Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-10-30

The Topic fthe Time-A Splendid Fire
Art and Artists-B OstOn Prices.
TrRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT

BosToN, October %, 1872.
1t is impossible to tell how we miss horses.
The stiffness of the streets is really solemn
Yesterday one or two horse cars were TO be
seen, but to-day not one has been used; occa-
sonally carriage or wagon cTawls along, and
we hear its slow rumbling for long while on
theempty street. Theloss by the stopping of busis
ness, and the spelling of provisions that could
not be brought to market is already estimated at
millions. The interference with travel causes
almost incredible inconvenience and trouble;
concerts are postponed, visiting is prevented,
shopping is diminished and those who never
walked before have to walk now. Everybody
suffers We have no ice; milk cannot be delivered;
coal is heaped up on the wharyes for want of
transportation. At the retail markets where
things are small enough to be carried by men
and boys, the proprietors are at their wits ends
to get their days work done in the twenty-four
hours. The Oriental tea company have got
yoke of oxen with gilded horns to do their car
rying, and yesterday other oxen were seen doing
heavy trucking, but their slowness is great
trial to the patience of their drivers, while boys
swarm round them like flies, jeering and yelling.
Several express wagons have been drawn by
men and boys; wheebarrows abound, and are
adorned with facetious signs, as "Swift Ex-
press; and at the Parker house, twenty-eight
men seized rope attached to city cart and
SO took away the offal of the hotel. Other
hotels may have done the same; it would
seem to he a matter of necessity in
this mild weather. Very few horses die here;
and the people who suffer only indirectly keep
up their spirits, make endless jokes, some of
them good, some bad, and pick up great many
curious Stories "The equinoctial being over,
suppose this storm is the equi-noxious" said
one guest, adding that he believed every other
possiblepu had been made on the state of af-
fairs; and another one told Of horse who was
hoisted up four stories into an attic on Con-
gress street, seven years ago, and had worked
there ever since at an elevator, who was taken
sick last week, but had light attack of the
malady, and is recovering. Think of the soli-
tary life of the poor creature never to hsye seen
one of his own kind for seven years, excepting
as he looked down on them from his attcl A
few passengers have been taken in hacks from
the stations, but no trunks. When porters
could not be found luggage had to be left in
the baggage-rooms, There is no report of i'm
provement to-day, but no change for the worse.
We long and pray for sunshine, for at least one
clear, bright fresh day; not for the benefit of
horses only, but for humans also, for among
them sudden colds, coughs and catarrh are
alarmingly prevalent.
Next to this epidemic, the most exciting event
nf tha tba Gro -,
near the corner of Beacon and fremont streets.
The store runs far back, and includes what used
to be Lyceum hall, and the Swedenborgian
place Of worship. The fire was in this part of
the building. There is no access to it from the
streets, it is surrounded by high brick walls;
and in the bits of yards left open there were
packing boxes and waste things of many kinds.
When the fire broke out this enclosed space
acted somewhat like a chimney; the column of
flame filled it, and rushed upwards furiously,
spreading as soon as it got above the neighbour
ing roofs into the shape of gigantic tree of
flame and sparks; the column below was like
the tree trunk. There was very little wind, not
enough to sway this vast shape of fire. l could
see it all from my window. On the near roofs
stood 6remen, seen black against the blaze who
poured down great streams of water, which
seemed to produce no effect, but to fling curves of
solid glowing whiteness through the fierce up.
springing flame. l have since heard people
speak of the same strange effect produced
by water flung from great height into f1ri-
GUS fire. The street below was a mass of silent,
watching men; every now and then a terrific
yell would announce the arrival of a new en-
gine; the crowd would divide to let the one
eyed demoniac helper pass through and then
close up again. The short abrupt orders of the
firemen, their voices growing more and more
hoarse, the rush of the fire, and the painting of
the steamers, were all that we heard for more
than an hour. Hose were carried through the
houses on Beacon street and on Pemberton
square; people were all ready to pack their val
uableS and fee, but waited for orders from the
fire department, who had said, eve will tell
you when to go, but so far the fire does not gain
on US" But we could not see that they gained
one inch on it. AT last just as a pale, watery
half moon rose above the house tops, looking as
if she would fall faintng into the blaze, the great
frey tree began to waver and a welcome
dimnesS of smoke to cloud its dazzling bright
ness; soon only a shrunken column of fire was
left, and then dense black cloud of smoke
rolled up, hiding everything. The crowd knew
that was the freman's flag of triumph, and
there was no longer need to watch or wait.
But all that night the steam fire engine, at the
hydrant under my window worked without
Stopping; with its bright brass, its vermilon
wheels, its intense fire and its red shirted at
PENDANTS, it made a singular picture at mid.
night, on the edge of the peaceful old burying
ground. For thirty-six hours it stayed there
and poured water into the space where the fire
had been, so that no spark Of it should be left
to smolder or creep away out of sight, and
cause fresh disaster from another outbreak, or
from falling walls.
Since my last letter / have seen several of the
decorative panels which 1 mentioned. At Doll
& Richards are two by Miss Robbins, a white
jasmine, and a wild white araia, both good;
and two tall narrow ones by Miss
Lizzie Green, which seem to me TO
rank with the very best flower
paintings ever exhibited here. On one
morning glQFies are dropping from the top, and
nasturtiums are climbing from the bottom.
Nasturtiums were never SO painted before; they
are simply marvellous. Beautiful as other
flowers by Miss Green are, there is something
peculiarin her work when she paints these they
must gro,g beneath her fingers. The companion
panel has below Ghost of golden daffodils,"
and above branch of apple blossoms, which
are perfect in form, but look little wan, as if
their bloom had gone and the petals were lust
about to drop. These panels are all of wood,
prepared or vanished in such a way that it
looks like polished ebony, and the flowers are
laid upon them without arrangement and in in
dependent groups, somewhat in the japanese
way. Miss Susan Lane of Cambridge has the
same marvellous skill in painting apple bios
SONS that Miss Green has in nastur-
tiums, while her other flowers are adj
mirable. 1 think she has never ex-
hibited her paintings, but they deserve to be
better known. AT Doll's gallery there are also
Ames' portrait Of Washington Allston, the most
interesting picture that Ames ever painted;
Hunts fine portrait Of the beautiful Mrs.
Mitchell of Providence; two small pictures by
Gay that are charming, and one more by him
that for wonder, is not charming at all.
Schenck's group of sheep and shepherd is still
there: and fine, fresh looking, elderly man,
with broad face, blue eyes, and abundant white
hair drew nv attention to IL by saving "TbatJe