The Portland daily press., 1882-02-20
The Business Part of the City
Destroyed.
LOSS ESTIMATED AT ABOUT
S2,OOO,OOO.
5000 Persons Thrown out OF EN-
ployment.
ONLY THREE LIVES KNOWN
TO BE LOST.

HAvERHLL, Feb. 18.-What yesterday was
the finest street in our city and the principal
business mart to-day is smoulderng, shape
less mass. Some eighty shoe firms are entirely
burned out and others suffer more or less dam
age. Men who last night were worth their
thousands are penniless, while the losses OF
others are fully or partially covered by insur-
ance. Two thousand people are out OF en-
ployment and several families are homeless.
The loss is estimated at rising two millions of
dollars. Quarter of an hour before midnight
the bells sounded an alarm OF fire. The dread
ALARM a few minutes later, was sounded with
increased force by the ringing OF every bell
and the screeching of every whistle that was
in condition to whistle. The wind was blow
ing gale, and the simple thought of fire
was sufficient to appall the most brave or nor
rify the most Indifferent. The hope
that the fire might be light one and
easily extinguished was not fulfilled, but the
fear that it would prove most disastrous one
was painfully realized during the half dozen
hours following the first strokes of the gong.
Unlike most confagrations, this was not ac-
companied Gby curiosity; There was every,
doomed. The fire department, always con-
sidered sufficient for any possible emergency,
responded with more than usual promptness,
but an emergency confronted 1t which foretold
the uselessness of attempting to subdue the
flames without immediate assistance from out
side the city. The origin of the fire was not to
be discussed, but the paramount question was
how to subdue it. 1t was clear that it had
broken out in Wentworth's leather store, on
Washington street, and it was equally evident
that Mr.. Wentworth was TO have many COM
panions liz his misery. Only two or three of
all the shoe and leather dealers in the city
were spared by the onward march of the de-
stroying force 1t is said that Waterman
built fire in stove and then left ii. A few
moments later he discovered that the heat
from the stove had set fire to the building.
Unable to extinguish it himself. he called Of
fcer Weber and asked him to pull in an
alarm. Instead of complying so one story
goes, the officer insisted upon qlenchlng 1t
himself, and thus earning from his superior
some of that empty glory so dear to the aver
age American policeman. Reason or necessity
taking the place of ambition, the alarm was
at length sounded, as before described. Before
the firemen had even reached the scene the
flames had obtained complete mastery OF the
building, and several others surrounding were
Enthusiastically doomed. With the aid of the
high wind the blaze was almost elastic in its
jumping around from from block to block, and
the scene suddenly became one of magnificent
terror. 1t spread everywhere with fury
which seemed almost remorSeleSs, and with
rapidity which baf1ed the most vigorous efforts
of the dismayed fremen. Gathering heat and
force and force at every point, and forcing
back its assailants and the crowds of spectators
which had begun to gather, the ire worked Its
communicated with almost every section OF
the great shoe manufacturing district. Within
two hours from the time of the discovery it did
not seem as if this section of the city could
have been spared, even if the whole Merrimac
river had been poured upon it, The streams of
the engines were of no more account than
would have been SO many streams from an
equal number of soda fountains.
HAvERHILL WAS DOOMED!
One after another the massive blocks
crumbled and toppled over into the
streets. scattering the Goals and embers in all
directions, and firing other buildings every
where where they fell. This was at about 30
o'clock in the morning. The firemen, the citi-
zens, one and all, were destitute of all hope.
Thus respondent, their hopes were restored by
the appearance of the Washington fire COM
pany from Lawrence. 1t was fortunate that
the authorities had early realized their own in
ability to cope with the threatening force, for
the Lawrence company was the means of
checking its march in direction which the
local department could not meet. Cen
orally speaking, however, the fire burned
all that lay in It's is way and ao sns6
The Merrimac river opposed it on the one side
and a fortunate change of wind on the other.
Several times the flames were believed to have
been on the point of yielding, but they would
revive as if by magic, and burn with more fury
than ever Granite columns crumbled and
fell, iron shutters were warped and melted,
while great piles of shoe boxes, sides OF leather,
rolls of morocco and leather shavings furnish
ed fuel for the blaze, which cleaned with
horrid glare, engulfng everything combustible
seemed to form sort of joint partnership and
establish solid block of roaring fire. The
long and substantial blocks, as we'll as the
modest and fimsy wooden ones, were seized
upon and consumed with the quickness OF the
hurricane which encouraged and urged them.
oil caanoad tn aofua1lV a.
joice in its destruction. While the great ocean
of flame swept over the doomed territory, even
the most ungodly prayed for safety, and they
felt that their prayers mad been answered only
when the fire had resigned, almost voluntarily.
How many lives were lost in this terrible con-
flict cannot yet be told. Only one body had
been recovered as this portion OF the report
was written. Several men are missing, how
ever, and it is not unlikely their charred re-
mains will be found beneat the ruins. The
total pecuniary loss cannot be far from So, 000,-
600. 1t is more likely to exceed rather than
fall below this estimate. But the injury to the
business of Haverhill is far greater than can
be expressed in figures, for, Notwithstanding
the immediate rebuilding which is likely, the
orders for the year are lost, and these aggregate
many millions. This, however, does not dis
courage the enterprising manufacturers from
resuming business as early as possible. Even
while the flames are yet far from eXtlngulshed
some are building in other sections of the city,
and others have hired premises and will, on
Monday give employment to small portion
of the 1900 men and women who are to-day
viewing the smouldering ruins of the scenes of
their former industry.
THE TERRITORY BURNED OVER.
The territory, about five acres in extent, over
which the fire spread is on both sides of WASH
ington street, from the station on the Boston &
Maine Railroad to Wash ngton Square, dis
lance of 600 feet, and back on the one hand to
the Merrimack river, on the other to Wingate
street. That part of Washington street whose
buildings have been destroyed was the best of
Haverhills business centre. Its editices had
been erected, with few exceptions, within the
last ten years, and they were mainly handsome
structures of stone, iron and brick. In their
rear, however, was another class of buildings,
filling up vacant spaces and providing ample
and suitable food for the flames They were
rude wooden erections, many of them scarcely
more than sheds, under whose shelter heel
making, last turning and and variety of avo
cations were pursued, the waste that they sent
forth and contained being of the most combus-
tible character.
There are but three shoe and leather firms
left in town. The fire burned Washington
street both sides from Nos to 122; Wingate
street, one side, Is to "a; Essex street, between
Wingate and Washingto !, west side Two
local agents furnish list of 81, 600, 900 in
surance. Three others have, it is said, as much
more. Other risks held by Boston agencies
will probably raise the total to nearly $3,0O0,-
600. The total loss would appear to be much
heavier than has been estimated. The num-
Der of buildings burned, most of them brick