New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-11-21
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER q, 1872.
Tn. Rest on Connagration.

lively sense of the nobler qualities OF
human nature is awakened by the tone oil
the American press concerning the great nre
in Boston. Few things could be more touch
inc and beautiful than the promptness with
which the attention of the whole nation was
directed to that grand old city, and the readi'
ness everywhere manifested to render assist
ance.
Tn looking back to the fire itself, several
things strike us as characteristic OF that most
orderly of all American cities. And one is,
that in the very tempest and whirlwind Of
this appalling fire the people did not once
forget to observe the most decorous order.
The iron columns could melt in the fierce
deyourinc element, and granite itself dissolve
and crumble in the roaring flames, but Bos-
ton passion and selfishness could not DC
heated into disorder. Since the fire there
have been no exciting appeals for as sistance,
though Boston has ever been first and fore
most in extending succor to other towns and
cities when visited by flood or fire. She does
not decline help, however, from a mere sem
timent of pride and disdain, but because,
brave old city that she is, she feels that
though the disaster is terrible one, carry
ing restitution and want to many families,
she is able to meet every demand in that
direction. Her cheerfulness and composure
are admirable, and her spirit of independence
is wholly like herself. Every account from
that quarter brings the assurance that,
though her peerless granite warehouses and
stores, piled from cellars to garnet with rich
est fabrics, and millions upon millions have
been swept away in the space Of a few hours,
she has brayely set herself to work to rebuild
her waste places, and promises to reappear
stronger and more beautiful than ever.
One good effect of the fire IS found in the
increased attention it has directed to the so
called fire-proof buildings. There has never
been SO many wise suggestions concerning
these, as have been flung before the public
since the Boston Gre. Walking among her
unrivaled granite stores-towering block on
block eighty feet above the pavement-no
one would think that anything other than an
earthquake could possibly disturb them. and
vet one breath has reduced them to ashes.
The fact is, men may talk as they will about
fire-proof buildings and about this or that
form of roofing, as has been done in this dis
cussion, it is plain to common sense, that no
building is, or can be, fire-proof, whether Of
marble, granite or iron, whether with large
or small windows, whether with or without
Mansard roofing-which is filed from cellar
to g1rret with burnable material. Absolute
security is impossible in presence of such con-
ditions. Fire will burn-heat will expand
and neither iron nor stone can resist its power
Nevertheless the public mind has been set by
this fire in the right direction, and no doubt
something valuable may be discovered by the
earnest investigation. We may not get en-
tirely beyond the danger of fire, but we may
attain degree of security hitherto unknown
among US. Inquiry and inventive geniu,
could not have been awakened in a quarter
promising better results than IN Boston. 1
any new truth can be discovered and reduced
to practice, likely to increase human safety
from conflagrations like those Of Chicago ant
Boston, New England may be safely expected
to make the discovery, and take the lead il
reducing it to practice.