The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1872-11-14
TERRIBLE FIRE IN BOS-
TON. 49,. -5ss =.
TIE BUSINESS PORTION OF fHE CITY
LAID WASTE, f
Public Buildings, Char chez, Banks,
Business Houses, Manufactures
and Rosidonces SWEPT Away.
THE l.oSsEs ABOUT ONE HUNDRED
RIlllON DOLLARS.


.,'...,a. -,.pr.
At -7:30 on Saturday evening .
Ere broke out in Boston which proved
to be nearly ~ destructive - the Chics-
20 FIRE. 1t swept over the bnsiass por-
ton of tho city, consuming magnificent
blocks of stone, public buildings, mil
lions of dollars wor th Of merchandise
aud destroying number ot hvee:
The fire broke out 10 the large dry
goods establishment Of Tibbitts, Bald.
win l. Davis, on the corner Of Kisgston
and Summer streets. It started in ths
engine room and SOFA the sntirs building
was IN flames. The Fire Department
vas very slow in getting to work. Al
the horses were sick, and the engines
we're drawn BY mes. But even when
got to work, the engines could do
nothing. The fire swept across Sum-
mer street, to the great building Of
Beebe l. Co., in Winthrop Square.
The FIRE seemed fairly to run down
Summer street toward the wharvss,
sweeping away brick aud wooden build
ings in its path like so much ssabble.
Down Livingston street it moved less
rapidly, but gradually oil thsfne build.
,ngs there which had recently been
turned into Wholesale dry goods stores
were attacked. The most terrible
sweep Of tho flames VA toward Frank
lin street. From Winthrop Square
they took q northerly direction, aud .bJ
II o'clock they cut through the middle
Of ono of the splendid blocks on
that street. half way from Martin Z"
Devooshire street. from that point to
tho corner or Dsvonshne . half dozen
blooks were consumed 10 half IN hour.
Then the flames jumped aoross Frank.
Lin street aud attacked the equally
splendid buildings on. tho sostherly
sides. They spread across Winthrop
Square and worked rapidly down to
Pearl street, crossing Congress and
Federal streets. .,~..,,.,
On Congress street the great ak
story granite wool houses went down
like cob houses. From Summer street
High street extends in an eaatsrly di.
rection across the great streets to the
wharves, and here, too, tho fro made ap-
palliug progress. Before II o'clock
the depot buildings Of the Bostoo,
Hartford aud Erie Railway Company
on Boston wharf, were utterly Dc.
stroyed, aud the flames swept down to.
ward the bay 10 great broad shest,
making Broad street impossible. The
buildings on Summer, Franklin and
High streets were mostly oil new Eve
and six-story granite warehouses, most
of which had Msusard roofs, which
gave the flames easy way from one to
another. -.~4.. ..:.-
The heat became internal, the streets
ran rivers Of water, and every moment
Wa heard the sound Of granits blocks
s1plt ding, and whole frames fell into
tho streets, making them iupa.s able.
The 6remen we're driven from one sta.
ton to smother, and mssy an engine W.
kept nobly At work, while the bydrant
was vet down BY hand hose, and The
engineer could only hold his place
while stream Of water Vas kept play.
ing upon him. Blocks Of graai.s,
weighing tons, were split q i ebJ pow
der, hurled across wide streets, and
planks went flying through tho cir ~
II they we're feathers. :. .es:>; ss~.-4s@
A hurricane now ragged, aud owing to
the intense heat aud perfect sIeet of
Goals, drove everything before it.
Every building was aow heated .s:if in
. furnace, aud caught like tiader.
Four-story granite blocks seemed like
'h.'ings, and deafsnisg .ezplosions
we're constantly heard. v..",# 4, ae@.>
At2 o'clock = number Of buildiogs
on Federal and Dsvonshirs: we're blown
up With powder, aud Later buildings on
Milk, Washington aod Congress street.
were blown up. "
fl BY halt.past I've :o'elock \. N. the
prosrcss Of the Ere south ward had been
checked, and also in great measure
toward the: .outheast. The extreme
limit Of devastation 10 that direction
was che Hartford and Erie railroad de-
oas extandinu hn0avaY NM m NkA