The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-07-24

The Most Noted and Destructive
CONGREGATIONS Of History.
Chicago's Big Blaze OF 1871 as
the Greatest on Record

fhoChicago Gro Of 1871 with regard
to the area OF land covered, the mum.
Der Of lives lost, or the value Of the
property destroyed, ranks as the
greatest Of history. over Is, 900 build
ings we're destroyed, Of which 2,40O
we're stores. shops or factories, and
about l00, 200 people we're rendered
homeless by the burning of their
houses Tho district over which the con-
dagration swept was three aud three
fourths miles in length 10y more than
mile wide, covering the most deusely
peopled portion OF the city. Il is
SAID that $50 liges we're lost by aeci-
dents during the progress Of the fire
and the total value of the property
destroyed was estimated at sl92, OO0,-
600, this estimate not including over
$4,000, 600 allowed for salvage on
temptations aud the like. Scores of
fire insurance companies we're 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 "a, 5000 and tue con-
tributions in the way Of supplies, food
clothing, and other necessaries to per-
haps as much more.
The most noted fire which involved
the burning OF single edlhce WAS the
destruction of the great temple Of
Diana at Ephesus in B. G. $50, 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 disappoiut his expecta-
ton.
When the Russians evacuated Mos
COW in 1912, after the battle OF Boro-
dino, the czar ordered the city to be
fred, and a 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 Il
and the eight following days, and the
destruction of property estimated to
exceed $3.50, 600, 600. 1t was this step
which forced Napoleon to leave the
ancient capital OF Russia and begin the
retreat which subsequently proved SO
disastrous
In A. d. ten of the fourteen mu-
nicipal districts of Rome were de-
stroyed by a conhagation 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 can
not even be estimated. BY the en-
peror's command thousands of Ro-
mans rendered homeless and destitute
were employed in removing the debris
and rebuilding 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 early Christian church
The Paris fires during the reign OF
the Commune in May, 1871, destroyed
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 mem
bers of the Commune, exceeded $500,
900, 900; but this sum did not nearly
represent the loss, for great deal o
property, such as household effects
and the like, we're destroyed, which
was never reported. The fires wer,
checked by blowing up houses in tn,
line Of the confagations, but NOR,
effectually by shooting the incendia
-ries caught in the act
The Boston fire Of 1872 is reckonet
She fourth most destructive fire Of
n6,a