The Hickman courier., 1872-11-16
F7IFE1Y
$lOO,OOO,OOO,
Worth of Property Destroyer
Boston in a she's.

night last, aud the great metropolis OF
New England is now in ashes. The
loss of property will not be as great
that of Chicago, the papers estimating
II at about s100,0o0,0o0 It was first
thought larger The fire was discover
ed at : o'clock. p. M, in the building
OF a wholesale dry goods house The
buildings in the vicinity were all OF
granite. four stories high, and each
surmounted with. Mansard roof. none
of them being over five years old. De
tached splinters flew rapidly, as the
air was heated by the terrible heat /;
and soon the flames began licking the
Mansard roofs on the opposite side. far
above the reach of the streams direct
ed upon it from all quarters.
The fire was constantly in the air,
and one building after another caught
on the roof, and the flames slipped
lightly along from one window sill to
S.auother, 80 that IN less than thirty
minutes every cheek was blanched a.
il became evident that the whole city
10 one direction was at the mercy Of
the fames, which were leapiug gsily
from roof to roof and from Que building
to another.
The fire, after getting the start,
seems to have leaped from building to
building almost with the rapidiiy Of
lightning, wrapping within its desola-
ting folds entire rows of buildings, and
driving those who attempted to combat
its progress far from any effective prox-
unity to the sceue of its havoc. The
faces of firemen were blistered, blazing
rafters were borue 10 the currents of
hot air that rushed hither and thither
from one part of the city to another,
each carrying whizzing ruin aloRg its
track. Volumes Of flames would leap
hundreds of yards. and dazzling splint-
ers made the midnight air luminous
with red and ghastly glare The
heat crispcd every structure near the
awful spot and prepared it ready for
the more effective destroyer. Goods
boxed up, Ehich had collected in the
stores for the want of transportation to
the depots, caused by the prevalence OF
the horse disease, served as ready food
for the devourer. Torrents Of heat
sweep along avenues, almost Sitting
and blighting every living thing IN Its
way. Burning cinders rushed into
every by-lsne and every crevice, aud
the houseless population looked on in
horror and dismay. Merchants were
unable TO save any partof their goods,
even after they were thrown out from
windows and poured out of doors
The shrieks of women, the piteous
cries of children. the sobs of the old
all mingled with the cracking sound
of the flames which filled the air.
Men looked on as they did at Chicago
aud saw the accumulation Of life labor
licked up by the red tongue of the
spoiler Persons were cut off in their
flight by the pursuing blaze and were
charred in the common ashes of their
property.
In 10 city on the continent was
more attention paid to the structure OF
buildings and geueral architectural
grandeur. Blocks of granite edifices
stretched from street TO street. Stores
filed with rich silks. with costly
clothes, with dazzling jeweIry; vener-
able residences, the seats OF luxury,
of elegance and ease, rare Libraries
stored with the choicest works of lit
erature and art, galleries decorated
with exquisite paintings, the valuable
collections of ages, all have rushed sky
ward iu flame aud smoke.
THIEVES AND ROBBERS AID THE /
FLAMES.
Amid such CONSERVATION and ex
citement. the authorities of the law
are powerless, and precisely as at Chi
gago the thieves and ROBBERS, take adj +
vantage Of the havoc, plunder and
destroy, aud lend their aid to the
flames, Goods are stolen, houses rob
bed, terrified. citizens garroted and
muir Tered. 4 regimene of troops had
TO be called out to protect the unhappy
victims of terror from these swans of
thieves and cutthroats. In spite.
however, Of their aid in spite of all
'hC ShOttSj " AhO uuuiclpai pOiict,
these disreputable and hunger smitten
contribute greately to the
general lJss aud the universal dismay.
Sweeping into every open door, break
ing open safes, pluudering money
drawers. bearing off costly goods Of
every decription, the flames found in
them heartless remorseless assistant
iu the awful work of destruction. IL
was to their interest to protract the
terror and increase the desoIation, and
there is no doubt that they made every
.xertion to extend the flames instead
IF checking them.
THE GREAT LOSS ESTIMATED.
The total losses are estimated at
between two and three hundred mill /