Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-09
OTHER BIG FIRES.
Recalled by the Great Confagration in
Baltimore.

The Baltimore fire. with its tremendous
property loss. must rank as of the
greatest confiagrations in the United States
an Canada during the past hundred years.
New Yorks greatest fire started on the
| night of December rs, 1885, and before 1t
was subdued by the blowing up of buildings
In the path of the flames 6T4 buildings, the
finest in the city, had been destroyed, with
a total loss of SIT 600, O00s but nobody was
killed or seriously injured The wind was
so high that it carried burning embers
across the East river and caused several
fires in Brooklyn.
The fire started in fancy goods house in
Pearl street just below Wall street. The
hydrants froZc, several warehouses filled
with saltpetre blew up, and at one time the
entire district between Maiden lane and
Coenties slip, William street and the East
river was burning.
Again in this city. June %, 1916, 1,30G
dwellings were consumed by fire, and
| other confiagration, July 8, the same year,
cost four lives. BOZ stores and dwellings
and S6.O00,0O of property.
Portland Me, was nearly destroyed and
10000 people were made homeless by fire
on July A. 1866. The loss was SIS, 100000.
The Fire in Chicago.
The great Chicago fire began on Sunday
night October 8, 1871, in a wooden barn on
DE koven street, in the west division. Lum-
Der yards were numerous there, and through
these the flames ragged, leaping across the
stream before a strong westerly wind into
| the southern division, which was closely
built up with stores and warehouses. The
| fire continued all the next day (Monday),
| and crossed the main channel OF the Chi
| cago river into the northern division,
| sweeping all before it. Massive stone
| blocks were consumed as though they were
! finder.
The glare could be seen for hundreds of
miles over the prairie and the lake. The
/ river seemed to boil and mingle It's steam
| with the smoke. Streets bridges, parks
wefe gorged with panic-stricken throngs.
Many persons were crazed with terror.
| The horrors of the night were multiplied
| by drunkenness, arson, burglary and muir
| der.
Not till Tuesday morning the head
way of the fire checked, and parts of the
| charred debris smoldered on for months.
! Nearly three and third square miles were
buln ned over; II 400 buildings were destroy
/ ed; $500 persons were rendered homeless
! and over 80 killed. The total direct loss
| of property amounted to $4,000, 900. Fif-
| ty-six insurance companies were rendered
| !nsolvent by the fire.
Boston's Confiagration.
The Boston fire started on November o.
1872. on the corner of Kingston and Sum
mer streets, and spread with terrible ra-
pidity east and north, and ragged with little
l
On that afternoon the flames seemed to be
| under control, but explosion of gas about
midnight set them raging afresh, and much
of the following day was passed before
they were subdued. Ordinary appliances
for fighting fires were of no avail and dy-
Mantle used finally to check the path
of the confiagration. SiXty-five acres were
laid waste. Fourteen lives We're lost and
not far from $50 buildings were consumed.
with property loss placed a $780, coo, 00o.
On June 20, 1877, the city of st. John,
N. b. was almost completely destroyed.
Nineteen lives were sacrificed and $780, co.
600 worth of property was consumed. Three
years later. April %, the Ottawa and Hull
contiagration occurred. The flames prac-
tically destroyed the companion city of
Hull, and leaping across the Ottawa river
burned part of the Canadian capital. Seven
lives were lost and SIT 300 900 in money.
Hoboken's Deadly Fire.
On June 80, 1900 fire started in some cot
ton on the docks of the North German
Lloyd Steamship Company at Hoboken, N
j., and before it was subdued destroyed
nearly s7,0G0,OO0 of property and cost the
lives of over one hundred and fifty persons,
many of whom were board the steam
ships Saale and Main.
The great fire in Jacksonville. Fla, start