Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-11-20

tween MILK and Water streets, were
the Home Insurance Company, Eastern
Express Company. and the Nation
al Bank Of the Commonwealth.
The Western Union Telegraph Com
pany, fearing the destruction of their
premises, removed their Instruments to
the Providence depot.
An attempt to blow up Carrier and
Vroot's jewelry store, corner of Milk
and Washington sts., Sunday morning,
was unsuccessful, the explosion spend
ing its entire strength through the win
dows, scarcely iarring the solid walls
The windows of the neighboring houses
we've. shattered by the concussion,
nothing mort.
A visit to tile north end Of the fire at
seveh o'clock showed: that it was not
Progressing with anything like tie pre-
vious rapidity, having advanced not
more than a hundred, feet into Con-
gress street, between Water and State
streets, during the preceding hour and
half The. heat had none of that
fierce, terrible intensity which had
been devouring buildings SO rap
idly, The. same state of affairs
was found TO exist on Milk
BtIeet. Tis Buildings on tie southern
side of the street, below Pearl street,
which had caught as early as half-past
( five o'clock, were burning slowly in
comparison with the way their near
neighbois W,eiit, atid tlis Falls we're all
| intact. An immense number of streams
/ of water were poured on the fire from
every possible point, an engine from
some other city or town being seen at
every corner, and these seemed to be
having good effect. Il a..
| This tjIopfietoF5 Of the Transcript did
noC remove any of their material. Tt
was packed, however, and lowered into
/ the cellar, and some of it may be saved
| from destruction. The postoffice build
ing will be nearly destroyed, although
the walls may remain standing.
By half-past Il on Sunday morning
the progress of the fire towards the
water in the direction of Kilby and
/ Central streets, seemed to be effectu-
ally eto,1p2d, aud streams Of water were
i,se,, IN distinguishing the aatttee atnonP
the ruins, which present the appear
ance of entire devastation.
| On Kilby street the walls of the
]
sive are partially standing, but the in
teriurs arc almost entirely ruined
BY great exertions the fremen sue
ceeded in mastering the fames abottt
/ the Post Office, so tist by noon moth
ing vas discernable in the interior in
the way of blaze, and strong hopes are
entertained that the building will be
saved though the various departments
on the inside will be thoroughly
drepched with water.
The fire vas uiidGr cuntfoI at about
one O'Clock, having in the space of
fifteen hours destroyed hundreds of the
costliest and most substantial ware
/ houses III the country, and temporarily
paaralyzed three of e.leading mercan-
tile interests, the shoe and leather,
wool, and dry goods trades. It is
said there is not one wholesale shoe
and leather establishment left in Bos-
ton, The wool trade has suffered in an
e1ual degree, and the dry goods and
! jobbing houses left are few and far be-
| tween.
The Ninth Regiment, with detach-
ments from other regiments, amounting
to l,200 men, are on duty for the pro-
lection OF property and preservation of
order
THE NEW POST OFFICE
and SubTreasllry building was for a
long time exposed to fierce flames and
smoke, bit was scarcely scorehed. This
massive fire proof structure saved the
Boston Morning Post building directly
opposite, and helped greatly in prevent
ing the fire from reaching State street.
! The old South Church also escaped,
though several times given up for lost.
The costly and beautiful Transcript
building, and Currier and TrOtt's Jew
elry establishment on the opposite cor
ner OF Milk street, were burned. The
Eastern Express Office was saved, though
reported at one time as burned.
EXTENT OF THE CONFEDERATION.
The folio wing are the general boun
| daries Of the eonfagration
The whole length and both sides of
Summer street, across Federal nearly
down to brakes wharf, and thence in
nearly a direct line to Fort Hill, along
Hamilton and the Battery March to
Kilby street as far as Lyndall and
| Central streets, and from Milk to Sum
mer on Washington streets. Within
these boundaries, an area of nearly
seventy acres, every building is con-
sumed.
The fire broke out with renewed vigor
about midnight, Sunday. in almost the
spot where it first originated, caused by
the explosion of gas in the building
/ n h1y -
Summer street. The front walls of the
building were blown into the street,
and set fire to the store, Which extends
back into Central Court Owing to
frequent gas explosions, the firemen
were for some moments deferred from
going into close promixity to the
burning building, but despite the dan
| ger the firemen soon had streams play
ing on the burning building.
From Storms establishment the
flames rapidly communicated to an ex-
tenslve building on the corner of Sum-
mer and Washington streets, occupied
on the ground floor by Messrs. Shreve,
! Crump and Low, dealers in elegant gas
| fixtures. The upper stories were occu-
pied by the Wheeler and Wilson sew
ing machine warerooms, Lowell and
Brett, engravers, and by two or three
custom tallors. The efforts to stay the
progress OF the flames were I'M
awaiting, and in less than half
an hour the magnificent block OF
the corner of Washington and Sum
mer streets was doomed. Flames leap
ed from the windows and curled them
selves about the cornices. Soon the
vast pile was in shroud Of flame.
One gas explosion followed another III
rapid succession. Several soldiers and
tiremen We're prostrated, and several
severely injured. a woman named