The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-28
TIE BOSTON FIRE.
Report of the Municipal Com
mittee Of Investigation.
Origin Of the Great CondagratiOn and
Conduct Of the Fire Department.
INCENDIARISM NOT PROVED.
Crime and Lawlessness Encour-
aged by Storekeepers.
THE CHIEF ENGINEER CRITICISED.
How Damreli Sought To BE Pri-
vate and Commander.
General Dissertation on Bad Architec-
ture and Defective Laws.
the POLICE AND MILITARY THANKED.
Gunpowder Condemned as Now
Used by Firemen.
Regret and Recommendations by the
Beard OF City Fathers.
How Damreli Sought To BE Pri-
vate and Commander.
General Dissertation on Bad Architec-
ture and defective Laws.
the POLICE AND MILITARY THANKED.
Gunpowder Condemned as Now
Used by Firemen.
Regret and Recommendations by the
Beard OF City Fathers.
BOSTON, Jan. 81, 1873.

BOSTON, Jan. 81, 1873
After searching course OF investigation, lasting
over two MONTHS the commissioners appointed by
the CITY give to the world the result of their labOrs
and OF their forty-two sessions. 1t will be remem-
bered that Immediately after the great fire in this
city thousand vague rumors were anoat some
alleging incendiarism as the origin OF the calamity,
apparently accounting for the disastrous delay that
ensued before the engines and apparatus had ar
rived at the scene Of the conhagration; others
police, while the greater number charged
the Fire Department with lack Of presciencc,
laxity Of discipline, lack of material, apparatus
and coal, and that the injudicious action of the
Chief Engineer in diving into the heart OF the burn
ing district in person, instead OF holding himself
alO0f at some convenient spot where he could have
Issued his commands and provided better facilities,
tended to increase the destruction Of property.
While all these disagreeabe stories travelling
and augmenting at each stage the various munich
pal bodies were holding meetings. and it was finally
agreed that the origin of the fire and the conduct
Of the Fire Department should be Investigated BY
citizens Specially appointed, with power
70 summon witnesses and take such
voluntary and Official testimony as would
accomplish the object. While but few Of the
considerable evidence showing that, had the en-
gince Deen on hand as soon as they might have
been the warehouses In the great centre of Boston,
the seat Of her great monetary interests and her
commercial strength, would have been standing
unmpaired to-day The following report of the
commissioners will have general interest how
ever, as showing the error OF communities in eav-
Ing out OF their calculations ample preparations
for such disasters as those Of Boston and Chicago,
until after the events have shown the necessity.
REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
TO THE HONORABLE THE City CoUNcIL:-
fine resent rs and tSs efforts made
familiar that the 9th of November last calm and
and Street and %A ragged without eonire
Of the following day sprsadng through the
with ruins dssroyas S buildings assessed at the value
as@
tered at upon its duties: We have held iortytwo
n1se I'VE Hss had any .ss a I'd
some OF the witnesses failed 10 appesr and we had No
any nor auso
Sash of The he ss%sny Sas %
want and hearsay but this unavoidable duty
% the
s "
:ssaee
ss.yss our rtp T this hp proved S
q. fire began near the elevator in the rear Of hs
~ sSs elevator . Upper stories positive ssil.
IN my aSd e It, % %
one Of them, roaring up the elevator" not controlled
sa the the
S sose a S h ed e e a. M
sondion Of the floor after the ruin shows that prob.
now BEGAN.
10 the more important question how the fire began no
eliminating any Of the occupants Of the building nor
ss Sss s as
dns and h Ct nSea ana
scrHed ~ and as by members the
ne heating apparatus unless il took from the Que:
there that there was any ncend.
o the OF s G The
Of sparks nS h he did S a the
owing enc Jar anss the the
:: s G% Ss s to the a S
city was unusually tree from crime and disturbance
eight r pas as OF sn pas
past seven the at twentyn minutes
past By an as a. Y WHEN
IN Sns e nS We @ @saS cali ct
non tie evidence OF Sargent and Of
We refer to their testimony because they fix the
time ~ SSes and by eePSt eoes wch rhs ay
statement in general confirmed by many persons pres
doubt that for fifteen minutes alter The lre had become
call out the Fire Department Of Boston. Yet there
on the uar of our no Eac os mani in the neehbo
SSca his ssassa u ii;
the building and observed nothing Several Of
sns officer fsss s s.nd
boz when he saw 4 lost not second in sounding the
served y IS OF course always matter OF chance how
The probability Of seeing Il early would be
tact that so little was done by the nechbers
and bystanders towards giving the alarm Some of them
''''.' "'"' cRIfIcIziSe TIRE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
and wondering at their delay, while they themselves
out In this connection shall inquire in another por
fion Of report whether the city does more
more general knowledge the places where Keys are
deposited The annoyance Of an occasional false alarm
The rapid spread Of the fire in the building first
consumed was Chiefly owing to this delay and to the
other elevators in Boston, was sheathed with wood and
destitute Of seliclosng hatchway II the propretors Of
ally used in factories, and of which in In
this as e not ve
the roof before the engines arrived The uncontrolled
SPREAD OF THE CONFEDERATION
Of ~ sS Ss SuS
the exposure Of timber to the flames at height
po "S which Would
II q lower level The dangers arising this mode
81 streets and ~ the Great height Of the buildings
This danger had been foreseen and our calamity had
interest in the statement Of our state Insurance Commits
,oncr, who tells US that Just before the 6re
ENGLISH UNDERWRITERS
spOke 10 him at Liverpool London the probable