Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-11-12
THE GREAT FIRE.

| wonderful destroying power, that fire could
break out in this city in granite block, IN
the early evening, and sweep whole district
before il, shriyelling great blocks of stone as
if they were baby houses; flying from street
to street like lightning and stopping only
when there was nothing left to burn-DoDe
would have believed. The fire has done II in
a single night ard whitencd heaps of stone.
bricks and mortar are all that is left Of the
magnificent wholesale blocks on Summer
street, the dry goods commission houses on
Franklin, Summer and Devonshirc streets.
leaving but three standing in the whole city,
the wholesale wool houses and the paper
dealers on F. deral street, the great leather
warehouses on Pearl street, the clothing cs'
adjustments Of Arch and Dev0nshire streets
and Otis place, the stations Of the Hartford
and Eric Railroad and hundreds of smaller
stores.
The first alarm was given at quarter past
seven o'clock and second, third and fourth
followed as quickly as possible. The lire
caught first in the engine-room and ran up
the elevator with terrible rapicity so that the
flames were first discovered bursting from
| the windows in the mansard roof OF the large
four-story new granite building OF the corner
| of Kingston ard Summer streets. The tire
ran from window to window with trighttul
rap;dity. In tyfi minutes flames we're burst
ing from every opening in the root. and ten
| minutes more volumes and waves OF flames
were rolling out from svery window IN the
third story with such terrible furce that the
fate of the building was decided. Y ct there
was not spark in the air as yet nor sus-
picion of breeze, not even the smallest bit
| of fame had appeared on any other building.
! Nevertheless it was evident even then that
there WAS no hope of saving any buildings
because the fire was up above the reach OF
the fremen. No stream OF any magnitude
can be carried above the fifth story by an or
binary engine. except under the most iaVor-
able circumstances. Every hydrant in the
vicinity had been called into active service
and the pressure correspondingly diminished
Then too the hot flame and the rarltied air
made a breeze which warded off the test d.
rected streams. So il was that the fire ran
briskly round the cornices and playfuily skip
ped f. ON one window to another entirely I'M
disturbed and regardless of the streams which
all but reached them.
About eight o'clock, soon after the first
store was completely enveloped in flames the
heated window casugs of the opposite store
on Summer street, Nos. &C, CS, 10, and - of
precisely similar construction, gave way and
the little flames began running along from
one window sill to another II went round
the corner almost llkt IL HASH put " as stay
little when it reached the corner OF the
building on Otis street
From eleven o'clock until midnight the fire
made terrible headway. The efforts of the
fremen seemed 10 be baffitd and fruitless.
|. On every hand the flames were sweeping
away the most superb ware houses and the
stauBchest business blocks in the city. Arch
street, Otis street, and Summer street from
Hawley street TO Church Green were one
great mass of flame. The fire did not move
SO fast down Kingston street. A huge force
of steamers was put to work in Avon place,
Bedford street and the streets farther east,
and thus opposed a great check was applied
20 the southerly course OF the contagrallon.
although it was hours afterwards before the
firemen felt sure that at last they had won q
foothold against the flames. The huge mass
5 of flame which rose from the acres Of roofing
: now ablaze illuminated up the heavens unit
every tower and steepic glowcd with luri(
and unearthly beauty. vast cloud OF Gin
/ ders that rose from the great CaulGron Of fr(
was carried out upon the waters of the bay
covering all the intermediate property be
tween Gus street and the Hartford and Erie
wharyes. The great pillars of flame which
!, doomed far above the burning buildings adj
monisheG the inhabitants ofl that large and
thick ly-settled section known as the South
Cove that their household goods were in dan
ger and general movement of furniture and
all portable property into the streets and
southwark began. The fact that many of the
people in this section are very poor did not
prevent them from engaging with such means
as they could get in the effort to save their
| goods and chattels A wooden building on
the corner of Summer and Lincoln streets
| was consumed like q yertable nder-boX,
which indeed 1t was. Gathering vehemence
as they progressed, the flames now began to
run down High street. having enveloptd the
splendid block of granite stores on the site
Of Daniel Webster's late residence At the
same time the Hartford and Erie Railroad
buildings caught fire from the sparks which
descended upon them and being OF weed they
were speedily a!lamc. Then all the buildings
on Federal street from High street TO Broad
were burning, and as the great torrent Of
fame swept out from the doomed territory,
and cast a shining radiance over the water,
dull, angry roar was heard to issue from
them, which fairly struck terror TO stout
hearts. All the vessels at the contiguous
wharves, on whose decks the sparks now be-
gan to fall in showers were pushed out OF the
reach of the contlagration. About midnight
the flames, which continued to gather energy
as they rushed on, had cnveoptd the build
ings on both sides OF High street, down to the
corner OF Congress street. The astounding
rapidly with which the new brick and gran.
ite blocks in that vicinity were Quilted by the
fire convinced all who saw them that Pearl
street as well as Congress streets was doomed
to quick destruction.
AT one o'clock, il became evident that
solid mass OF fame a quarter of mile IN
width was moving up toward State street, and
parallel with it, What the result was to be
no one could tell, and it was plain 10 see that
the last stand against tho northward course
Of the flames must be made along State street
| There, il ever, could their progress be stayed.
although 1t might be hours before the critical
moment arrived. Long before midnight the
tongues Of FIRE from the burning buildings on
Arch street had leaped across ilawley street
and attacked the handsome semcircular block
of dry goods warehouses on Franklin street
in the rear centre. The fire cut its way
through this block with wonderful CELEBRITY
From that time the destruction of the remain
der of the block 10 the corner Of Winthrop
square was but the matter of half an hour
and then the beautiful cathedral pile on the
eastery side Of Win,hop square was quick
to follow. The fire took first ON the root and
speedily sat its way down to the basement
From the point on Franklin street above,
| IL Itab