New-York tribune., 1877-06-26
A NIGHT OF TERROR AND LOSS.
THE DETAILS OF TIE FIRE.


broke out in the barns standing in tie rear Qi the
Marbehead Hotel, on Prlsant-st Marblelead and
from this small beginning spread until 10 acres OF
buildings including every one of the shoe factories
in the town except five, had been destroyed. Nhon
the fire broke out the bells were ring, and the iiFe
companies gathered as quickly as possible to
fight the flames. A great wind was blowing at tie
time however. and the flames spread rapidly from
one building to another, ghtng up the whole city
with vivid glare, and it was soon seen that great
catastrophe impcnded over the town. The authors
ties became alarmed and telegraphed to Salem ana
Lynn for help.
The main source Of the water supply of Marble
head was brick pond reservoir not far from Che
scene of the fire. over it stood the General Glover
engine house, and in tine of this the building
owned by John S. Martin and occupied by the firm
of Lyons & Collins, shoe manufacturers. Only
few feet from this factory stood the blazing barn IN
the rear of Marbehead Hotel, the hotel itself being
about 20 feet from the engine house. The INST Ie-
suit of the fire consequently the simultaneous
burning of this cunp of four buildings, circuin-
stance which compelled tho fire department yir-
tua!ly to wait until the four buildings had burned
down before they could get good supply OF water.
while the fircmen and people were reduced almost
to the condition of passive spectators by this uneX-
pected turn of affairs the fire was spreading fun
ously all around. he flames leaped first from the
four buildings named to the shoe factories, IN the
vicinity of which there were seyeral-iarge wooden
structures-empOyin hundreds OF people, an lofm-
ing collectively Of the great features OF the IN
dustry of Marbehead. Just east Of the hotel stood
the Pope Block, 50 called, occupied by +. W. az I.
NJ. Munroe and Jacob NJ. Croplcy, shoe mauuiactur-
ets. This was soon cnyeloped IN flames and burned
rapidly being like all the shoe factories, us dry as
tndcr Next came the factory of f. V. Bartlett y
Co.. and then the Recha bite Building and Nathaniel
Gover's factory thus taking every building Ill the
space between Plcaslnt-s SchO0l-st., and the rdli-
road track
The wind now carried the fire across both Pleas
ant and School-sts., burning along both sides OF
those and Sewall-st. The flames from G!oyeTs fae-
tory caught that of Messrs Wormstead ~ Woodhn,
at the corner of School and Sewali-sts., and dwell
ing opposite. Daring this time the house cf Nicho-
| las =. Fitman on Sprng-st. was ignted by falling
cinlers thus usuT,ug che destruction Of every build
ing on the west side Of tina; street. Joshua o. Leia-
vof,,, sbon at the corner of School ard Pleasant
SITS, was now or fire. and from this point the fire
onicl,ly communicated TO dwcllng-house on the
other corner and then quickly followed the
! Nlcrlon block Nathaniel Gioyor's house. and
| the south Church which totally destroyed
! topethcr with Symond's hardware store. In very
| short time everything between School, Pleasant,
and Spring-sts had bcen lcvcled into piles of burn
inq Goals, the Eastern Rilroad Station, with FIVE
| ears. being destroyed with the rest. The fremen
could DO little to stop the spread Of the fire, though
they fought it with all the resources they could
| command and il crept on down to Washington aad
Es4cx-sts in spite OF them. BY this time, however.
steamer No. 2 of salem had arrived, aad this COM
pany soon had the fire at the southern boundary OF
the confederation under control, and prevented It's
further spread III that direction
The flames passed on down Essex-st on both sides,
destroying on the way a large factory formerly oc-
cuned by John II. Wilkins and the dwclliug-houses
rs far a3 that of II. /. Pitmau. at THIS point the
fire was stopped. During this time the fire was
working along Sewell-st.. taking large number of
houses and shoe factory and it crep on until $50
A. m when it was finally arrested and the further
spread Of the flames was stopped.
At4a.m., LOOKING from the side OF The Gen Glo-
ver engine house. a clear view ()bscuctcd only by
b. standing chimneys of the destroyed buildirgs)
was had of nearly fifteen acres of land, lnclosed by
Essex. School Pleasant, Spring, and S2wall-Sts. In
n few hours the flames had destroyed twO-thirds ot
| the old town and lett without prospect OF employ
,reut fuiIv thre.duarerS Of tlre working population
of Narllehcad Sevcnty-.wO buildings were de-
stroyed inclnding banks, factories, and dwellings
The only factories left are those Of Joseph Harris d
Sons. Samuel Sparhawk. Geo. II. Merritt, Litchman
Brothers, and Wn. l.. Brown, 2d
The principal losses arc follows: The Allerton
block. $3GOOO-Insured, 10000; j. r. Orne, @l0,-
OOO-insured -, 900; G. a. Green, %70OO-partlal
insurance: The NdrJickedd Messenger, $s,OOO-in-
eurance 81, 900; Z. Il. Bartlett ~ Co., $4,000
partly insured J. O. Lefayour 81 0OO-insnrance'
81 900; the Pope block, $4,000; Munroe Brothers,
$50. 900; J. A. Crcssley. 0o00-insurance, 3d.
O0O; the Rechabte building, $6,cO0-insurance,
81. 800; Jonathan Brown, $50, ,0OO-party insured;
Wo7ust4ad 81 Woodlin. 80 j,OO0-insurance $4,000;
:. E. Crowell, 50 900; b. q. Hathaway, $4,000; A.
Blaney. -, 900; and Vim. Caswel $1,000 care
fnly prepared list Of the losses makes the aggregate
on buildings 1858 0OO and TO occupants on stocks,
machinery furniture, &c, $l76OOO. The total
loss was 1894 600.