Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-11-11
THOUSANDS HOMELESS !
Relief Sent from Other Cities
Greatest Calamity known in
New England

| Kingston streets, and spread with fri ,htful
rapidly, famed by gale of wind, down
through Otis, Congress, Pearl, Broad and
| Commercial streets, burning all the largest
and most prominent buildings on Franklin,
Milk, Water and other streets, towards State
street and the custom house.
| Sunday, \. NJ. Fire still raging with I'M
abat. fury Hartford Erie depotha gone,
and the fire prevailing from water edge up to
| Federal and Deyonshire streets and threaten
ing Washington street, burning everything
perishable. The engineers are preparing to
| blow up the whole square of buildings on the
west and south side of State and Washington
streets, to save those streets and check the
! fire. living gale of wind is blowing, in
| creasing the horrors and confusion of the ter
| ribe scene.
| The fire departments of Salem, Lynn, New
buryport and Portsmouth have been called for
and will probably reach here over the Eastern
| Railroad in season to be of service. Othe r
aid is also at hand from neighborng cities.
| Still LATER.
| Sunday, :. 30 A. NJ Fire was discovered
about o'clock last evening in building No.
| 81 Summer street, and owing to the horse dis
temper the fire department were slow in ar
irving at the scene of the confagration. En-
gines had to be drawn by men. The fire ex-
tended TO adjoining buildings. Winthrop
BIZ ok in Winthrop square went first. The
| fire then extended to Franklin street and
gained steadily in the face Of northwest
wind up Franklin street as far as Washington
street, including Winthrop square, Devon
shire TO Milk, OILS and Arch streets, and
is now raging in High. Congress and Federal
streets, and down Summer to the water S
edge on Broad street, destroying everything
IN its way. 1t is now working its way towards
State street. At this hour, $50 A. NJ, it is
| burning turiously on line extending from
Broad to Washington street. Among the
principal buildings destroyed already are
Cathedral AID Webster blocks. Boston Pilot.
rear OF Boston Transcript, and orders are is
| sued 10 blow up both corners east and west Of
| Devonshire and Milk streets. The fire is al
so spreading towards South Boston. ALI the
immense blocks in Devonshire and Franklin
streets occupied chiefly by wholesale wooden
goods dealers, are either destroyed or now on
FIRE. There are immense crowds in the
streets and every effort is being made to save
| property, which is being transported to va
| rious parts OF the city for safety. The ut
most good order prevails. 1t is evident that
| he best business portion of the city is doom
ed TO destruction. Assistance has arrived
| from Worcester, Providence, Salem, Lynn,
and every thing in the shape of fire eNtinguish-
| ing apparatus is brought from adjoining
| towns. A train with aid came from Worces.
ter, Al l miles in 45 minutes.
Boston 4 Maine Depot, 10 A. NJ. Sum
mer street is ruined completely from end to
end. Bedford street suffers very badly in the
| lower part. From Summer street it was con-
fined to the east side of Washington street, with
| little exception, till it came to Water street.
| At 6 80 A. NJ, fire had reached Washington
ST. Get, from Bromfield to Summer; but about
| the corner of Milk street, it was terrible, and
| seemed to take Old South, and has made its
| way down to Federal street. The Boston,
| Hartford 6 Erie Depot was all gone before 8
| o'clock, and it is working south. The water
will stop it there. Possibly it is creeping
this way. Signed by operator,
B. NJ. Depot,
10 :20.-Fire still raging fearfully.
| >, p. M.-Jordan & Marsh cleaned out,
but are not burned out.
| The Common is covered with all sorts Of
household goods.
| From the Boston, Hartford 4 Erie depot to
State street, and from Washington to Broad,
being the principal centre of Boston, is in
| ruins.
Loss estimated at two hundred millions.
Fire just touched the corner of Summer
and Washington streets, taking one side of
| Summer, and both sides further down. Just
grazed Old South Church. Five men are
reported as killed at once by falling wall.
Two newspapers, the Transcript new
building). and Post, gone. McCuller, Will
iams & Parker's new building, destroyed.
The military are guarding the Merchants
| Exchange and the Post Office building.
| A dispatch was received in Portland at
about four O'Clock, stating that the fire was
| under control at three o'clock.
| Boston, 10.
A meeting of prominent citizens was held
in City Hall this afternoon. presided over by
| MAYOR CASTOR. at which encouraging speeches
were made and energetic action urged in or
der to alleviate the sufierings of the needy as
well as for rebuilding the burnt district. A
| numerous relief committee was appointed, of
which William Gray is chairman. The com
mittee will hold daily sessions A bureau of
| relief was also organized, of which EXMay or
| Norcross is treasurer
The oh regiment, with de,achments from
other regiments, amounting to 1900 men, are
on duty for the protection of property and
| order.
| The cOniiagration was got under control at
| about one o'clock, having in the space of iif-
teen hours destroyed hundreds of the costliest
| and most substantial warehouses in the conn-
try and temporarily paralyzing three leading
| mercantile interests-the shoe and leather,
wool, and dry goods trades. 1t is said there
is not one Wholesale shoe and leather estab-
lishment left in Boston. The wool trade has
suffered in equal degree, and the dry goods
jobbing houses left are few and far between.
The new postoftice and sub treasury build
ing was for long time exposed to the fierce
flames and smoke, but was scarcely Scared.
This massive fire-proof structure saved the
Boston Morning Post building, directly oppo-
site, and helped greatly in preventing the fire
from reaching State street. The Old South
Church also escaped, though several times
given up for lost. The beautiful Transcript
building and Currier 4 Trotts jewelry estab-
lshment on the opposite corner of Milk
street were burned. The Eastern Express
Office was saved, though reported al one time
as burned. Two steam fire engines came
from Portland with four hundred of her lead.
ing citizens, headed by Mayor Kingsbury, to
proffer every aid in their power.