The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-11-19
The ysos'pu Fire

employed or 10 a manoer more satlsfac-
tory 10 our readers Though Chicag ter
rible fate sent thrill Of horror aud pity |
through New England, it did not come SO
near home as the Boston catastrophe. The
misfortunes of the old Puritan CITY, his
toricaly dear to all Of US, and united to
all New England, by the closest business,
social aud religious ties, claims from us
deeper feeling than ever the suffering of
the great city of the west could demand.
The following details and statements are
colated from various sources and cover
the subject as far as the amount of space
we can give it can do. At present Bos-
ton is recovering its accustomed tranquil
ity; the fires are extinguished, and we
begin to collect full and correct estimates
of losses and assurances. General con-
currenco of opinion fixes the total loss at
about 800, 900, 000,t hough more extrav.
agant estimates are made. Local insur-
ance companies, holding about S3O,OO0,-
900 in risks, are expected to pay fifty
cents on the dollar, but many suspensions
are inevitable. THE N. Y. TRIBUNE's
lists of firms burned out have included
1,S44 names the lists of buildings burn
ed, with street numbers and names OF
owners comprise 74S houses, valued at
S7,765, 900, in addition to previous tables
which give 95 names of mercantile firms
and an aggregate loss of Sl4,S3 900.
These figures give some idea of the dovas-
tation which has been wrought
The area burned over Is now found to
be about eighty acres. The flames have
been confined to the limits heretofore de-
fined, except where a comparatively small
diversion, on Monday morning. drove the
fire along the lower side Of Washington
street, toward Temple.st. Help is want.
ed for the houseess poor and tho thou
sands who are now destitute of employ
ment, Meetings in various cities are de-
vising ways and means to succor the
needy. The whole country is responding
to the demand for aid, Meanwhile the
work of recuperation has already begun.
The N, Y. Tribune says, speaking Of
the losses: "Opinions in regard to the
extent of the loss differ considerably but
from careful comparison Of estimates
made by men familiar with the localities
we conclude that the loss must be over
S100,000,000. The burnt district EN-
braced within its area the most costly and
elegant stores in the city, surprising iu
those respects probably any buildings III
? our country and Of these clean sweep
seems to have been made--in Summer
Bedford, Milk, Franklin, Federal, Dew.
onshirc, Pearl, Arch, Broad, and Kilby-
SITS, and Winthrop-place. The buildings
here were ALL or nearly all, Of massive
structure. If we estimate their value
exclusive of land, at from eighty to ont
hundred millions, it would not in thu
opinion of competent judges be above
their real cost, or certainly beyond thu
cost of rebuilding at the present time
The losses in merchandise may be esti
mated at from thirty to forty millions
1t is not then improbable that the aggre
, gate loss of this great disaster may reacl
an amount of from $120,0 100000 t.
S150,000,000.
INSURANCE
OF course the utmost anxiety was fel
in regard to the Insurance companies. A
present the outlook in this direction
. in the whole encouraging. 1t appear
that the Boston companies, with only on
or two exceptions, will 60 under Al
other companies are safe and prepared t
meet liabilities. 1t is subject for con
graduation that the insusance interest O
9 the country meets the strong and sudde
. strain that is put upon it, and althoug
! here and there an overstrained fiber give
a way, the bulk holds securely.
d COMPARED WITH CHICAGO.
e n the magnitude of its destructivenes
: the Boston conaagration Of 1872 is sec
ond in rank among all the fires whic
u have occurred in the United States, tia
e of Chicago, of course standing at the hea
It of the list. By the last named most tel
n rible event some 1900 buildings, cover
= ing an area of ., 124 acres were ccnsum
d cd /; but the difference in the comparativ
v valuo of the buildings and goods destroy
r ed there and in Boston may be inierre
from the total actual loss by the Chicsg
}. fire was sl96,000,000, the amount al
!. signed to buildings being S53,000,00(
| and to merchandise and personal effect
J. s143,000,000. The destruction by tn
If Boston fire, covering less than a thirtiot
If of the space, was therefore by value yer
l. nearly one.half that of the great Chicae
is calamity.
= WILL BOSTON RECOVER?
t. The wonderful rapidity with whic
8, Chicago recovered from the effects of he
W great fire give assurance that Boston wi
'f also, before long, retrieve her losses
st the recent calamity. Not only has tf
ot population of the Lake City increase
y during the past year, but her gener
At prosperity has adeanced, even when dr
r, allowance is made for the natural increal
N of wealth that would have taken plat
Ell had no great disaster occurred. 1t al
in pears from the statistics Of the twel,
IN months since the fire, compared with tho
It. of the year 1870, that the receipts
at grain have been % per cent greater TIL
D. the wholesale trade has advanced fro
Ks s402, 100000 to s460, 000,000,whie Il
value of the manufactured products h
ID increased moro than one.third.
u. There is no reason to doubt that 30
e, ton will now show the world wonder
es the way of rebuilding which to say Il
I'd least will not fall short OF that exhibit,
r by the recuperative efforts of Chicag
W One correspondent writing from Bost'
he under date of NOV. 18th speaks thus
the
c. PLUCK OF TIE PEOPLE.
te "The courage of the people is magniI
Mt cent. When l passed through the bur
W ing streets at 2 o'clock this morning.
I'd found men who had lost everything gro
to inn their wou thrnuoh tho lurid smnt