The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-01
HISTORICAL RURNINGs.

The first devastating fire in America was
probably the one occurring at Boston,
March 20, 100, when 400 dwellings and
stores were burned, causing loss of $780,
CO.
The CNcago fire, Oct Q, ISL. was Gee of
the largest in all history, devastating an
area of 81 square miles and causing loss
of about $3.50, Coz, coo. Two hundred and
fifty lives were reported lost in this fire
Il is not generally remembered that
julius Cesar burned library OF aeO,oO
volumes at Alexandria, known IS the Bru-
clan library, b. c. IS. nearly 100 years De-
fore the burning Of the Serap9um library
by Omar L
The burning Of the Serapaurn library
at Alexandria, in the year 60, by the
Caliph Omar l, is most widely mourned,
as the destruction of so, COO volumes cut
off much of the record OF human knowl-
edge at that time
In November, 1872, Boston was visited
By a fire which extended over an area Of
sixty-five acres, burning the best mercan-
Lille buildings in the city, and causing a
damage Of S75, 900, 000, on which there was
81 insurance 10 over SO. 000O00.
Philadelphia was swept on July9, 1850,
when fire along the Delaware river front,
st Vine street. extending over eighteen
acres, caused loss of lifeestimated a. high
Is thirty-three, in addition to l20 wounded
and pecunisry loss of 81 500, zoe.
Jerusalem has been burned time and
again. the most noted instance being at
The siege by the Romans during the year
20, when faction called the Sicarii set the
city on fire in many places, aud I, 10000 of
the inhabitants persisted by FIRE and the
sword.
Constsntinople has, Ike all oriental
cities, suffered severely from fires, a large
part Of such losses being undoubtedly due
TO the fatalism of the Mohammedaus. who
bow TO their kismet. Said a sultan. If it
be the will Of Allah that my favorite city
burn, il is the Will of Allah"
Two notable examples Of contagious
stopped by conhagrations are the burning
of Moscow by the besieging Tartars, in
July, 1870, when the plague was stopped,
and secondly the fire in London, Sept. .,
-666, which also stopped the plague. and it
aas been unknown there since.
One of the first OF the more recent con.
iagrations was the burning Of Portland.
Me, July t, 1856. The fire was caused by
4 boy throwing freCracker into a cooper's
shop for the avowed purpose of soaring the
workmen. IN this respect the act was an
unparalleled success, the damage being
about SO 000.000
New York was visited by severe con
hagration in the southern part OF the city
on Dec. 10, 1885, which extended over an
area of forty acres. destroying GA houses
and causing a loss which has been esti-
mated az high as $50, O00 600, on which there
was only S, 900 insurance-an amount
which ruined several insurance companies.
The London fire of Sept. ?, 1866, called
the great fire OF modern history, because
the reforms which were started in cOnse-
quence Of it are living issues in the MUM
cipal affairs of today. The fire was caused
by an over heated bakers oven, and IN the
course of four days it swept over $50 acres,
burning -, 200 houses, 50 churches and s.
Pauls Cathedral, causing "A damage esti-
mated to be S53. 500. O00.-Scientilic Aineri-