Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-12-20

kept the losses by fire by far exceed the
present movable wealth OF the world.
II any reader doubts this let him con
slider only those fires which are noted in
history by reason Of their magnitude: The
great fire Of London, which consumed
1860 private houses, besides churches and
other public buildings; the destruction OF
Moscow in September, 1872, to say nothing
OF the many fires there before and since;
the many confiagrations OF Constantnople;
the great fires In New York, Pittsbura
and other places some fifty years ago; the
fires IN Boston, Portland and San Francisco,
and lastly, the great fire, the "boss fire OF
all the fires" AS firemen say, the Chicago
fire OF October, 1871. The lowest estimate
puts the loss by that fire at $500. 600, 900.
Add Boston, Portland and other places OF
note and 1t appears that in the decade OF
1s65-75 the United States alone lost by fire
over $SO0, 100000.
| And this takes no account Of the appall-
Ing loss Of life, as at Peshtigo Wis, where
at least 600 were burned or smothered.
Aud within a fortnight, including that
disaster, IL Is estimated that in Wisconsin
and Michigan alone about 1900 lives were
lost in the great fires which swept the
pineries and low prairies. Chicago con
graduated herself that but 100 lives were
lost in her great fire, but who can believe
itr Who knows how many feeble old wo-
men and lonely old men, how many of
those queer city herrnits and broken down.
half panperized people crept to their Sc
eluded lodgings and woke only to find
themselves surrounded by fiamesp Who
knows how many careless clerks or janitors,
how many intoxicated men, sank into a
dead sleep and never wakedY
| Two things strike us with amazement
when we study the case: One is that there
was no systematic method OF fighting fire
until quite recently; the other that there
Is now so much heroism and skill displayed,
| One can scarcely read of Il little fire In n
| country village but he reads also of the
efficiency OF the volunteer firemen and the
heroism some man displayed in saving
women and children IIeroism is 40 com
mon that 1t Is in danger of becoming cheap
| The great fire in Rome in the time of Nero
| is doubly notable, because in the account
| Of IL we first find the Christians mentioned
| in profane history. The author of "Sala-
thiel' has added to the interest in 1t by
that wonderful description OF his hero's
escape from Is, beginning, Rome was an
ocean of flame; height and depth were COW
cred with red surges which rolled before
the blast like an endless tide''
thefc Is no mint, however, that any great
risks We're taken to save life, and Tacitus
says nothing of any organization like a
modern fire department. The people sim
ply took to their heels and let the city
burn. How great the contrast nowi Even
far oil Japan has very able fire depart
ment in every city, and what IL lacks in eff
| feetiveness 1t makes up in supplying fun
to the spectators. A recent writer for
Tennble Bar describes it thus:
"a man in Victoria street, Westminster.
who sees the reflection of fire, say in the
city, may 20 to bed with certain sense of
security, but because two or three miles
separate the Japanese spectator from the
bnrning houses he can he by no means sure
That in the course of an hour or so he NAV
not have to rush out of his house with as
many OF his l4ares and penates as he can
gather together.
Meanwhile the hook and ladder corps
was hard at work. and If we smiled with
contempt ut the puny efforts of the EN-
gines,' we could not withhold our hearty
applause at the indomitable pluck, the en-
ergy and the activity of the poor little fell
lows who manipulated the hooks and lad
ders. Salamanderlike they seemed to revel
In work where the flames were fiercest and
the danger greatest. Here one was swing