, 1872-12-10

manner Unfortunately for humanity, Mara
tells the truth, but not the whole truth, and we
now propose to give full and accurate history
THE TERRIBLE MIGHT IN FEBRUARY.
The night Of Feb. 8, 1866, Vas as wild and
fearful in its nature as is seldom witnessed in
this climate. It had showed and sloeted inces-
sanity all day, and at nightfan rain descended in
torrents, willie the Temperature moderated to
Huch an extent as to cause general thaw. This,
with the rain, converted the six inches of snow
On the ground into;a seething and surging slush.
Nearly every sewer inlet was choked, through
the preceding neglect Of the city authorities,
and, in the lower sections Of the city, the streets
were impossible, while, in many instances, the
water ran into the cellars Of tho dwellings.
Travel by foot or horse Was almost impossible,
obliged to cease running. It VAS on such q
night as this that four miscreantB started for
what they, it is possible, did not intend to be as
great calamity as ensued-
At the southwest corner Of Ninth street and
Washington avenue Was q lot of ground enclosed
with paling fence and partly covered by rows
OF wooden sheds. The law forbiddng the etor-
age Of coal oil in quantities within the built-up
portions Of the city was not then IN existence,
lowed. Over SEQ barrels Of coal oil we're stored
under the sheds, arranged in tierB two deep.
| Shortly after midnight Hugh Mara. James
Dougherty, James McGurk, and McMenamin
Fleetwood approached this lot.
OBJECT OF TIE NcESDAR1Es.
The incendiaries had plotted to set fire to this
coal oil. They knew it would create great con-
hagration. The oil was stored near dwellings
II H. TSa1 ~ World be staTt1ed from eleen at
midnirht and. terror-stricknn by The FIRE. thew
WonId rneh from their hougeg in affrieht. leay-
ing their property at the mercy Of these thieves:
ha;no N naYohara ~ tha Wovanoerainc Hose Com
pany, which is one Of the most notorious organ
izatlons Of the old Volunteer Fi1o Department..
and had a]so smother and favorito incentIVe-
the hnna nf incitinr a riot between their own
and a Tival f3ra con9nany. with which a deadly
| warfare had e1jstal for Tesre.: The four gooun-
ana FitzTs}ter streets the location Of The Nov
amans;nT Hoaa 1omnanr- ssvereI ho1ra thst
evening occasionally leaving the hose house for
| neighh6o,rinr bar-rooins- At midnicht thew start
81 O., tha;p arranG The coa1-n;i denot vas
thoroughly reconuoitered. and the vicinity for
several eonarea inspected. but not q trayelIer
wns to ba saen. and eycn the policeman were
driven tn shelter from the raging storm. feeling
On such l 3 M nicht. They entered an alley leading
| IN the danot' and beinp nroyided with cotton.
| tow, pitch, oil, and other coubustitdes, with
| plenty Of matches, Mara, the chief ruffian,
| Volunteered to start the flames. Dougherty
stood at the end OF the alley to give warming OF
| McGurk and F1eetwood, stationed themselves
respectively at Washington avenue aud Els
| worth street.
TIE MIDNIGHT FLAME:
| It was the work Of but moment for Mara to
| climb the pickets and gain concealed corner
in one of the sheds. The barrels we're greasy
and leaky, and under one Of the leaHest Mara
started his bonfire. He eaw that it was fully
the oil catching, and then made 3 hasty retreat
| and joined his companions. They waited about
| ten minutes, when flicker OF light was seen
against the fronts Of the houses opposite. They
alarm. Policeman Murray, who WAS few squares
| off, and several citizens who we're returning
home from the coterie carnival ct the Academy
OF Music, also saM the flames at the same mo-
ment, and Joined the unsuHpeeted lnce9dlaI1es. @
By this time the IRE Was spreading rapidly, lick
ing up the oil and gaining fresh ylgor from tho
saturated shedding and plank1ng. 10 sound an
alarm vas the hrst act1on, and t"o Or thTee po-
lcemen from surrounding beats, VINO had AZ
rived On the ground, ran to an alarm-oo1 81
| Eighth street and Washington aVenue. t!hls
| box was out OF order, and conld not pe WORKED.
| 1t was necessary TO run q quarter OF mne 70
reach another box; I3aVellng was SLOW on 5nat
night, with the sidewalks and streets anEle deep
in slush. Meantime the flames gained fearful
headHey.
RIVER OF FIRE.
/ The citizens and policemen Who began to ar
be great danger to those living near the burning
oil, and efforts we're at once made to awaken
| them Either all slept with extraordinary sound
ness, or attributed the noises @ to the storm, for
it was q task Of great difficulty to arouse the
eleepers. Doors wero hammered, stones and
! pieces Of ice thrown against windows, and at
last all but two families we're awakened The
Fire Department began to arrive, but found
great trouble in procuring water, as the hydranta
| we're partly frozen. The fire had swept through
the Hho4e ueRo1' auu o4tIe! alSIt ua1tel VI " "
i burst, and tne accumulated m OIL nnany ran 90 on5
and hooded Nlntn street: Inc street Vas nueo
with water ana the @ on noated On NJ II ano on!neo e.
at the same time. Inc slope OF lne staeet u ~ et
the south' ana me piazlng OIL pegan 70 noat tnas
way, extending clear to the walls Of the houses
on both 81 s1des e. o. ne street III IL " %as Is Toar1ne
torrent OF ire letting to the tops OF the houses
and travelling aa fast as man could TaK. =
gS rs e
the horses being scorched by the fames. In ter
minutes fifty houses we're burning, and the oil
aTept t%o @ squares dpwn NntR street as I iar s az
Federal street, branching into Ellsworth md one
or two smaller streets. .
| In half an hour after Mara had fred the barre: