The Portland daily press., 1872-11-12
spreading rapidly when the full light Of day
overeame and dispelled the red glare of fire.

"
one mass of seething flame. From High the
flames worked along Federal street to Broad,
and attacked the Boston, Hartford and Erie
station. Anticipating the destruction of the
sheds and depotS, about 10 p m. the master of
transportation ordered all the engines to be
fired up, and proceeded to haul the freight,
baggage and rolling stock across the draw The
station burned finally at about one O'clock. The
loss is not heavy, excerpts the Inconvenience, as,
it being Saturday night the fir light sheds were
but scantily filled. The unloaded freight was
lost, but was covered by blanket policy. The
travel will not be impeded by the disaster, and
the structures will be Immediately replaced.
From the station the fire ragged northward as
tons of coal The fire consumed st. Stephens
Church. E. NJ. 2. Wells pastor. Purchase
street, from Federal to Oliver, is unrecognisable
from the ruins, everything being in ashes.
DEvoNsHIRE STREET.
The flames were first communicated to the
buildings on Devonshire street at about nine
o'clock. At this time the heat from the build
ings 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 sonth side of Devonshire street.
The wind soon forced the flames in a nortnerly
direction towards Winthrop square. The build
ings ON the east side of Otis street, which at
this time had become enveloped in mass of
roaring flames communicated with that beau
tiful structure, the Winthrop block six stories
in height, being of the sa ne style of architect
ure, and subdlvided by four solid brick walls.
The block of sandstone buildings, numbered
from 140 to 1853 came next The stores were
occupied by several dry and wooden goods firms
whose stock it was impossible to remove, and
it served somewhat 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 crash which shook the ground
and buildings within a 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 buildings this street. The
| flames soon extended to that splendid block of
six stories, extending from the corner of Frank
lin street to No. 14S. This building was occu-
pied by dry goods and clothier commission and
| manufacturing firms, whose goods were soon
totally destroyed. The attention of Chief DAM
rell and other engineers were Immediately di-
rected to this building, as it was regarded as a
key to the block of buildings bounded by Frank
lin ON the south, Devonshire on the west, Milk
on the north, and Federal on the east. All the
force available was brought into play For a
time the exertions of the fire department SEEM
ed to be successful; but the gigantic strides of
the fire in the buildings on the south side of
Franklin street soon conquered the large five
story granite building on the northwest corner
of Franklin and Devonshire streets Chief
DdiIICil uuulIlS ulIlSblt uHtuUleu IN on almost
every side, ordered that part of the department
at work on the Cathedral building to withdraw
to other quarters assigned to them in the vicl1l-
ity of Milk and Congress streets
FINE BLOCKS BLOWN UP.
The building occupied by Gardiner Brewer,
opposite the Cathedral, soon after became en-
veloped in flames, and Mr.. Damrell decided
that to save State street from destruction it
would be necessary to blow up the entire blocks
of building facings on both sides of Devonshire
street. Arrangements were Immediately made,
and the buildings on both sides of the street
were blown up, one after another in quick sue
cession. The time occupied in DESTROYING these
stores, some sixty in number, was about one
hour. In laying the trains" two kegs of
powder, of sixty pounds each, were used on
each building. The scenes witnessed in the
destruction of the buildings will never be for
gotten by those who occupied positions to see
the work. At every explosion loud murmer
was heard running through the large crowds
The stores in the blocks destroyed contained
many OF the most extensive dry goods houses in
New England, the aggregate loss of stocks
alone reaching four or five million dollars
gett & Co., Anderson, Heath & Co.. Parker,
Wilder & Co., and almost scores of Others
WASHINGTON STREET.
The fire in Warrington street was stopped at
Currier & Trott's jewelry store on the southeast
corner of Washington and Milk streets, While
the Transcript building, adjoining, was in
flames an attempt was made to blow IN thif one
which was only partially successful, the walls
not being thrown down, but here nevertheless
the fire was stayed and the venerable Old
South Church saved, although its windows, as
on those of all the buildings in the vicinity, are
blown out.
