Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-11-11
PUBLIC LEDGER


The Telegraph wires again pt'ns the
details Of an awful Ere. Boston, one OF
the oldest commercial cities in the coun-
try, and bnilt up gradually, compactly
indignantly solid, has lost seventy acres
Of her finest business houses. Those
who have been to Boston cannot have
failed % note themassive appearance OF
ths4buildings, as fiput up to Withstand
the Inarch of time, the blast Of the
tempest, or the fury Of the flames. Yet
those granite walls aud iron windows and
doors, and of such stately proportions,
and mansard roofs, the browning glory
Of all, have crumbled down in nightr
the goods within have turned to ashes
or Been dragged away half consumed;
and a hundred millions Of wealth, ac-
cumulated for century, was swept
away in q few eyentful hours.
The fire broke out at seven and a half
o'clock Saturday night, in the heart of
the city and was famed by strong
wind. The flames shot from house to
house with fearful rapidity, and were not
brought under control until Sunday at
one q clock. Its first appearancewas in
the rear Of five story granite building
on the corner of Kingston and Summer
streets. In less than twenty minutes
both fronts, Of fully one hundred feet
each, we're a sheet Of flame, and in less
than half an hour the flames were burst
Ing ont from the roofs of the immense
buildings adjacent on either hand, and
the terror Of the scene was increased
blythe wind spinging up nearly TO a gale.
From this time on the flames leaped
from roof to roof, block to block, and
across the narrow streets in fiery clouds,
driving the fremen before them at the
peril of their lives. Almost instantane-
ously the fire, with fendish fury, shot
forth in three directions, and all
efforts ITO stay its progress were
futile. 1t continued to advance steadily
and at ten o'clock fifteen or twenty
large frst-class blocks were in ruins. AT
this time the fame bfeEe out,frpm the
top of a building on Arch street, a dozen
doors away from Summer, where it had
committed its, greatest .ravages, and
from this new starting point spread as
RAPIDLY as from the first. The Everett
block broke out in flames at the same
time, and sent forth long red tongues Of
fire and sparks TO lap into Combustion
the handsome blocks in easy reach. The
Wholesale center of the city had been
reached and melted down into pyramids
and craters of red-hot ruins before
eleven o'clock. The scenes of contu-
sion. terror, dismay and suffering among
the struggling mass of humanity, fleeing
for life, struggling to save fragment
of property, or vainIy trying to arrest
the progress of the fire in its
flow like lava from a sarcharged
volcano, may bEimagined better
than described. A portion Of the dis
trict thus far destroyed was occupied by
residences, and many families and sin
gle persons had their rooms in houses
occupied IS stores. These all mingled
ia the crowd trying to make their es
cane. Men, women and children, dressed
aud baif-dressed, some carrying load
of their effects, others caring only to
save their own lives, rushed frantically
toward the overerowded avenues OF esT
cape. The fire reached the Russian
wharf, which was quickly destroyed,
with all the buildings. A schooner and
coal sheds and lumber yards at Robbins
wharf flashed up like powder and we're
consumed. The wharf and passenger
station of the. Hartford and Erie Rail
road Company went in like manner.
Butthe fearful destruction went on and
on. Banks, insurance Offices, publish
ers, all went alike, and hundredso OF resi-
dences caught fire, and the inmates had
10 flee from the falling roofs and walls
The space overrun and destroyed by the
Gre ia about three-quarters of a mile
long and half a mile wide. The fullest
details are given in our Geographic col
nmns. from which It will be seen that
the loss is estimated as high as $780,
100000. The loss Of life is also re-
ported at twenty FIVE, but this is doubt
fnl estimate, and may be either too high
or too low. r.f.f