The Portland daily press., 1872-11-12

1t was possible to save. Many of the dealers
on the upper side of Washington street took
like precautions. Rough looking express wao-
ons were driven away from book srores full of
the choicest works of standard literature in
sumptuous bindings, thrown in heter-skelter
Other teams carried away the contents of car
pet stores and the various retail establishments
Messrs. Weeks q Potter were notably active
in clearing out their establishment. This be-
ing continued for two hours, while the fire was
raging most terribly, caused the principaI
streets, 50 brilliantly Illuminated to have the
appearance of life and hustle usually present.
the water ran from the dripping hose in tor
rents under foot, while the fire cleaned with
horrid glare overhead and wild shouts filled the
air, the stores on both sides of Washington
street were seen to be full of men hurryinp to
and fro, in obedience to the directions of pro-
prietors and arranging the contents for sudden
and immediate removal. The fire kept on and
began to break through the rear walls of the
stores between Franklin street and the Old
South. BY three o'clock both the buildings on
the corner of Franklin street were enveioped
in flames and all the efforts of the firemen
were bent towards saving the Marlborough
house, which several times caught fire. 1t
came through with a rush into the clothing es-
adjustment of Jacobs & Deane, and the mag
nificent store of Macullar Williams & Parker.
AT this time it appeared by no means certain
that the firemen would be able to shield the up
per side Of Washington street, and the people
who inhabit Montgomery Place, Province street
and court and vicinity prepared for an early
and hasty departure
At daybreak, which was not until o'clock.
the fire was completely encrcled by line Of
engines, all of which were hard at work to pre-
vent the spreading of the fire. 1t was, thank
heaven, gallant and winning fight on Wash
ington street The buildings continued from 3
to a. m. to burn through and fall in, frequent
ly endangering the lives of the brave men who
were tending the engines few feet distant
But the fire never fairly got a foothold on the
upper side, and confidence became again
partly restored, and there was less danger of
panic. By daylight, too the fire was fully in
hand from the corner of Summer and Wash
ington streets down along its southern line, and
only continued to rage with undated fury on
the State street side, and down Milk street to-
ward Broad. 1t was for a long time question
whether the new Transcript building on Wash
ington street, near the corner of Milk, would
be DESTROYED A dozen times it seemed on fire,
and vet the flames kept off and did not devour
it. But the fire continued to rage on Hawley
street, and burned up against the rear of the
TRANSCRIPT building. Far greater was the in
terest which hinged on the tate OF the Ola
South Church which thousands believed to be
doomed, and if that once got fairly on hre, 1t
seemed possible and Indeed probable, that the
fire might march on uninterrupted across Wash.
ington street to Court street. The EXTINCTION
of the flames in the buildings on the other side
of Milk street prevented this terrible expansion
OF the disaster. The new post office building
formed an extensive barrier to the fismes be-
low that point, and shielded the magnificent
new Rialto building on the Simmons estate on
DeVonshire street. But through the finder
boxos ON Congress steeet adjacent to the new
post office and down Milk street and around to
Water street the flames seemed to move unm- |
oeded Thus the destruction on Congress street |
and Klby street was far greater than on De-
,onshire street, where the fine building of the |
Boston Post was saved in spite of the burning
# the half completed block on Simmons estate |
,elow it. Along the northerly side of Water
treet below the Post building, around ID through
rockerv stores in Milk street the fire was still