The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-30
NOTABLE FIRES.
These In the UnIted states Have Proved the
Least SERIOUS.

nv
Least SERIOUS.
Tho largest fire of tho year 1897 was what has
come to be known as tho Aldersgate street fre
in London, the damage from which, variously
estimated ut first, has been put officially at
$40, 600. 900. Ten.million-dolllr fires are very
rare nowadays in countries equipped, however
imperfcctly. with apparatus for the eXtinRuish-
mont OF fires, and in the United States confa-
grat!ons of such dimensions are practically I'M
known. In former times, however, such fires
were not so rare. and what Is known rs 1.-The
great New York fire" of 1885 involved a pecuni-
loss of $50, 00O, 900. which represents, of course.
a much larger amount. relatively. than would
such q fro to-day. the purchasing power Of
money being probably greater at that time. and.
moreover. the system Of insurance being such
that by tho failure of a largo number of COM
panics the insured were practically left without
any compensation for tho losses which they sus-
tanned. The number OF buildings burned In the
great New York fire. which started in what was
thea known as Merchant street, In tho Wall
street district. was 700. and it was not tho fire.
men who put a stop TO it. but tho United States
sailors who came over from the navy yard and
blew up n number of buildings.
The Chicago fro of 1871 entailed n loss of
ZOO 3tsSo acres. consuming onS S1fSs'd 1900 "a a5' 5u II mSro ' The
Boston fire, with which IL is compared usually
which occurred little moro than ono year
stroycd 500 buildings. but these were OF q much
more substantial character than those burned in
Chicago. Only about 20 per cent. of the Chicago
fire losses were paid. but more than 80 per cent.
Of the Boston losses were met by insuran CO.
Tho aggregate losses in New York city from
fires of all kinds occurring during the year, arc
now about So. SOC. 900 and in any recent year
they have never b. en- SO largo as s., 900. 900.
The nearest approach to that was in 1891 when
they were So. 900. 900. the largest item OF which
was supplied by what was known as the Bleecker
street tire at The corner Of Greene and Bleecker on
ST. Patrick day the loss from which was 81 AGO.
600. In the same year n fire on South street in
September entailed a loss Of 1864. 900 and an
other on Fulton street, one week later. caused by
the vapor OF henZ ne igniting from the heat OF
a stove, $500. 600. Such fire losses. however,
are 80 rare in New York as to become eScep.
tiOnal. but those In 1891 were unusually large,
and further included the burning OF the Fifth
Avenue Theatre on Jan. 2 at q loss of 900;
n fire in Franklin street in May entailing q loss
Of 5000 600. and II fire in the factory OF the New
York Print Works in Jane street In July. entail
ing n loss of $225. 600.
The largest and most serious fire of which
there is authentic record in Germany was in
hamburg In ls42. the loss resulting from it
being $35, DOC, 900. Tho great fire" OF London
took. place in 1866. and consumed about two
thirds of the city, but there has never been any
very accurate computation OF the loss. and per.
haps no such computation was possible. There
have been many serious fires In France. but
no one of them large enough to take rank in
respect to loss among the notable fires of which
there is a record.