, 1872-11-11
BOST0N-CHTCAE0.

EEuG1Uu5 ICVPA1 WIZ FAaAtCA Aa AL DUl Et4duutJs
B0sTON-CHICAG0.
At the time Of the Chicago fire, there was
disposition on the part Of the world at large,
while pouring upon us unstinted charity, to
chide us for our foolish style Of building, and to
say: "Such g fire as this would be impossible in
New York or Boston. Such cities can never
burn down. Look at the solidity and massive
ness Of their construction" There is hardly a
resident of Chicago who will not be able to re-
member aome such expression Of confidence in
the brick and granite Of good, eteady-going New
England. We do not revive these recol-
}ections with any purpose OF rebuke. God for
bid. The afflicted people Of New England's
metropolis will find no sympathy so broad, no
coincidence heartfelt, as they will receive from
the people of Chicago; for nowhere else has T.
similar calamity taught sufferers the extent Of
the misery it entails. But We refer to it now as
an unfortunate and unwecome means for vindi-
eating Chicago against tho unjust aspersions
which we're heaped upon her from all sides, at a
time when she Was visited with cont1agration
that has now been proved to be possible in every
large and densely populated community.
At the time Of our fire, just one year and one
month before the Boston fire, We we're told that
We had been the means of our own destruction
With assumption unwarranted by the facts in
the case, New York, and Boston, and St. Louis,
and Cincinnati, and London and Paris and Berlin,
and all the other great cities in the world united
in telling us why our city had burned down. "You
had city of shanties," we were Informed sit
WAS your rookeries that caused your destruc-
ton. You had built your houses hurriedly. You
failed to take wise precaution against fire, as We
do. Your city was vast tinder-box. No wonder
you burned down. Look at u.s." The asper-
sions were essentially unjust. They had foun-
daton in fact only so far US they would have ap-
piled, with unimportant changes and modifca-
tions to all the large cities Of the country. The
burnt district in the South Division Of
Chicago was as massive, as elegant,
! and as solid, as could be found anywhere else.
The circumstances attending the burning of
Chicago we're OF nature to account for the
disaster. There had been long drouth. There
vas prevailing gale which came as near being
hurricane as possible on the lake shore. There
| was demoralized FIRE department, thoroughly
| exhausted By great confagration of the previous
night, which had covered larger area than any
Chicago fire before it. It was not long before
the water supply was cut off entirely. These
| and numerous details of o similar kind were not
| taken into account in the estimates that were
made of our FIRE.
Now, how was it with Boston? The character
istics of the city familiar to most of our read
t ers. That portion Of it which we know to have
| been destroyed Was compact mass Of granite,
brick and iron. A large number Of the buildings
| DESTROYED we're erected in the time Of honest
| masonry, and had withatood the wear and tear
of more years than the entire history OF Chicago
can count. There Was wel1-organized and en-
| tirely fresh fire department, upon whose eff
cheney the Boston people prided themselves.
Boston was the centre of d cluster of New
| England cities, all of which were provided with
good working machinery against tho ravages OF
fire, and all OF which availed themselves of the
| easy communication to send Boston all the
assistance they could. There Was no gale at the
outbreak, and there does not seem to have been
any wind except that which the flames
| created. Yet the city has burned. 1t
| It was found that the granite exploded and
! cru1nbled beneath the heat. Brick fell to tho
ground. The little narrow streets, many Of them
not wider than our ordinary alleys, and
the court-passages and old cow-paths
| peculiar to Boston, constituted easy steps
for the progress OF the flames. The
t curves and turns rendered the efforts at
| fighting the flames all the more powerleHs. The
| high buildings and Aansard roofs, far above the
reach OF the engines. came in as potent auxilia-
| ries.
In one word, The Boston fire has demonstrated
that compact eo1id. granite city may burn
down as readily as great. sprawling wooden
one. We eEau hear no more objurgations against
Chicago from the wise men OF tie En5t. God
help us ell, and teach us to avoid these terrible
mistakes hereafter.
THE INSURANCE COMPANIES.
| The appalling calamity which has visited Bos-
! ton will nowhere be more fully appreciated or