Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-11-18

OF SeeVnluS Hdlne- he HIc Spoho ITO
force by midnight. From High the
flames worked along Federal street to
Broad, and attacked the Boston, Hart {
ford and Erie station. Anticipating the
destruction of the sheds and depots,
about ten p NJ the master of transpor-
tation ordered all the engines fired up,
and proceeded to haul the freight, bag
gage and rolling stock across the draw.
The station burned at about | o'clock.
From the station the fire ragged north
ward as far as Perkins Wharf, igniting
nearly $4,000 tons of coal belonging to
Prescott & Chaplin and Shepard Robbins.
The fire consumed St. Stephens church.
Purchase street from Federal to Oliver,
is unrecognizable from the ruins, every
thingbeing in ashes.
DEyoNsHIRE STREET.
The flames were first communicated to
the buildings on Devonshire street at
about 8 o'clock AT this time the heat
from the buildings of S. Klous & Co.
set on fire the large five story granite
buildings known as the Winthrop block,
on the west side. The fire made rapid
progress, and crossed over to the large
block of buildings on the south side of
Devonshire street. The wind soon fore
ed the flames in a northerly direction
toward Winthrop square. The buildings |
on the east side of Otis street, which at |
this time had become envelopcd in a
mass of roaring flames, communicated
with that beautiful structure the Win
throp block. six stories in height, being
of the same style of architecture, and
subdivided by four solid brick walis.-
The block Of sandstone buildings, num-
bered from 40 to 1873 came next. The
stores were occupied by several dry and
woolen goods firms, whose stock it was
impossible to remove, and it served some
what to hasten the destruction of the
buildings. At half-past eleven all that
was left of the Winthrop block, the
bare walls, fell in with a crash which
shook the ground and buildings within
radius of half mile. The falling of
the walls of this block was soon followed
by the falling of the walls Of the build
ings on the southeast side of Devonshire
street, from Winthrop square to Summer
street. The falling of these walls was
in turn followed by those of the build
ings on this street The flames soon ex-
tended to that splendid block of six sto-
ries, extending from the corner of Frank
lin street to No. 14S. This building was
occupied by dry goods and clothier CON-
mission and manufacturing firms, whose
goods were soon totally destroyed. The
attention of Chief Damrell and other en-
gineers were Immediately directed to this
building, as it was regarded as the key
to the block of buildings bounded by
Frnnklin en- the sonth, neunnshire on
the west, Milk on the north, and Feder-
al on the east All the available force
that could be had was brought into play.
For time the exertions of the fire
department seemed to be successful; but
the gigantic strides of the fire in the
buildings on the south side of Franklin
street soon conquered the large fve-stcry
granite building on the northwest corner
of Franklin and Devonshire streets
Chief Damrell finding himself hemmed
/; in between fire on almost every side, or
!, !, dered that part of the department at
| work on the Cathedral building to with
! draw to other quarters assigned to them
in the vicinity of Milk and Congress
; streets. The building occupied by Gard.
ner Brewer, opposite the Cathedral, soon
u after became enyeloped in flames, and
Mr. Damrell decided that to save State
: street from destruction it would be nee
y essary to blow up the entire blocks Of
: buildings facing on both sides of Devon
y shire street Arrangements were imme
: diately made and the buildings on botl
: sides of the street were blown up, one
Il after another, in quick succession. The
/ time occupied in destroying these stores
. some sixty in number, was about on,
~ hour. In 'laying the trains two keg
d of powder of sixty pounds each. wer
!, i used to each building. The scenes wit
u messed in the destruction of the build
} ings will never be forgotten by those VIII
y occupied positions to see the work. a
) every explosion loud murmur was hear,
. running through the large crowds
= When the explosions followed each othe
II in quick succession there would be
stampede of the timid ones. who in som
+" cases were roughly handled by men an
- BOYS in running hither and thither, re
> moving merchandise from various build
Fe ings in close proximity of the fire. A
o' three o'clock yesterday morning, tha
s. part of Devonshire street between Nil
ST and Summer streets was in ruins. Th
g street which had but the day previou
i; been so full of activity and business wa
~ reduced to nothing but stone, brick an
H. mortar. The appearance Of things ye
H. terday was sad contrast with that usl
II IL ally to be seen, the only guide for tn;
nc part of Devonshire street being the ne
'c- post-office on the corner of Milk stree
~ The street pavement was completely ol
IN IN liberated from view by large mounds
ih stone, brick and iron. At the corner
oii Devonshire and Summer streets, at lea
&c the land upon which the corner was sit
" ated, the appearance of things was sue
Gu as to confound even those whose busine
on for years had made the spot familiar
e'' them. The building was total wrec
VI VI the ruins being commingled with that
OIL the Winthrop block The only thin
70 left standing was the shattered remnan
we of the walls, which had subdivided Il
oh buildings from each other in the bloc
M al The few shaggy walls left of the Wi
nc throp block reminded one. when at a di
'as ,e tance, of several rudely- formed arche
an entwining each other in the form of
aee NC grapevine. The appearance of these I
u u ins last night was awful. There were
~, sergeant and a marine on guard and
NJ few other gentlemen connected with t
res Revere and North American nation
ns banks, keeping watch over their vaul
eI The buildings nnnosite those occupied