The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-11-13
FAMOUS FIRES.

THE MOST NOTED AND DESTRUCTIVE
CONFLAGRATIONs OF HIsToRY-cHI-
CAGo's BIG BLAZE OF 1871 IS
| THE GREATEST ON RECORD.
The Chicago fire of 1871, with re-
| gard to the area of land covered, the
number of lives lost, or the value of
the property destroyed, ranks as the
greatest ofhistory. Over lS 900 build
ings were destroyed, Of which 2,4OO
were stores, shops or factories, and
about 100000 people we're rendered
homeless by the burning of their houses.
The district over which the con1agra-
tion swept was three and three-fourths
miles in length by more than a mile
wide, covering the most densely peo-
pied portion of the city. 1t is said that
250 lives were lost by accidents during
the progress of the fire and the total
value of the property destroyed was
estimated at 1872, 100000, this esti-
mate not including over 81, 900, 900 al
lowed for salvage on foundations and
the like. Scores of fire insurance COM
panies were forced to the wall by this
terrible calamity, their losses being so
great as to drive the companies into
bankruptcy. The cash contributions
for the benefit of the sufferers of the
Chicago fire amounted within a month
after the disaster, to s. 200 900 and the
contributions in the way of supplies,
food, clothing, and other necessaries to
perhaps as much more.
The most noted fire which involved
the burning of a single edifice was the
destruction of the great temple of Diana
at Ephesus in B. c. 1856, ON the night
Alexander the Great was born. The
fire was kindled by Herostratus, who,
when apprehended, confessed that his
only desire was to transmit his name
to future ages. He was put to death
with exquisite and prolonged tortures,
and the Ephesian senate commanded
that, on pain of death, his name should
never be pronounced, hoping thus to
disappoint his expectation.
When the Russians evacuated Mos
COW in 1912, after the battle of Borod-
ino, the car ordered the city to be
fired, and large number of convicts
were pardoned and released from the
jails on condition that they would do
the work of setting fire to the houses.
1t was we'll done. The entire city was
reduced to ruins on September IA and
the eight following days, and the de-
struction Of property estimated to ex-
ceed $3.50, 100000. 1t was this step
which forced Napoleon to leave the an
cient capital of Russia and begin the
retreat which subsequently proved so
disastrous.
In A. D. 81 ten of the fourteen
municipal stricts of Rome were de-
stroyed by : confagration instigated,
it is said, by the emperor Nero. The
number of lives lost is known to amount
up into the hundreds, but the value of
the property destroyed cannot even be
estimated. By the emperor's command
thousands of Romans rendered home
less and destitute were employed
in removing the debris and re-
building the burned city. Nero, to
divert the odium Of the crime from
himself, charged it upon the Christians,
and thus began one Of the greatest
prosecutions in the history of the ear
ly Christian church.
The Paris fires during the reign of
the commune in May, 1871, destroyed
a frightful amount of property, includ-
ing the Hotel de Vile and Tuilleries
palace and many buildings Of less
prominence. 1t is estimated that the
total value of the property ruined by
the incendiary fires, kindled by men,
bers of the Commune, exceeded $780,
100000; but this sum did not nearly
represent the loss, for great deal of
property, such as household effects
and the like, were destroy ed, which was
never reported. The fires were check
ed by blowing up houses in the line Of
the conflagrations, but more effectually
by shooting the incendiaries caught in
the act.
The Boston fire of 1892 is reckoned
the fouoth most destructive fire of his
tory, the loss exceeding $75,OOO,O 900.
One popularity of this conflagration
was the fact that buildings supposed
to be fire-proof were consumed as read
ilv as those for which their builders
made no such claim.
Constantinople's greatest fire occur
ed in 1870, when almost half the pen
insula on which the city is built was
swept by the conhagration. No record
exists of the number of houses destroy
ed on this occasion, but the value of
the property lost was roughly estima-