The Portland daily press., 1889-11-29
BoSToN'S BIGGEST.
The conflagration: Of "a. Which
Makes Yesterdays Fire
Look Small

On November 9. 1872, at IT'S
o'clock in the evening, what is
now known as the "Great Fire of Boston,"
started at the corner of Summer and King
ston streets. The flames spread with terri
BILE speed, in spite of the efforts of the fire.
men, and before they could be checked 65
acres Of the most valuable business property
of the city were burned over. The section
fire, and was bounded by Summer, Washing
ton, Milk and Broad streets, and included
long blocks Of costly warehouses, filled with
goods; leading establishments In the wool,
wholesale dry goods, leather, boots and
shoes, paper and hardware trade, banks,
offices and churches. The number Of firms
burned ont was about $50. On Summer street
alone 112 firms were burned out; on Pearl
street, 1856 firms; on Federal street 92, and on
Franklin street, part Of the then great dry
goods district, 40 firms. The wholesale dry
goods business, representing a capital of
S50,000,000, was nearly all destroyed, nearly
800 establishments in this trade alone being
swept away. The total value of the wool de-
stroyed was estimated at about S4,500,0O0.
The principal church destroyed was the stone
Trinity Church on Summer street The total
number OF buildings burned was 776, Of
which 700 we're of brick, granite and other
stone, and 67 of wood, and the total value
Of property destroyed was S75,OOO,O00. The
| uCW pOob JiuOO buhuluS Ou tAnhs DCNOnoulkc
and Water streets, and Post Office Square,
narrowly escaped destruction. IL was some
| what damaged, and today bears marks Of its
| conflict with the flames.
/ Tne spread Of the fire into State and other
/ streets was only checked by the blowing up
| of buildings. 1t ragged hottest In Milk, Con-
| gress, Federal streets, Winthrop Suuare and
Franklin streets. Big granite warehouses
crumbled In the heat, and iron was snapped
and twisted like so many weak reeds.
During the height of the Ere the city was
| quickly checked. Portions OF the militia
| were called out, and aided the police in con-
| trolling the burnt district" for days. The
| Boston fire department was reinforced from
| the suburban towns and distant cities. The
| various causes for the spread Of the fire are
| well known and need not be reproduced.
| The principal cause was the distemper pre-
| vailing at that time among the horses of the
| department which made great delay In get
ting the apparatus to the fire.
Among the s0-called stem great fires of
| Boston" preceding this fire Of 1872, that of
1760 destroyed 349 buildings, among them
| sons homeless; that OF I'LL destroyed the
town house, the old meeting house Of the
| first church and 100 dwellings. In 1702
| three warehouses" were blown up to pre-
| vent the spread of fire and much property
destroyed. In 1879 all the warehouses and
| many dwellings, with the vessels then IN the
| dock were consumed. Three years before,
| in 1876, another great fire burned 46 dwellings
| and other buildings, including meeting
| house. The big Essex street fire, during
| which the Globe Theatre was destroyed, will
be remembered IN this category Of Boston's
| big fires.