The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-11-14
Beecher on the Boston Fire.


sermon of Sunday night, spoke at length
upon the subject of the great calamity
which has desolated Boston. By the ex-
tract we give below 1t will be seen that he
expresses the same views regarding Man
sards which we expressed yesterday. 1t
will be seen that he advocates the building
of cities much after the plan upon which
Washington is built. We commend his
views to the careful consideration of our
people. The following is brief extract
from his remarks:
/ think / may say without any fear of
contradiction that this fire is not an acct
dent it is not an event sprung of.from the
great natural law. The city had violated
certain great natural laws. Was it right to
have streets SO narrow that the flames
could reech across, so easily People say
it has been so three hundred years, and
there has been no fire. Yes; SO there are
plants that take one hundred years to
bloom, but they do bloom every hundred
years. There is city not far from here
that may learn lesson about this one Of
these days. Was it necessary that build
ings should he carried up, story upon story,
not fire-proof, vast in height; and that then
cap should be set upon them, quick to take
fire and out of the reach of the firemen?
Is it wise to lay the foundations of them
solid, to carry up the first story fire-proof,
the second fire-proof- third, the fourth,
the fifth story all fire-proof- then put
Mansard roof on top of all, to take fire
and scatter sparks around the neighbor-
hood? Those great buildings which are
our pride and admiration, admirable for
business purposes, and now, as it proves,
although this was not intended by the
architect, admirable for fire. But territory
is small and land is valuable, and they
cannot afford to build other than narrow
streets. Can they afford to burn up again?
Do you suppose that if the streets had been
broad, wide avenues, do you suppose if
there had been interjected here and there
an open square or some small park, would
there have been any such conhagration
DO you not see what contracted lane
there was-a direct provocation and temp
tation to fire, with an invitation to the fire.
devil sitting on every Mansard roof? If
Boston repeats her error now, after suffer-
ing, it will be because this fire has been
without profit. We also learn that it is
not enough in constructing public buildings
that they should be made convenient for
business; there is lesson in this
that every complete business house
should be fire department as well, that
there should be such instrumentalities,
such hydraulic contrivances, that every
house could take care of itself. We have
learned to build hollow walls, how to carry
air, and light, and heat, and water through
all the house, and it is but step beyond
this to make every house an engine-house,
and every man fireman, every building
fire-proof, or with the means of eXtinguish-
ing fire. There are lessons to be learnt
by this fire. Instead of asking if God
meant to humble Boston, let us look into
the future and see what are the lessons to
be learned from such conhagration as
this. Let us hope that in ten years
hence Boston, that tonight mourns
the calamity, will give thanks to
God for the benefaction. Meanwhile there
are some thoughts that are proper. You
should never see a calamity befall another
man without taking home the considera-
ton it may befall me. When death knocks
at your neighbours door it may be on its
way to you. When blight desolates an
other mans field, it is to teach you like
wise that your own fields may come to
canker and sorrow. When great calami-
ties befall other cities, it ought to warn us
that it might befall ours. Mr.. Beecher
concluded with an earnest hope that the
nation would come to the relief of the SUI.
fering city, and help to bear its burden.