Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1898-07-06
HoodS. D:fI are prompt. efficient and IIOOQ s PIIlS easy in enect g cents
SEE1zeHeNs S1
NOTABLE FIRES.
rhoss In the United States Have Proved
 the Least Serious.

AnosS An the tnited States Have Proved
 the Least Serious.
 The largest fire of the year 1897 was
 what has come to be known as the AL aersgate street fire in London, the dam
 age from which, variously estimated at
 first, has been put officially at SiO, OOO.-
 900. Ten million dollar fires are very
 rare nowadays in countries equipped.
 however imperfeotly, with apparatus
 for the extinguishment of fires, and in
 the United States confagrations of such
 dimensions are practically unknown.
 In former times, however. such fires
 were not so rare, and what is known as
 "the great New York fre'' of 1885 in-
 volyed pecuniary loss of S3O, 900, GOO,
 which represents, of course, a much
 larger amount relatively than would
 such fire today, the purchasing power
 of money being probably greater at that ! time and, moreover, the system of in-
 surance being such that by the failure of large nur1ber of companies the in- sured were practically left without any compensation for the losses which they sustained. The number of buildincs burned in the great New York fire. which started in what was then known as Merchant street, in the Wall street district, was 700, and it was not the hremen who pnt stop to it, but the United States sailors who came over from the navy yard and blew up num- Der of buildings.
 The Chicago fire of 1871 entailed a loss of $l90, ,000, 900 and covered an req of more than 2, GOO acres, consum- .-s r, GOO buildings. The Boston fire, with which it is compared usually, which occurred little more than one year later, entailed 8 loss of SSO. .OOO.- 900 and destroyed 500 buildings. but | these were of much more substantial | character than those burned in Chicago. | Only about 20 per cent of the Chicago fire losses were paid, but moro than 60 | per cent of the Boston losses were met by insurance
 The aggregate losses in New York city from fires of all kinds occurring during the year are now about s3. 800 poo, and in my recent year they have never been sn large as s7, GOO, ,00O. The nearest approach to that was in 1891, when they were SC, 900, OOO, the largest item of which was supplied by what was known as the Blocker street fire at the corner of Greene and Blocker on St. Patrick's day, the loss from which was $l,46G. GOO. In the same year fire or South street in September antailed loss of S264, GOO and another on Fulton street one week later, caused 1y the vapor of benzine ignitine from he heat of stove. S22O, ,O0O. Such fire cSses, however, are so rare in New ork as to become exceptional, but hose in 1891 were unusually large and urther included the burning of the 2 slfth Avenue theater on Jan. 2 at a loss a # Sl7O, GOO, a fire in Franklin street in Hay entailing loss of s20O, 900 and a | ire in the factory of the New York Print works in Jane street in July entaiEHg q Oss of $225, ,O0O.
 The largest and most serious fire of which there is authentic record in Ger lany was in Hamburg in IS49. the ' lss resulting from 1t being S35, GOO. 900. he great fire" of London took place 1866 and consumed about two-fhirds { the city, but there has never been ny very accurate computation of the :; 'ss, and perhaps no Such computation h as possible. There have been many = irious fires in France, but no one of , lem large enough to take rank in re- 2 'ect to loss among the notable fires of ~ hlch there is record.-New York ol 1n. Isl