Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1889-12-13
GREAT FIRE IN BOSTON.
: FearfUl C0ufagratiOn in the
Heart Of the City.
Nearly Two Acres Of Valuable
Property Burned.

GSSC41Il@-44y A4 II<1iL III Gi~ :
came from the old city through the storm
the ringing OF bells, not in thanksgiving, but
in warning, heralding to the business men in
all parts of the town that flames were raging
in the midst of the most valuable
commercial district of Boston and that
some Of the terrOrs of 1872 were again before
them. For nearly four hours they saw costly
buildings and merchandise go up in fame and
smoke. they saw structures that have been
erected in comparatively recent years, with
every improvement and safeguard against
fire, splinter and crash together as though
they were OF the nlCsC lncOnSeQuentlaI mate
rial; and it was only after this long fight
of the fremen, who were made desperate by
the fearful odds against them, and altered
fOrcements had come from more than score
Of the adJOlE4ng towns, that the fire was con-
trOled.
There stood at Bedford and Kingston streets
a solidly built six-storied granite building
owned by Jordan, Marsh & Co., the great
dry goods house, and occupied in part by
them and in part by Brown, Durren & Co.
wholesale dealers in notions and the Woon-
socket Rubber Company. 1t was regarded
as thoroughly fre-proof. Not very long
after O'Clock A. N. a letter carrier
saw a glare in the upper part of the building
and scarcely had heard the roar of the fire
within before there was an explosion in the
upper story, and with a fash like that Of the
discharge OF a field of artillery, the flames
burst through the shutters and sashes Of the
structure and sent the debris about his ears
There was no time for hesitancy, but it seems
that there was some, for the alarm
from the hre-alarm box nearly Cp-
pOsite the burning building was not rung IN
for several minutes after the discovery OF the
fire. 1t was raining as hard Boston has
experienced in many years. there was very
high wind blowing, and everything was fav-
Orabe for a rapid extension OF the blaze.
h1IilGi70c oil ior1
with valuable merchandise. The flames,
which, it was subsequently ascertained.
started in the elevator shaft, had
full opportunity to obtain a pow
erful draft, and in almost as short q time as
it requires to write it the interior of the
edifice was as a furnace There was nothing
human which could stop the progress of the
flames northward through the party walls
of the adjoining building of the Shoe and
Leather Exchange, and which were making
this structure as dangerous to the surround
ing property as the first one proved to be.
Meanwhile few engines had arrived, but
for some reason the firemen did not seem to
appreciate the enOrmity of the danger. They
first sent in an alarm for assistance but it was
not until the destruction OF the Shoe and
Leather Exchange was inevitable that the
fremen were aroused. Thus the fire had
Roadway of quite half an hour before
force of firemen which would have been
adequate at the beginning of the colfagra-
ton arrived on duty. The high wind famed
the flames and forced them across Bedford
street, distance of not more than seventy
feet, where they were damned by the corner
building and forced again westward across
Kingston and along Bedford street to Chaun-
cey, where the fire was stopped for a time
in the store of Farley, Harvey & Co., the
upper stories of which were burned. Three
stores along Chauncey street were also de
StrOyed. On the south side of Bedford street
the flames 1eaEed across Kingston street
from the furnace that still ragged in Brown,
Durrell & Co.'s building to the big sandstone
structure owned by +. L. Ames ana occupied
by Taylor Brothers, completely destroying
It was not long before steamers from Wal
than, Cambridge, Maiden, Melrose Law
renee and Haverhill arrived. and some time
after the Providence fire laddes made their
appearance with one engine. Then Waltham
sent in its quota. and it with full APP
probation Of the pathoS of it all that
the engine from Lynn arrived. There
was a cheer which went up when
the boys came in and went to work, though
they had scarcely had time TO recover from
the great calamity which had visited their
own city But the effect OF their pluckine5S
was contagious. Men who had not done
more than their share up to this time bent
their backs, and, with a whoop and a hu1rah
the fremen, many Of them badly
scOrched, went at the flames again
with a will, and assisted by the storm made
further progress Of the fire unlikely. Up to
this time the number OF available men was
too small to surround the district and to fight
the flames from all quarters. The heat from
the flames, too, was more than it was possible
for human flesh to Withstand, SO that the
battle for the salvation OF property was con-
tinued with the flames alwaysin the van and
the fremen i'll theft rear endeavOring TO
Quench them from 1he most unlikely point
The scene in Bedford street at II o'clock
was appalling. Bricks from fallen walls
covered the street to depth of five feet, and
two helpless engines and a water tower
which had fallen victims to the great ava
Of the terrible struggle which had taken
place to stop the progress of destruc-
ton. At that hour the fire had supreme
possession of many massive buildings, and tho
large freestone block occupying the northwest
corner of Kingston and Bedford streets was
IN an extremely dangerous condition. The
firemen worked in and around it at mo
mentary risk of being engulfed beneath
the tottering walls OF its upper story.
At o'clock the fire was confined to the upper
stories of the two large stone buildings at the
corner of Bedford and Chauncey streets,
occupied, one by Farley, Harvey & Co, and
the other by Smith, Hogg C Gardner. At
times it burned out for a moment, but under
the well-directed streams of the firemen was
soon subdued. The fire was then completely
under control.
A careful estimate of the area burned over
before the fire was under control places the
number of square feet at Is, 00O or about one
acre and three-quarters. Seventy buildings
were burned, most - them being mammoth
wholesale business houses of stone and brick,
fortified by every known modern appliance
for the prevention Of loss by fire. The aggre-
gate loss is variously estimated at from 81
coo, 900 to Sc, O0O 900.
The scene OF the fire was identical with
that of the confagration of 1872, when the
total of losses were e75, 900, 900. The alarm
was rung out, too, from the same box, No.