Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-11-16
BOSTON IN ASHES.
An Extensive Coufagration at the Hub,
Full Details OF the Disaster.

MtAN0llAt uEMb AAtN NhI II tAilNu ANu w III At
last suhduCd.
The fire broke out at about half-pasi
O'Clock Saturday night, IN store at the
corner of Summer and Kingston streets,
and there was hardly breath Of wind
s FIRING when the alarm was sounded
about half-past o'clock, followed by
second, third and fourth In rapid success
sion but the first engine was hardly on
the ground when the lire broke ont from
the fomth story Of a large, fJur.story
granite store on the corner Of Summer and
Kingston streets, occupid by Tebbets
Baldwin a. Davis, Wholesale dry goods
dealers. Il had caught in the engine
room, aud the flames spread with Lightning
rapidity to the large elevator, aud wert
| first seen climbing underneath the wood
work Of the roof. Engines were fairly at
work before any other store +. caught.
The buildings in the vicinity were all
granite, four stories high, and each sur
rounded with mansard roof, none OF
them being over four years old. The de-
t.ched sp inters dew readily rs the air wap
warmed by the terrible heat, and coon
| flames began Ticking the mansard roof on
the opposite side fur above the reach of
streams directed upon it from all quarters.
Fire was constantly in the air, and one
hailding after, another caught on the roof,
and flames skipped lightly from one win
dow sill to another, 50 that In less than
thirty minutes every cheek was blRnched
as il became evident that the whole city
in enc direction was at the mercy Of the
ilamts' which were leaping gayly from
| roof 10 roof, and from one building TO an
other. The second building to suCcumh
was directly opposite to that In which the
| fire first broke out, and was occupied by
Mann, Mullm ~ Fins, Harding Brothers
/ X Co., Bowen, Moore X Co, George Lide,
Carter 4 Co. and Cnnant Brothers,
wholesale dealers IN dry and fancy goods.
This was at the corner Of OTIS Place.
The heat now became internal. The
( sire IL ram rivers of water, and livery mo-
meut was heard the sound Of granite
blocks exploding and falling in the streets,
making Them impossible. The flremen
were driven from one station TO another,
and many e giues were kept nohly at
work, while hydtants were USED by hand
hose. Tho engineer could only hold his
place while a stream Of water was kept
playing upon him, Blocks of granite
Weighing tons were split ar II by powder
and hurled across vide streets, and plauks
went dying through tho air as If they
were feathers
The hremcn erected barbados and
worked hch nd them, but they were burned
almost as soon As erected. An hour had
hardly ELAPSED before il was evident that
Beehc's hl0ck, The finest business s'ruct-
uro In the city, built IF granite. five stories
iu height, with mansard roof over all,
must 10. Within thirty minutes the
flames were coming out in fiery pillows
from every window, and up The stairway
leading TO A. T SlewaIi's rooms was a
perfect column If flames. Thit building
served but as fuel for the flames. Pieces
of dry goods went whist ing across the
square, !, dying ON the window ills Of tho
magnificent stores on DeN On,hiic street
Bethe's block stood, a 50 ia wall of gran
ite, several minute, after the inside fell,
bat the heat warped it, and two million
dollars SOON lay a heap Of stone, bricks
and mort lr. a hurricane now ragged, and,
owing to the Intense heat and perfect
slcci %. Goals, it drove every thing b. fore il.
Every building was heated rs if in a
furnace, and caught like tiudlr. Four.
story granite hlucAs seemed like slsving-,
and dcalouiug IXp osions were constantly
heard. 4 new terror WAS added to the
babe. of confusion Tenement houses at
the upper end of Federal stree, were fast
hciuE lickel gp By the flames aud women
cra1Cd and tHiutng were rushing TO and
no, carrying children, cookery, clocks
aud hridlag in their hands. One ran
screaming through High street with IA
-tuye funnel 10 her hands, while another
was tug ng a heavy chest which would
have been "A heavy weight for a strong
man. Now and then few pieces Of
goods might he saved by volunteers who
ran in and spent five minutes, during
Wn''n they could work, In bringing out