The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-11-20

~ Aant t1C -tON, W IL PidNc VI Sditts y
In less than an hour be had 10 fie
for bis life and the flames were no
again cheated of their prey.
The fire was now in Federal street
and the wool houses were going lik
oil factories. They could never havr
been attacked at q more dangerous
time. crammed from cellar to garret
/ Hundreds of thousands of dollar
worth were on hand that might have
been delivered to customers had it no
been for the horse disease. In on,
store alone there were Sl00, 600 wortl
Of wool stored which was awaiting
delivery. Miner, Beal & Hacketf
had their store packed full, having
only pct in the last of their winter:
stock three hours before the FIRE en-
veloped il all. March Bros. i Pierce
had just put their winter goods in the
cellar and sent theif summer goods ur
stairs to be made Gp.
The papers hou5 = came next, and
with the end Of FEDERAL street went
the majority Of the large city deal
ers- 1t had been hoped that the Gre
could be stopped short of Franklin
streets. but the stores there we're as
vulnerable as any of the others. The
Freeman's National Bank went al
ten O'Clock, and an hour later the Ma
tional Bank Of North America was In
as bad condition. The only place
where limits of the fire were reached
is on Summer street, where the fire
began. 1t swept in a northeasterly
direction from there and | cannot tell
where il VIII stop The loss of course
is beyond computation. There must
be an insurance heavy enough to
carry under several insurance con-
panies in this city.
A reporter has just returned frcm
the scene of the FIRE and SAYS the
large tailoring houses on Washington
street have gone. Engines have been
sent for to Reading, Lawrence
Lowell. Salem and Lynn All in the
immediate vicinity are already here.
The P,ioi Office has Just gone and the
Old South Church is in imminent
danger. Part Of the Western Union
wires are already down, and every
now and then another gives out The
loss viii be nearly 81 ,Geo, e00 before
the fire is extinguishcd.
s a T-Buildings are being blown
up on Lindall and Congress streets:
The postotiiee on that street viii pro-
badly go, with most Of that street
Marines from the Navy Yard are on
duty in the streets.
"A N.-The fire has reached d.
mensiens that simply defy description,
and the people of Boston find them
selves in danger Of their lives, the
loss Of houses and other property be-
ing nOw scarcely thought Of Every
street in the neighborhood Of the FIRE
IS tbronged by people. all endeavoring
TO save few valna1le as they fee
toward fremont and Court streets.
where the FIRE is supposed to be una
bic to reach. But there is-no telling
where this awful torrent of heat and
flames viii stop, as the wind has al
ready risen 10 gale, and IL seems to
have no positive direction or current.
As the flames increase in intensity
and power, the very atmosphere lends
additional force to the wind. which
rises as il Were in our midst and goes
rolling over the track of the FIRE. hurl-
ing dense showers Of fiery sparks into
the air only to send them over that
portion of the city still untouched
The rumbling noise Of the torrent Of
fame Is now and then relieved bv the
detonation of masses of gunpowder
which have been placed in untouched
ediiees in the apparent track of the
fire, and the awful scene is rendered
more fearful and appalling by the ap-
pearanee Of the fragments OF these
demolished honses as they fy upward
into the air.
The note of preparation for the
worst has been sounded everywhere,
consequently the aggregate loss viii
be greatly lessened by the prompt
removal of all portable goods. The
greatest difficulty, however, is exper-
fenced By merchants in procuring the
necessary means Of transportation, as
the horses are nearly all i'll with the
disease that has so afflicted the larger
cities of the union. Fabulous prices
are being paid for such services, and
yet the demand is far greater than
the supply. How viii it end ?"
every one is asking, though / hardly /
dare to put the question TO myself i
II seems to me if it cannot be con-
quered now there is no reason to /
think that it viii be until il reaches
the water, in which case ii viii sweep
through the Dock Square taking in /
Faneuil Hall and Quincy market, !
thence continuing its way toward the /
shipping at Commercial and Loomis I
and so on up the harbor.
| am sorry TO say that Boston is no
better than other cities, for in the
midst of the terror that exists in our
streets thieves are busy at work, and /
frequent arrests are being made. In
deed it is difficult to tell friends from
foes, and many owners are compelled l
to see their valuables carried off by
unknown desperadoes without ven-
turing to demonstrate or stop the
awless proceedings. The police do
lll they can to protect property, but
he multitude prevent their doing
much, and so they content themselves
with making the arrests possible
Nearly two hundred men and bows
nave been already locked up, and also
several women All Of these prison
RS are of the lowest class, and come
rem the purlieus of the city.
The firemen from Newburyport,
Lowell, Chelsea, Cambridge, Charles
OWN, New Bedford, and ether places.
promptly responded to the call for aid
made BY our city authorities, and dis
patches are constantly coming in an
louneing their departure by special
rains that have been started over the
rarious lines by the railroads. But
before they can arrive, the greater
part of the business section of the
,ity VIII be destroyed, together with
immense stores Of valuable goods
The FIRE has been so little depend