, 1872-11-18

That the fire we are now 'larnenting should
have made havoc in Boston City would surprise
none familiar with it's density, and the aley-ike
don in the neighborhood OF St. Paurs), except
for the soid and stoue-like cast Of its business
edifces, which we're built Of all tho varieties Of
NEW ENGLAND GRANITE,
the Quincy and and Concord granite predomi-
period have disproved the incombustibility Of
Stone. which, Unlike brick, the creature Of
the fire, became the victim Of hest, not Of
flame. 4 geo1ogiBt might find it well worth his
while to roam over this waste ct granite, and ask
whether the boulders he has attributed to the
action Of water were not quarried from the
mountain by its inner heat. They are true
bou1ders in shape, and need only to- be rolled
awhile in the rapids to appear oval and polished
like the mammoth boulde1s On the plalns. 1he he
heat. as well as flame, after this
wholesale combustion, which expands the stout
est walls as it they we're elbowed asunder. The
very slabs Of granite pavements are, in pleces,
them by the chisel scarcely show in relief.
The part OF the city devastated BY the fire vas,
the
NATURAL. SITE OF TIE crEY
by it's position on the most open part Of the har-
bor, facing directly toward the sea, and also
occupying the lowest and most level plain On
the lilly peninsula of elder Boston.
To LOOK upon in old days, the city cite seemed
to be three hills, whence the name fremont.
and between tvo.of these dell rolled downward
to q plain and cape facing the port. Here the
business town YVES built, aud some Of the streets
circled round the foot Of the nearest hill, while
others, descending straight to the water, crossed
them or emptied into them without consideration
the town behind the hill, demanded conduits of
their own, which assisted confusion There the
business part Of Boston is
WITHOUT FORM Or LIKENEss,'
and the growth Of the city and uniform pros
perity have given no time to set new stakes and
straighten the peryerse paths. These streets
were often mere lanes, and one Of them burnt
over by the fire, now called High street, used to
be Cow lane, manifestly surveyed by cows:
Another, which has reached the dignity OF
street, nnlessmy charts deceive me. was Long
lane, and Pearl street was ropewatk. But two
Of the leading modern streets which the fire
chose for it's spoilretain their provincial names,
Devonshire street was Pudding alley,
Of our period was alternately Cornhiu aud
Marlborough street. It is to be wondered at
that oonhagration; delayed go long to take ad-
vantage Of what was so easy prey; and to
monumentalize these narrow corridors with
some Of the highest business-blocks in the
world seems, after this lesson, merely to have
erected fues to guide and ventilate the fire.
ER1CEs OF LAND.
FN4A~N S~-A
manded prices such as we're put upon this business
part of Boston. As long ago as 1857, when the
neighboring State street block Was built upon
reclaimed land as, much as $18.75 per superficial
foot WAS asked and received. The slte OF the
Sears Building. just outside the burnt district,
brought S43 per square foot in 1868, and 500 per
foot would not, perhaps, be deemed preposter-
ous valuation for much OF the ground now coy
cred with waste brick, pu1verized stone, and cell
lars of molten coal.
As Boston nov stands, denuded of the greater
part Of it's dense business quarter there is nearly
Taste
ACROSS TIE WHOLE PENINSULA
of tie city, from tho harbor to Charles River;
the burnt quarter fupm the Common and Public
Garden. The city stands eomewhat like the
Biamese Twins, two living parts connected by q
band Of Bensible communication, which Is about
6O0feet wide aud nearly third Of mle long.
On one side, the Common and Public Garden
make space bare OF houses, nearly 10 scres in
extent !; on the other, the burnt district makes
desert one-third larger. It would seem to be
a favorable time to cut "a broad modern
avenue from the Common to the harbor,
across fremont and Washington streets, OF
which fremont ia at'preaent the only great chan
! mel of communication between the head Of the
Peninsula (called the North End and Roxbury-
The North End, nov nearly dlssected from its
growing on stalk. The wharves have suffered
but little relatively, while tho fire has beveled
out broad "
PITCHER AND HANDnE-sHApED pEARTH,
| as il to make another lung like the Common on
the east and eea front OF the city. The day after
| the fire was put down, the Joint COMMITTEES of
! Boston City Councils, BY o vote Of 10 to2 con-
| sented to let the burnt-out business people
move across to the Common and put up tempo
Frary structures. When Boston butns let the
frogs in the celebrated civic-pond Join their
voices to the two ve,tes; for it is death to them
| The burned space accommodated, approx
mately, ......
oSE THouEASD BUSINESS FIRMS
| The Assessors books rated this property at
above s1s 000, 900, ct which the highest assess-
ments we're $500 00o in the building Jointly pos
oessed BY John Jt,ffries, Jr., and Edward D:
Peters. The Trinity Church lot was assessed al
1ard College 1t 81, ,6oo; spooners building a
$500, 600 Joshua Sears heirs' edi6ce at $780,
| 600; the II. ?. Mason, estate at 900; Masor
| & Co., several heavy sums for various struc'
| tnres; and some others 800, 600.
/ In order to catch the mail, must conclude.
Suffice it to say, that the Boston fire will be
no TRIAL TO CHARITY,
butmuch to organized industry and straight
| forward business
It;bears no comparison, as social phenome
non, or as test of git, to the Chicago fire
The problem here is not that OF existence, but
Of continuedmarcantile prosperity GA7H-
| Crowded Churches Ycsterday-The
Post office S1vanapea with Mai
NIattex-Narvard College in Pecu'
! mary DifficultY-Recovery of Valu,
| able Souvenirs - Recovering the
| Dead.
Boston, Nov. 1.-THE crowded churches to
| DAY we're in remarkable contrast to the thir
attendance on the previous Sabbath, when the
| audiences were composed Of q few women ane
children. The great conhagration was the sub
! 1ect to-day in all the city pulpits.
| Washington street is now open for travel, and
other streets in the burnt district will probabl5
| be. cleared Of debris during tomorrow.
A small military guard is still on duty.
Thousands OF people visited tho ruins to-day
! The Post Office in Faneuil Hall, is SO swampet
with mails that they are obliged to send a larg'
amount OF matter to other Offices tor distribt-
| ton.
Harvard College has lost so heavily by tho ire
| that it asks for 550, 600 for immediate ufe anu
5000, 600 for rebuilding.
The most interesting locality among the runs
to-day, and one to which hundreds were attract
ed by the operations there in progress, WAS tia
| rear Of the store OF 6hrievet Crump u Lowe
| Beneath the sidewalk was 3 brick vault hfteer
| feet long, ten feet wide, and ten feet deep.
which contained between $4,000 and Sl00, ,00(
worth Of silver, including the altar service be-
! longing to Trinity Church, q portion OF the sac
| ramenfai egilyer Of the Battle Square Church, {