New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-11-11
THE CALAMITY OF BOSTON.


commemoration of the fiery calamity which
well nigh swept away their city, when another
great center of American commerce is sub
iected to O similar ordeal. The cOnh9gratlon
which Yesterday devastated Boston differs in
certain details from that which laid so much
of Chicago in ashes. The waste, we believe,
is not 50 wide and comprehensive. The mis-
cry is not of so domestic a character, for fewer
homes have been invaded; and from the cir
cumstance of locality, the loss ia pretty much
confined TO three OF four particular branches OF
business But, upon the other hand there Is one
upon which Boston mainly relies, and i'll which,
if we are not mistaken, by far the largest
part of her capital has been invested. Within
the burnt district" the enormous warehouses
were situated which were filed with the man
ufactures of all New-England here were the
agents of the powerful corporations which
move the industry of suburban towns and
cities; and the princely traders in many ele-
CANT and useful fabrics had here erected long
ranges of buildings which were the evidence
at once of their prosperity and their taste.
These sumptuOus structures. so many OF which
are now destroyed, were justly the pride OF
Boston; and visitors from larger if not
Weather cities were compelled un-
grudgingly TO admit that they left
at home hardly any buildings so fine as
| those which have now been destroyed.
| glance at the names of the streets which have
| lost their chief ornaments and are now
smoking chaos of ruin, will show to all who
are familiar with the topography of Boston
how mOurnful is the desOlatiOn. Summer,
| Federal, Broad, Pearl, High Water, are the
! titles of thoroughfares which within few
| years have been almost entirely rebuilt, and
that, too, in a style of lavish expenditure which
! only the greatest Opulence could warrant
good deal, however, if We rightly re-
member, had been sacrificed to the irrcgu-
larity and in some cases, to the narrOwness
of the streets and perhaps 1t Is consoa-
ton to Boston, in the very hight of her great
calamity that she will now have an OppOr-
tunity of making her crooked ways straight
and of indulging her stately architectural taste
upon highways at once broad and regular.
The details of this historical disaster, for
such it must always be financially and
materially considered, the reader will find
in our very full reports in another place.
We confess that what first impreSses US
upon a cursOTy review of the facts IL, If
we may say so, the Opprobrium of great
fire. 1t on. Int not TO occur. We have no wish
10 indulge in trusm5 or to preach hOmilies
TO those who are now suffering 50
terribly from so severe a lesson but now, If
ever is the time to say that fires like those
which ravaged Portland and Chicago, like that
which has now ravaged Boston, should be
rendered, by wise building and by a proper
precautiOn, simply impossible. Weare not yet
ready TO believe that there can be no such
thing as a rc-prOof building. At any rate, we
think it will now be admitted. after fear
fully expensive demonstration, that the Man
sard roof, tempting IS it is from its showiness
and convenience. and that granite, rs build
ing material, must be for the most part given
up. The dispatches say that the former proved
yesterday in Boston. just what it has always
been predicted it would be--a fatal fire trap
while the stone stands the test of the element
no better upon this than upon former occa-
sions in other cities. There are other 5ugges-
tons which it would be improper to omit.
1t is at the moment of the greatest emergency,
it is upon such special occasions, that the safety
and certainty and efficiency Of our system of
extingushing fires is tested. so far the result
is not pleasant or an encouraging one. In
Constantinople great fires occur and burn at
their own will without much interference from
the stoIid and turbanod spectators. The
flames subside when Allah pleases. Here
we theoretically protest against our
fate and resOlutely oppose it ) and too
often with no better result The
Fire Department of Boston it has always been
understood is all exceptionally good one, both
in the character of its machinery and in the
rigid discipline of its men. 1t IL an Organiza-
ton, all must admit, worthy of the prudent
and intelligent character of the city in which
it is supported; yet all its energy, skill, and
devotion could not prevent this huge catas-
trOphe. Other cities, in which the prepare
tons for the extinguishment of fires are by
no means so ample and excellent as those Of
Boston, may well tremble at the prospect of
a calamity which must always be inn
pending. We now understand that great
fires are not to be prevented by
Fire Brigade, however large and well-disci-
plined, nor yet by the amplest supply of
water. OF the latter there could have been no
lack in Boston. In that particular locality the
waters of a great bay supplemented those
furnished by the art of the Engineer. But
the point was reached then, as it has so often
been reached elsewhere, at which water was
almost, if not quite. useless so that the cx-
treme resource of destroying buildings to
prevent a still greater destruction was all that
was left. However notifying it may be. we
are now compelled to admit that, in such
emergencies, it is only by intensifying the ruin
that we can hope to arrest it. The expedient
is rude, bat in the present state of our knowl
edge it is the only one which reasonably
promises TO accomplish the end. 1t s not
always found to be effective but in Boston,