Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-11-13
BOSTON AFTER THE FIRE
Present appearance Of the City.
The Merchants going to Work Again.

likely TO he again shown, let us trust within
It's limits. There were pictures OF awful desOla-
about and around in marked contrast pictures
Of holiday OF gala day kind. In parts the
city reese nbled city besieged, in others a city
celebrating some great event. The boundaries
OF the fire district wee marked by an unbroken
line OF military and policemen, beyond which
10 citizen or stranger could go without pass
from the chiefs OF either the military or the
civic guards, or badge of authority. Pressing
against this line all the way round the sixty
acres OF ruin was
CROWD OF sIGHT-sBKRs
peermg cuTiousy into the smoke and dust
pleading for passage through, or begging for
some relic OF the great fire; and beyond in the
streets near by on the piers on one side, and the
paths of the common on the other, strangers
thronged increasingly from morning to night,
looking cOntented, interested and happy, watch-
ing the cavalry as they cantered by, examining
the wares OF the itineTant peddlers on the IRE
mont mall, studying the smoky sky through the
big telescope, or trying the lung testers-carry-
ing themselves for all the world as if it was u
festival they had journeyed hither to see, rather
than the destruction of a great city by fire. The
number OF strangers brought into the city dur
ing the day was immense. At no time during
either OF the peace jubiiees were the rolling
stock Of the different railways so taxed The
majority of these strangers evidently came to
the city out ofcuriosity solely, and they might
much better have stayed away. They were OF
no service; worse than useless, they were annoy
ing and in the way, and their presence was not
little dangerous TO the community, as it gave
hocked here from other cities material to work
upon.
FIRE RELICS.
BY some means a few out-of- towners got
within the fire limits aud amo6g the ruins and
here they lunched on rural viands, or parted
with small scrip for "relics" tina urchns who
had stormed the lines offered for sale-bits of
crOckery, pieces OF fantsstcally twisted IRON
blacke ned hard-b boiled eggs, which it was pro-
tested had stiffened in the fiery furnace, strips
OF charred leather, and other like rubbish.
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In the midst of the ruins there was life and
energy at every hand. Before the huge heaps
of bricks had cooled, and while many hres were
smOuldering and cracking, and the smoke was
yet thick and sitting, men had begun the work
OF clearing away the debris preparatory to the
slower work OF rebuilding what has been so
suddenly overthrown. The lines of old familiar
thcroughfares were SO effectuslly oblitersted
that the masters and wOrkmen alike were fire.
quently bewildered, and citizens clambering
over the heaps of bricks and granite blocks were
utterly lost in places where before the fire they
were most al home.
THE CITY BY CANDLRLIGHT
The consumption of candles last night was
enormous, there being very small supply of
gas, the daily manufacture of the gas company,
as well as the large reserve supply, having been
completely exhausted by the leakage and de-
structiOn of gas in the burnt district. and the
manufacture of the day not being sufficient for
the eXigencies of the night. 1t was announced
at noon that there might possibly be no gas, but
this apparently was not very generally under
stood, and not a few housekeepers. having ne
elected to prepare for the nj ght before the night
came, found 1t difficult to procure light at all,
es the stock OF candles in nearly all of the retail
groceries about town was completely exhausted
before evening. The dealers in kerosene lamps
and oil did large business, as well the candle
traders, and SO the old adage that it is an i'll
wind that blows no good was again proven
Without gas the city presented forlOrn ap
pearance. The manufacture is now going on a.
rapidly as possible, and the PROBABILITY Is that
tonight there will be plenty OF light.
THE RUINS BY MOONLIGHT.
A walk through the ruins by night reveals the
desoateDess OF the scene more impres.iyely even
than 6ae oy daylight. There /; a wierd, gro
tesque beauty in the prospect that is strangely
fascinating Amidst the crumbling heaps OF
rubbish in the cellars there small fires iick.
ering sufficient to reveal the fantastic proper.
tons OF the surrounding fragments OF walls, and
lend rudy glow to the rear canopy of smJge
Overhanging all; sufficient, too, to enable the
pedestrian TO pick his way over the debris that
fills the streets. The mysterious. intense Rem
brandt effects of ftful light and shade; the
moonlight occasionally penetrating through
riits in the smoke, blending with the fiickeri6g
freight; the exaggerated shapes OF lonely col
umns and Irregular masses OF wall; the silence
broken only by the occasional hoarsely given
order or fireman, or mayhap the distant chat
ter OF party of women whom some one is es
c0rting through the wonderful scene-all COM
bine TO produce an impression of which nothing
we can liken Ii TO will convey an adequate con-
cepuon. The imagination may conjure up such
ascenej genius perhaps, might partially repre-
sent 1t Oh canvas; no words can command
can at all describe it. Shadowy, iurid, silent,
grand, awful desolate, fantastic, 1t possesses the
imagination.
ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRR.
The Boston correspondent of the n. Y. Times
says:-lt appears even vet impossible TO obtain
q succinct history of how this disaster overlook
the city. How 1t originated is not known def
nitey, although 1t is not disputed that II was dis
covered in the engine room OF the premises Nos.
81, SO and 81 Sumner street, where il had proba-
bly, sprung from overheating or other accidental
cause Running up the elevator, the flames soon
crowned the great building with q ball Of fire
from the vast tinder-b box commonly known As n
Mansard roof, with which it was surmounted
The fire from this roof naturally and swiftly
leaped to others, until there was apparently
great belt of fire stretched in mid air above the
city, giving force to the remark of Chief Engi-
neer Damrel before the citizens committe that
he could not say what would happen 20 long as
architects were permitted to build houses of
enormous height and pile lumber yards on top
OF them.
THE SECOND FIRE.
The fire was fought as fires usually are, was
finally got under control, and then broke out
again about midnight, when the anticipated
dangers from gas explosions came upon the
city. The air having got to the supply pipes IN
the stores of W. X. Storms < Co. aud X. S.
Stern x Co., between Smiths and Shreve,
Crump x loves, at the upper end of Summer
street, fire communicated with the pipe and
also With the escaped gas within the building,
and a terrific explosion took place, which
knocked out the front wall and set the building
on fire in many places. An alarm was struck,
GU ny d ScCOuu third.
Firemen fastened hither as fast as possible,
and a detacb ment Of cavalry and infantry were
sent to guard against the danger to those who
locked to the scene, for explosions were now
momeDtary and terrific. On both sides, front
and rear, the fire was rearing with mad fury.
PAINFUL INCIDENTS.
The people in Avon place and Bedford street,
Temple place and Suffolk place, were flying in
in every direction. Women were frantic with
fright, and hurried out into the streets halt clad
and their arms filled with clothing. The first
explosi ion of gas was heard BIZ Mrs. Martha
Hudson and her aged mother, who resided in
Summer street. Mrs. NJ. Hudson rushed to one
of the second story windows i'll the building in
which she had lived, and called In cries Of
anguish for assistance. As none seemed to be
at hand she jumped to the pavement Mrs.
Hudson was severely burned about the legs and
was taken to the second station, where she was
ATTENDED by surgeon. The mother Of Mrs
Hudson undoubtedly persisted in the building
as she was not seen to escape.
GOING TO WORK AGAIN.
Inc example Of enterprise displayed by Chi
eago merchants after their fire, in making the
best OF their misfortune, has given to the bust
ness community here q vitality very different
from their ordinary conservative habits. This
evenings papers are full OF. advertisements OF
leading houses, stating that they have obtained
stores elsewhere, and have supplies of goods
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