THE BANKS BURNED
Among the banks (natlonal) stationed in the
burnt district are the Atlantic, Atlas, Everett,
Hamilton, Massachusetts, Eagle Hide and
Leather Revere, North, Shawmut, Shoe and
Leather and Freeman's.
FRANKLIN STREET.
In Franklin street there is scarcely wall
standing and in the smoking waste no one
could recognize the fine wide thorouebfare
with its graceful curving lines and the noble
warehouses, the pride of the city, and taking
rank with the finest business structures in the
world, which lowered on every hand but thirty
six hours ago. The buildings on this street
were all of granite, with the exception of the
f1at-roof freestone building on the corner of
Washington street. One of the most imposing
edifices on the street was the double Mansard-
roof block erected within the last four years by
MIR. Patrick Donahoe, which was one of the
last to yield to the flames.
SUMMER STREET
Between the spared building of Mr. Nudge
ON the corner of Washington and Summer
streets to Trinity Church, on the North side of
Summer street, there were two or three build
lngs which are now PROSTATE. The massive
square tower and front wall of Trinity Church
still stands, an imposing ruin. A part of the
rear wall also stands, but the side walls have
crumbled. A small portion of thu wall of the
building occupied by Steadmai & Co., Lext
east of Trinity Church and separated from it
by.a narrow alley, is standing. From that
point every wall on the north side of Summer
street is prostra te except the granite walls Of
the triangular building on the east corner of
High street, occupied by Skillings, Hammond
a. Co.. stationers
ROUND THE CORNER OF SUMMER AND FEDERAL.
The fire turned the southwest corner of Fed
eral and Summer streets, and burned out but
dld not burn down the liquor store of j. j.
flynn. This building has wooden front which
still endures. Next it was the building occupied
by the Douglass Axe Manufacturing Company,
which was not destroyed.
HAwLEY STREET.
The buildings on Hawley street were. geper-
ally of brick or wood, and were not of a COSTLY
or particularly substantial character excepting
OF course, those buildings on Washington street
like Macullar, Williams & ParkerS, for in
stance, which ran through to this street. The
principal trades of the street were the pape +
and Irvine business, machinists and carpenter
shops, printing offices, etc. The fire made a
clean sweep, leaving hardly one sto ne above
the other.
ARCH STREET.
Arch street was occupied by class of SUBJ
stantlal brick buildings and the business tran
sacted there was principally dry goods and
gentlemen's furnishing goods Everything on
the street was levelled to the ground
OTIS STREET.
The buildings on Otis street were uniformlv
handsome, and were substantially built ~
granite, four stories in height, with Mansard
roofs. Every building was thoroughly DESTROY
ed, and not trace of the streets former
grandeur remains. 1t is an interesting fact
that the two stores on this street, Nos u and
IA, owned by Miss Christine Nilsson. were
burned. Miss Nilsson was heavy loser nv
the Chicago fire.
THE INJURY TO BUSINESS
The fire to the business community is one of
the most severe and disastrous that ever occur.
red in this country, and while but few dwelling
houses were burned and but comDarativeiv
small number of families left homeless, tba
finest warehouses and stores of the city and the
entire space occupied by the wholesale drv
goods dealers, wool merchants, boot and shoe
and hide and leather dealers, and clothino
houses, were entirely destroyed Not wool
house is standing in the city, The whole of
Pearl and High Streets which were devoted
exclusively to the boot and shoe and hide and
leather trade, are in heap of ruins. Every
wholesale clothing house, with single
exception, is burned, and but three or four dry
goods commission houses are left standing
The loss in buildings is immense. and to
gether with the large stocks of imported and
domestic fabrics that We're burned cannot he
estimated at less than $50, 000,0CO All the d.
nestle wool in the city has been burned and
the total number of pounds of foreiern ond a.