Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-12-19
Scenes and Incidents of the Boston
Fire.


Leaving their beasts, they iammed and el.
bowed their way, shouting themselves
hoarse in their madness to get at the
houses ia which their goods aud papers
were laid away. Spectators had become
ineNtricably, and by no means amicahly,
intermingled with persons solely interest
ed in the coutlagrati0n, and there was
something very ike a stampede. Build
ings and stores in the lire of the fire We're
forced open or unlocked by their owners
and lessees, and goods thrown out reck.
lesSly and given 10 utter strangers 10 he
carried 10 places OF safety. Fabulous
prices were offered to those who were
able and willing to work, ard between
those trying 10 force their way to the fire
and those enGeayurin. to fight their way
out of IL, q scene of confusion which BAT
Ties desc ription onEued. The streets are
miserahly narrow, and when the fire had
tUr,cd Washington street, where are
many dine shops and stores, their win
dnws abla2e with silks and jcwy)ry,
perfect panic seized the crowd that
surgcd northward and swept by the goods
that looked SO tempting; but as yet there
vas no pjllage of any sort, The shop
girls here were in perfect frenzy, and
in getting away had to take their chances
in the crowd, To be knocked about, and
40 likely rs not be trodltn down. The
wind had increased in violence till it
had become "A furious gale, blowing
smoke and tircbrands into the faces
of the crowd, and beating back the fire
men The skies were wild with the re
Election Of the flames, which Missed along
the streets, and ran from house to house
licking and tapping them, and writing
about them like fiery serpentS. \ little
girl was in one of the upper stories Of q
house IN Washington street, looking out
Of window at the IRE. She was seen
from the street 10 he struck fuli in the
face by piece of burning wood and
knocked back into the room, from which
"a moment or two afterwards flames began
10 burst, ond in an Incredibly short time
the who PIPER part OF the house was
cracking ana blazing. A woman with
the child in her arms, ana her clothes
burned, came rushing into the street from
the building, shriekiug and calling Wildly
for her husband; and presently She dis.
appeared, running in the direction
whence the tise was coming, instead Of
from il, probably being cra2cd by her tor
turc and the suffering Of her child. PEG.
pie were knocked down, and some were
killed, by blazing missiles almost before
il was known that there was nj fire
where they were, for the wind carried the
flames in almost every direction with
frightful speed. Confusion was worse
conTounded, as is always the case at such
times. The most useless ct articles were
borne about rs though &C immense value
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