Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1872-11-16


land commenced in Boston on Satur-
day night last. Seventy acres of build
ings were destroyed and more than
100000, 600 worth Of property.
ORIGIN OF TINE FIRE.
There was hardly breath OF wind
stirring when the alarm was sounded a'
halfpast seven o'clock, followed by
second, third and fourth in rapid sue
oession. bat the first engine was harol!
On the ground, when the fire broke ou'
from the fourth story OF large loul
story Granite store on the corner VI
Summer and Kingston streets, occupied
IN the first story by gfbbetts, BALDWIN
& Davis, wholesale dry goods dealers
I, bod cauoht in the engine room, ana
tho flames sped with lightning rapiaity
s,n .ba LARGE elevatorand were firstseen
..I;mb;no underneath the woodwork OF
The engines were fairly at work be
e,,o arv other store had caught. The
bnildinrs in the vicinity were all OF
yranite, four stories high, and each sur,
SCENTED with Mansard roof, none of
them being over five years old. The
detached splinters flew readily as the
mir was heated by terrible heat, ard
soon the flames began licking the Man
sard roofs on the opposite side far above
the reach of the stream directed upon 1t
from all quarters Fire was constantly
i'm the air, one building after another
caught on the roof, and the flames skip
ped along from window to window, so
that in less than thirty minutes every
cheek was blanched as it became evil
dent that the whole city in one direction
was
GRANITE BLOCKS EXPLODING.
Whole frames fell into the streets,
making them impossible. The tiremen
were driven from one stationto another,
and many an engine was kept noby at
work while the hydrant was wet down
by hand hose, and the engineer could
only hold his place while stream OF
water was playing OH him. Blocks OF
granite weighing tons were split as II
by powder, and hurled across the wide
streets, and planks went flying through
the air as if they were feathers.
FIREMEN B4RRICADEs.
The fremen erected barricades and
worked behind them, but they were
burned almost as soon as erected: An
hour had hardly elapsed before 1t was
evident that Beebc's Block, the finest
business structure in the city, built OF
granite, five stories in height, with the
cursed Mansard roof, over all, must go.
Within thirty minutes the flames were
coming out in fiery billows from every
window, and up the stairway leading to
a. r. Stewards rooms, was perfect
column of flame. This building served
but rs fuel for the flames. Pieces OF
drv goods went whistlng across the
square, lodging on window-sills of mag
nifcent stores on DevOnshire street.
Becbe's Block stood solid wall of
granite several minutes after the inside
fell, but the heat warped it, and two
million eff dollars soon lay a heap OF
stone bricks and mortar.
A nTRRICASE
now ragged, and owing to the intense
heat and perfect Sleet of Goals, drove
everything before it. Every building
was now heated rs if in furnace and
caught like finder our-story granite
blocks seemed like shayings. Deafen-
ing explosions we're constantly heard.
New terror was now added to the babel
Of confusion. Tenement houses ut the
upper end of Federal street were fast
being licked up by flames, and
WOMEN CRAZED AND PAINTING
were rushing to and fro, carrying chill
drcn, crockerv, clocks and bedding in
their hands. One ran screaming through
High street with stove funnel in her
hands, while another was tugging n
heavy chest that would have been weight
for a strong man. Now and then few
pieces of goods might be saved by vol
untcers who ran in and spent five min
utes, during which time they could
work, bringing out perhaps hundred
pieces of cloth. One man, Marshal
Cottcr. got out twenty-five thousand
dollars worth of kid gloves, and lad
them placed OH the sidewalk in dam
aged condition lie offered hackman
five hundred dollars in vain to take the
goods to place of safety. In less than
au hour he had to flee for his life, and
the flames were not again cheated of
their prey.
TIE AWFULSCENE
is rendered more fearful and appalling
by the appearance of the fragments OF
these demolished houses as they fly up
ward into the air.
The note or preparation for the worst
has been sounded everywhere, conse-
quently the aggregate loss will be great
ly lcsscned by the prompt removal of all
portable goods.
DIFFICULTY OF TRANSFORMATION
The greatest difficult, however, is ex-
perienced by the merchantsin procuring
the necessary means of transportation,
as the horses are nearly all i'll with the
disease that has so afflicted the larger
cities of the Union. Fabulous prices
are being paid for such services and yet
the demand is far greater than the sup
! ply. =.
Boston is no better than other cities,
for in the midst of the terror and confu-
sion that exists in our streets,
THIEVES ARE BUSY AT WORK,