The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-12-16
ConHsgyzffsns That Have Destroyed
whole Cities and Thssssnds of
Rersops

the first tao destroyed 1000 houses
and the loss in the third was estimated
at $i0.D0D,0D0
In 1881 4 fire destroyed 900 houses
In 1855 fire burned 15.O00 houses
and caused the loss Of 100 lives.
In 1851, 1865 and 1857 great fires are
mentioned. but no details given.
In 1863 fire consumed 600 houses
and palaces.
In I77i the principal fire Of the year
DESTROYED 1850 houses and places oil
business.
In f77sa blaze consumed 900 houses.
In 1882 one FIRE burned 1000 houses
80 mosques and 100 mills, 100 lives
were lost. Later In the same year,
two more fires consumed. one 600 and
the other 700 houses.
In 1881 a fire swept over much the
same ground as the FIRE Of 11sz and
DESTROYED 10000 newly erected houses.
later In the year fire in Pera caused
loss OF 81 10000.
In 1871 single FIRE burned 5000
buildings
In 1895 another great fire carried of
The same number, namely 5000
houses.
In 1870 a fire in Pera Ga sgbarb) de.
stroyed 1900 houses, many 81 them
superb structures.
la 1915 ire burned 1900 houses
and 5000 shops and a later blaze ''sev-
eraI thousand"
In ISIS the principal fire burned 6,0o0
houses.
In 1913 the greatest loss from a single
blaze was 500 houses and 2.000 shops.
the estimated value OF buildings and
goods being 81, 10000.
In 1855 a fire destroyed 2 800 houses
and public buildings and made 22,oo0
people homeless.
In 1870 fire in Pera destroyed ! 900
? buildings. loss, s25 900, 600.
This is certainly the champion
record; and when we remember tina.
in the great fire" in Chicago. proba-
bly, the most destructive single bsa 10
Of modern times, the whole number OF
buildings consumed was i7.4S1, the
destruction in Constantiuople l. fear.
fui to contemplate. Putting the great
fires where the exact loss has not been
made matter of record at low rate
there must have been destroyed by
the great fires alone In less than a
century and half something like 240.
0Do buildings, or enough for the lodg.
ment. places OF business aud OF gOr-
ship, and public Offices for a popnla-
ton OF from 90 900 TO 5000 PEG
pie.
Another Turkish city that seems 70
be one Of the fires especial play.
grounds is smyrna. The population
Ii nov only about 10000, bat IN the
course Of about seventy year,, from
IT72 10 ieil-the only pefiod for which
| have any figures-there were three
great fires The first destroyed 3 90
dwellings and from 300 70 s.Op
shops, entaiiing = money loss Of SO
oDD.Oo0. The second burned 400
shops, mosques. etc The third. y 90
houses. dreadful showing for town
Of but 80. coo people.
A strange place Tor a great ire seems
vensee; yet IN A. ID. ii08 the greater
part OF that semi aqueous city wen,
up In flames. The great IRE IN Mos
COW In 1879. which caused the retreat
Of Napoleon's army and such stupen-
dous loss Of human life, is well known
10 all, bat Just forty years before a
FIRE OF the usual, accidental kind had
destroyed 1900 building The
fire started by the Russian.
on the 18th OF September
1912. was simply awful ia is work Of
destruction. Nine-tenihs Of the city
on which stood 80, so houses, Nere re
duced 10 ashes. the loss to owner,
being estimated AZ about 100000
Turning west, although a. has beer
said, every city seems 10 have had H.
great ire, the next city We meet who's
fate il has been 10 he almost swep
from the face OF the earth by a singl,
conhagraiion is Hamburg. che plac,
where the restless young emperor o
Germany was NO royalty entertained
few weeks ago. On the 5th OF Nav
i9sy. fire started ia this then Ere,
town. but al that time by no mean
the great city OF over 800 90 that il Z
al present. which fire burned for 10
honrs, consuming 92l9 buildings an,
intiiciing loss OF about SIS, ou1 Con.
loss NO great for the then resources .
the town thata subscription was takei
up all through Germany 90 enable th,
citizens 10 rebuild.
Crossing the channel. and nerel,
noting that Edinburgh great ire
was la i7Qo, We viii see how ire ha
treated the capital OF the world O.
at least the capital 81 this British EN-
pire, that nov has the comfortable
vi 80 ~ At WIS
record i OF the year 19s, when Lon
don was nearly destroyed In 9S
the greater part OF the city was burned
In lose all houses and churches from
p East 20 West Gate were destroyed. II
1912 the greater part OF the city wa
burned, and then four and hall cen
turtles later, IN iO}5, came the grca
fire of London. tire that pruhahl
sfstf.4Etssss ..H a..
OF modern times but year belor
London had been SWEPT hy the grra
plague. How frightfil the visitation
OF this seourge were has slme>t fade
from modern minds, Daring III
fourteenth century il spread over IA
whole known world. Ia many 81 IA
countries OF Europe. thrce-fourths g
the population perished and abou
oneiourth of the inhabitants of tina
continent say 2tQ0l1h 81 mCT
women and children died from H. e
fects. The disease seems never TO hav
entirely disappeared, bat its next gre,
outbreak did not come until three Ger
turtles later In less it reached Maple
where, according 20 reliable statistic
3Oo0jl people persisted ia six month
There were few eases ot plague .
London iu the autumn OF Loot and ]
1865 came what has since been know
as The Great Plague, Ia May, 1
died: in June, 5a1. in july. olJ1.
August, i706, IN September. 81 ~
from which time the deaths decrease
rapidly. In all there persisted daGiu
the summer and early autumn Is s,
persons. Before the Comiag Of q
disease the population had been abo,
10000. OF these az least two-ihir
Ged, 50 that probably aboat one-haii
those who remained died Then can
Che great FIRE. IL began about "a
M, IN the shop OF a baker name
farryner. in Pudding lane. an
ragged for three DAYS. uttc
IL destroying al ot the bg
par; OF the town. Which W.
confined TO narrow limits and yer
densely peopled. The ARA tany
over was ass acres, ou which were d
300 houses, fronting on 80 street.
lanes, etc The magnificent CatE
Oral OF 81. Paui'S. SS parish cauRhe
six chapels the Giuidhit q
royal eNchsugr. the ,usfo'
house. many hospitals ana abr
ries, y companies halls, "a
number of other stately e,sshces. q
GLIDING three of the city gstes. io,
stone bridge, the prisons Of Newsa
and the Fleet. and the Poultry ga
Wood street compIeFs, al were j
stroved, The money loss Nas cs'
mated at $500, SO, sum mag