The Portland daily press., 1872-11-11

ploynent, which is one of the serious hardship
of the occasion. Mr.. j. S. Bedlow displayed
most decided energy in bringing his Portland
force here to-day to aid in setting up the wires
The wires on the western side through the
burnt district are all destroyed, but by to-mor-
row enough win be replaced for all ordinary
business. Mayor Kingsbury and the members
Of the city government are here offering all the
aid in their power to Boston, in this sad hour
Of her great calamity.
The only daily newspaper office burned is
that of the Transcript, the Post was saved by
being in the rear Of the old Post Office, The
office of the Boston Pilot is also destroyed.
The scene all night and all day to-day beg
gars description and only has its parallel in the
Chicago confagration. The heat was scorch-
ing, and the wind, which blew gale, filled the
air with cloud of burning fragments. Scores
Of engines played upon the burning mass with
no apparent effect Whole blocks that were
invulnerable to fire were swept away
like the msrest tinder boxes. The store houses
We're filled with immense quantities of goods
which added to the intensity of the unbearable
heat.
There are scores of rumors respecting the
loss of human life, and the number of persons
injured. 1t is certain that several have been
killed and large number injured. The num-
Der of persons rendered homeless, considering
the amount of property lost, ls comparatively
small.
Jordan & Marsh's immense stores were clear
ed out and thousands of dellars worth of costly
l.. mt
streets were blocked with teams and people and
only the efficient AID prompt efforts of the po-
lice and military availed to avert scores of seri-
GUS accidents.
1t is impossible in the indescribable tumult
and almost terror of the hour to gather any de-
tails. Many buildings were blown up to check
the progres of the fire, and these and hundreds
of falling walls, with the roar of the flames
and the binding, sitting smoke made the work
of fighting the flames full of peril 1t will re-
quire days to ascertain the magnitude of the
loss or the result upon insurance companies.
The loss is variously estimated from $50 0OO, ,00e
to $125,OOO,OOO.
The full force of this terrible calamity will
not be realized for days.
LateT-There are rumors that the fire has
again broken ont, but among the hundreds of
exaggerated stories .that are flying it lis inn
possible to ascertain the fact. The portion of
the city in the vicinity of the fire is threatened
with darkness, as it is reported that the gas is
giving out.
The gas supply of the city has given out and
there are runors that the fire has again broken
out on Washington street. The whole fire de-
partment is again called out. The wind is
blowing very hard.
$50 A. M.
1t is now reported that Jordan & Marsh's
large stores on Washington street are on fire,
and that the fire is increasing with alarming
rapidity. 1t is extending in the direction of
the Common.
Among the sufferers already reported are
Damon, Temple & Co.; Edgar Bartlett & Co.;
North & Son: Farley, Anderson & Co. Rhodes
& Ripley; Ide, Carter & Co.; Smith, Rusk &
Carter; Mel Bros. Breyfut, Phillips & Sher-
man; Marr Brothers.
ITO the Associated Press.l
First Dispatch.
BosToN Nov. 10.-Fire was discovered last
evening, about 80 o'clock, in No. 81 Summer
street. and owing to the horse distemper the
Fire Department were slow in arriving at the
scene of the confagration. Engines had to be
drawn by men. The fire soon extended to ad-
joining buildings. Winthrop Block in Win
throp Square went first; the fire then extended
to Franklin street and gained steadily in the
face of a northwest wind up Franklin street,
as far as Washington street, and including
Winthrop Square, Devonshire to Milk, Otis,
Arch, and is now raging in High, Congress and
Federal streets, and down Summer to the wa
ter's edge on Broad street, destroying every
thing in its way. 1t is now working its way
towards State street, and at this hour $50
M, is burning furiously on line extending
from Broad to Washington streets.
The principal buildings destroyed already are
Cathedral block, Daniel Webster block, Boston
Pilot building rear of Boston Transcript, and
orders are issued to blow up both corners east
and west of Devonshire and Milk streets Fire
is spreading towards South Boston. All the
immense blocks in Devonshire and Franklin
streets, occupied chiefly by Wholesale woolen
goods dealers, are either destroyed or now ON
fire. Immense crowds fill the streets, and every
effort is being made to save property which is
being transported to various parts of the city
for safety. The utmost good order prevails. 1t
is evident that the best business portion of the
city is doomed to destruction. Assistance has
arrived from Worcester, Providence, Salem,
Lynn and everything in the shape of fire ex-
apparatus is brought in from ad-
joining towns. A train with aid came from
*
Second Despatch.
Summer street is ruined from end to end
Bedford street suffers very badly in the lower
part. From Summer street it was confined to
the east side of Washington street with little
exception, till it came to Water street. When
l came down about $50, the fire had been got
under on Washington street, from Bromfield
street, but about the corner of Milk street was
terrible and seemed to take the Old South
Church.
The new Post Office buil1ing was good
thing for a long time, but the flames cut round
it.
The Boston, Hartford and Erie depot went
before O'Clock, ,and it is working south, but the
water will stop it there probably.
1t is creeping this way slowly. They say it
must go through the city until it meets some
wide square. They have been blowing up
buildings all along Milk, Federal, Deyonshire,
Water, Congress, Kilby and State streets, but
it scents utterly useless.
The fire is now at or near our Office. They
have blown up the building above us on the
corner of Kilby and State streets.
The whole work seems to be to save the Post
Office and Sub-Treasury, but it is ''no CO.,
Down Broad street it is creeping this way and
has ruu way down to Federal.
Ameeting of the prominent citizens was held
in the City Hall this afternoon, presided over
by Mayor CASTOR, at which encouraging speech
ess were made and energetic action urged in or
der to alleviate the suffering of the needy as
well as for rebuilding the burnt district A nus
merous relief committee was appointed, of
which William Gray is chairman. The COM
mittee will hold daily sessions. A bureau of
relief was also organized, of which ex-Mayor
Norcross is treasurer.
The 9th regiment with detachments from
other regiments, amounting to 1900 men are on
duty for the protection of property and ORDER
The conflagration was got under control about
o'clock, having in the space of fifteen hours
destroyed hundreds of the costliest and most
substantial warehouses in the country, and
paralyzing three leading mercan-
lilo intarasts-tha shoa and laafhar xro1, =,