetuons Free Traders
have lust met In Clnolnnau and laid the oor-
Rer.stone Of the party OF the future, out tne
people generally are too much wearied to take
interest in political topics.
If Grant has sense enough to kick the
Mortocs, Buffers aud Conklings out of his nd
yIsary BOARD, and pursue q generous policy
hereafter towards the South, he Will do q
great deal to make bis administration strong
and popular In both sections, and dlsarm hos.
tile criticism upon himself personally tor the
ensuing four years.
II is Well known elsewhere that New York
possesses the dirLlest and most wretchedly ar.
ranged markets of any great city IN the
world. Washington and Fulton markets are
a positive disgrace to the civilization Of the
nineteenth century. Reform In our market
system began last night by the opening OF the
new Manhattan Market, q private enterprise,
at the foot of Thifty-tourth street, North
RlyST. It covers an entire olock, ana tne
room is the largest In the world, with the ex.
osptIon of the Interior of st. Peter's.aI Rome.
It is eight hundred feet long, two hundred
feet wide, and will hold eighty thou
sand people, There were thirty thou
sand people In It at one time last eve-
ming. A pier for the company ls building
which will axtend five hundred and fifty feet
into the river and be sixty feet wide, and there
ia an open square on the other side covering
fourteen city lots, which will be the standing
place for market wagons. The number OF
stalls In the market will be fifteen hundred,
two-thlrds of which have already been rented,
and the annual income from this source alone
viii be q quarter of million of dollars. Con.
nected with the ediace is bank tor the tran.
sactIon of the financial business of the market
men, q huge restaurant, and telegraph office.
A ferry will run from the great pier to the Erie
Railroad dock on the Jersey side, thus fur
nlshlng easy apd rapid transit for The market
men by the Erie Rsflroad, and from the sur
rounding country. Altogether this is the most
magnificent market enterprise the world has
ever seen, and take pleasure In writing of 1t,
because New York has been notoriously so
deficient In her market system IN the past.
NYM.
BOSTON RECOVERING FROM TEE
SHOOK.