The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-11-20

within its grasp. As each ediGc
. caught Ere from It's neighbors th
! flames seemed to devour the content
in single moment, and so the torren
Of fame grew in strength and powe
, with terrible velocity. Falling roof
, were sinking every moment and ca.
, ried down with them the foors on
by one until the walls became isolatet
, and also fell with a crash. Who'll,
blocks of buildings disappear in thi
manner, erumbling up ike SO mucl
cardboard Huge masses of materi
al choked the streets, and taking fir,
: created solid body of flames. Fir,
engines were utterly useless, for NJ
human being could stand near enough
to send streams Of water where they
were needed 10 do service. The fire
men are utterly exhausted already
end unless help speedily arrives they
viii be compelled to desist. We are
expecting trains TO arrive every mo.
ment from Portland and Springfield
with more assistance, though they
cannot safely run up to the city, as
the depots are IN danger 1t IS ter.
rible Sabbath, that Is dwTawning fol-
Boston, and we cannot tell when og
where the work Of destruction Will
cease. II Is safe to say that the FIRE
viii not be checked until the day has
far advanced, even If efforts be sue
eessful then 1t IS impossible to give
you any more details relative to the
losses that have been sustained
Since the list sent you n few hours
ago was made uppeople talk Of losses
in millions as readily now s. they did
of thousands al midnight
Men aud women from every part Of
the city came from their homes to see
the FIRE. bat before they reached he
vicinity the confusion that existed in
all of the leading streets gave them
an impression of terror few viii ever
forget. IL was indeed q startling
scene for those who arrived on the
ground after midnight, for new
eomers had no preparation and were
utterly bewildered by the confused
noise and distraction that exists
emone those who, having large inter
ests at stake, had been present at the
fire from an early hour
BosToS, November 10, I A. NJ
The Gre which commenced at half
past seven last night continues It's de-
vastation, and il now working its
way through the large block between
Devonshire and Congress streets,
north Of Water street The FIRE first
broke out Of the rear end Of the large
FIVE story granite building, Nos 81,
So and 81 Summer street. directly on
the corner OF Kingston street This
building was surmounted with a high
Mansard roof. over-topping all other
haildings in that immediate vicinity.
Directly "a the flames began to spread
through the story beneath this roof,
aud before an engine or hose carriage
was ca the ground, a great volume
Of fame suddenly burst out from the
rear Of the lower stories Of the build
ing, and in less than twenty minutes
the whole broad-paced building, ex-
tending fully one hundred feet along
Kingston street, was one sheet Of
fame, as was also at the same time
the Summer street front. the heat
being so intense as TO force the iremen
away from that immediate vicinity.
By this time q strong wind had
sprung up, the flames began TO sweep
over Summer and Kingston streets.
and despite all the exertioHs Of the
fremen in every branch Of the de-
partment, the fire was communicated
to the building on the opposite corner
of Kingston and Summer streets, as
well as to the great block on the cor
neF Of Summer and Otis streets. and
in less than half an hour there after
the flames were bursting cut of the
roofs and all up and down both sides
Of the immense structures. By this
time the wind had increased touearIY
gale, and the flames having entire
mastery of everything, swept from
store to store, from roof to roof. from
block to block, and from eorner TO
corner. driving the fremen from every
vantage ground they could secure,
and rendering all their exertions use
less and futile. Wherever the flames
reached they rapidly consumed every
thing of a eombustible character
About eleven O'Clock the scene in
Lincoln, Essex, South, Federal aud
other streets in that immediate neigh
borhooG was one Of the saddest
sights of the night. Hundreds of
men, women and children were bur
rying along laden with every variety
Of household goods, behind them the
waving flames tapping up their
houses before they could get half or
a quarter Of their goods into the |
street. The FIRE entered on both |
sides OF Lincoln street.
On Russia wharf ali-the buildings,
mostly used by rag, paper and junk
were destroyed There
we're no vessels living at this wharf.
At Robbins wharf a schooner was
destroyed, as were coal sheds and a
large quantity Of lumber on the pier
The wharf of the Hartford and Erie
Railroad Company was burned, and
the passenger station of the corpora
ton on Broad street at the foot Of
Summer street, was destroyed.
A hasty visit to the neighborhood |
ofthe southern boundary Of the FIRE /
reveals the fact that the flames had |
not extended Tar up Kingston, ColGm-
bia and Lincoln streets in a southerly |
direction, but had burned along the
ends of those streets, making pre-
rress over Broad street to the water /
'front.'. All through South Lane Dis
trict. where wooden buildings are
numberless, there were In action nu-
nerous steamers TO prevent the spread
Of the Ere sideways and keep it out
Of thiekly populated district. The
The United States Hotel was the
nearest public building in the line of
the Ere spreading sideways, and ma
ny of the guests or occupants were
active in moving their trunks and 9th
sr small baggage to a place more Sc
cure
A visit to Summer street showed