Evening journal., 1898-10-21
NorARIE FnRFs.

4NOAtNo1<h fDitE4c.
The largest fire OF the year 1897 was
what has come TO be known as the
Aldergate street fire. in London, the
damage from which. variously eeal-
mated at first, has been put Officially
at $10,00O,O00. Ten million dollar fires
are very rare nowadays in countries
equipped, however imperfectly.wit APP
paratus for the extinguishAnent OF Ares,
and in the United States confagrations
OF such dimensions are practically un-
known. In former times, however, such
fires were not so rare, and what is
known as "the great New York fire"
of 1895 involved a pecuniary loss Of
10000. 900. which represents. of course,
a much larger amount, relatively, than
would such a fire to-day, the purchas-
ing power OF money being probably
greater at that time, and moreover, the
system of insurance being such that by
the failure OF a large number OF com
panies the insured were practically left
without any compensation for the
losses which they sustained. The num-
Der OF buildings 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
Il was not the firemen who put stop
to II, but the United States sailors, who
came over from the navy yard and blew
UP a number OF buildings.
The Chicago fire OF 1871 entailed a
lose of s190,OOO,OO0 and covered an
area OF more than 1000 acres, consum-
ing 1900 buildings. The Boston lire
with which 1t is compared usually
which occurred little more than one
year later. entailed a loss Of $50, 900 600
and destroyed 500 buildings, but these
we're OF a much more substantial char
acter than those burned in Chicago
Only about 20 per cent. OF the Chicago
fire losses were paid, but more than &C
per cent. of the Boston losses wer;
met by insurance.
The aggregate losses in New York
city from fires of all kinds occurring
during the year, are now about $500.
600, and in any recent year they hav,
never been so large as s7,000,000. Th'
nearest approach to that was in 1891
when they were $4,000, ,OO0-the larges
item of which was supplied by wha
was known as The Bleecler street fire
at the corner OF Greene and Bleechsr
on st. Patriclcs Day, the loss from
which was 81 100000. In the sam
year a fire on South street, In Septem
Der, entailed loss of's264 900. and an
other on Fulton stret, one week laaei
caused by the vapor OF benzine ignit
Ing from the heat OF a stove, s22O, Oet
Such fire losses, however. are 80 rar
In New York as TO become exceptiona
but those in 1891 were unusually larg'
and further included the building OF th
, Fifth Avenue Theatre, on January
at loss OF $4,000; a fire in Franlch
street. In May. entailing loss OF 5000
900, and a fire In the factory OF th
! New York Print Works in Jane stree
In July, entailing loss OF s225.0O0.
. The largest and most serious fire (
which there is authentic record In Gel
. many was in Hamburg in 1912, the los
resulting from It being S35, 100000 tn
! "great fire. of London took place
1906, and consumed about two-thirds
tie city-but there has never been an
very accurate computation OF the les
and perhaps no such computation wa
pcsslb.e. There have been many ser
y ous fires I'M France, but no one OF thei
p large enough to take rank in respect
Z loss among the notable fires Of whic
A there is record.-New York Sun.