Wilmington daily gazette., 1872-11-13
Scenes In the 0urned olty-HoW the
Fire 0VlGlnated.

many Of them supporting widowed mothers IL
+ crippled fathers-are to-day out Of employ. q
nent, and with no prospect but want in the !.
Who last Saturday breathed the puie air Of =
lew England autumn, are to-day naught but q
mass Of chsrrsd remains. Nearly one hun .
lred acres Of property have bee. swept away
loliars worth Of property has been burned
Every building On Dsvonshire aud franklin
streets that was destroyed-and they are al
zone-tas considered ffeproof. They wen
II iron and granite, but t6pRsd with the de.
nj mass Of ruins. One Of the largest and most
expesieneed builders In this city said TO me:
There u bat one fite-pfoof building In the
world, and that Is brick. from Eelts, granite
away, but brick withstands the
SAW IRON PILLARS AND BEANS.
melted into misshappen masses, granite
blocks burnt 20 asness ana I'm fools % melted: e.
best burglar proof vaults and safes had not
withstood the fire, but brick walls were stand |
ing In al directions looking likeo tombstones |
in an immense graveyard, monuments OF their |
own worth. The only valuables saved were
brick. The amount Of money snd property.
representing money stiu supposed places OF
security wifi soon 10 ascestaised. Il
The area Of the burnt district covers nearly
$50 acres Of groand. The largest diameter "
over q mile, and the outside boundary lines Of
the fire ars Is follows: Down Summer to Bed
ford erect, cutting of Bedford 1t its junction
with Summer street and the head Of Lincoln
and South streets, then crossing Federal
street at its junction with Broad street, and
india street, and then through Central, Lin
dali, Doaue, and Kilby streets. and the rear
buildings ON the southerly side Of State street,
thence through Congress to MIX, up MIX to
Washington, and thence to Summer street.
side of Washington street are also destroyed.
making in all twenty-six streets shat have
been burnt over. 80
HOW THE FIRE BEGAN.
The fre was first observed ON the third
floor Of the six-story building at Summer and
Kingston streets, which was occupied by
BALDWIN, Tibbetts e Co. Damaa, Temple 4:
dealing in hoop skirts. It Is mot yet known
hoW the Ere originated, and may never be
Theories are plentiful. One Is that the fire
started from the furnace In the basement, and
another that It originated In the third story
The first is the most plausible The S9'idlnl Sa 3
i9nited there, and crept quickly up the dry
in6ammable wood of the elevator, aud mad
IL appearance through the roof at the eaevs'
t6r, door In the third story. % that It could y.
seen from the street, The names were seel
there llrst; while nothing was noticeable De
low, and 1t is thought that the elevator doc
in the second story was closed. All tn
stories were soon wrapt In flames.
~ : 4. pLUoK o. The rnoPLE. ~
The courage ofths people is magnificent
When passed through the burning streets q
o'clock this morning, found men Who bad 10
everything groping their way through the lori
smoks, looking for the ruins Of their stores,
mt up placards among the sill burning debri
Announcing their removal 70 other quarters. =
d1vbreak the whole accessible part ofthe distri
J VA dStted vith extsmposized signs. Macell.
i Williams q Parker, who ooeuPisd sne'9 u
6nsst Of the ruined storeal lNhere they employ.
5000 hands, began business this inorning. II
great dry goods house Of Sargent Brothe
i, caught Ere q $50 Saturday night. In half |
hour saiesu,en we're On the way to New York
lay in fresh stock Of goodaa the firm rssuu
! ocsrasions Immediately. Their los Vas bstys'
$75OOOO and 81 ,00O, 900.
The Hartford and Erie Company began
4 rebuild their depot to-day, but changed thu
minds. determined to adopt more elabor'
and ccstly plan. The city 10 beginning to cll
4 the streets. Though the stones are almost
Il hoe to be handled, some o. the obserussed 'he
oushfsro ~ siready g for tlsvel.
fhe Common Counclf arc ds!'bsratng up
~ improvements in the map ofthe burned quar-!
y Thsss are 10 be 10 more narrow lAnes,
broad, straight sssetA and open squares, and
owners OF the property are only Waltine
q the boundaries to be axed in order to bsgin
v build. #ss