Year: 1872

bidding. There was no room IN the mar


row streets for loiterers now. The fire


was already setting its wizard teeth up


on the rear walls of the stores on the


east side of Washington ST., and on both


sides doors were burst open and hundreds


of stalwart arms bent to the work of re-


lieving these establishments of their


valuable contents. Every sort of vehicle


that could be obtained was brought into


use, and the ponderous drays were allow


ed to move freely all along the streets


over the hose lines and among the en-


gines, for the sake of rescuing such prop


erty as it was possible to save. Many


of the dealers on the upper side Of Wash


ington street took like precautions


Rough looking express wagons were driv-


en- away from the book stores full of the


choicest works of standard literature in


sumptuous buildings, thrown in helter-


skelter. Other teams carried away the !


contents of carpet stores and the various


retail establishments. Messrs. Weeks


& Potter were notably active in clearing


out their establishments. This being


continued for two hours. while the fire


was raging most terribly, caused the


principal streets, so brilliantly illumin


ated, to have the appearance of life and


hustle usually presented at midday


Passing along the streets where the wa


ter ran from the dripping hose in torrents


under foot, while the fire cleaned with


horrid glare overhead and wild shouts


filled the air. the stores on both sides of


Washington street we're seen to be full


of men hurrying to and fro, in obedi-


ence to the directions of proprietors, and


arranging the contents for sudden and


immediate removal The fire kept on


and began to break through the rear


walls of the stores between Franklin st.


and the Old South. By o'clock both


the buildings on the corner of Franklin


street were enveloped in flames, and all


the efforts of the fremen were bent


towards saving the Marlborough Hotel,


which several times caught fire. 1t came


through with rush into the clothing
establishment of Jacobs & Deane and the


magnificent store of Macullar Williams
& Parker. At this time it appeared by


no means certain that the firemen would
be able to shield the upper side of Wash
ington street, and the people who inhab-


it Montgomery place, Province street and
, court and vicinity prepared for an early
and hasty departure. Many of them
took out their goods and placed them in
, the Old Granary burying ground and on
| the Common On the other extreme of
the field of fire similar operation was
f going on The hundreds of people who
still inhabit the dwelling houses that
are left below Pearl street on the Fort
Y Hill territory were forced to convey their
t goods and chattels to the open space in
t that vicinity, which at day-break was
t almost completely covered with vagrant
: furniture At an early hour in the
e morning company of marines arrived
+ from Charlestown and took up their posi-
b tion on Washington street, where they
: assisted in keeping the crowd back from
i the fast burning buildings. Steam en-
e gines continued to arrive from neighbor
II ing towns constantly and as they appear
= ed in Washington street they we're heart
IS lily cheered by the alert and sympathetic
10 spectators. Mr.. Damrell telegraphet
,e during the night to all the principa
d points available and even to New Yorl
r for help, and at $40 a. m. an engin'
E. from Portsmouth put iu an appearance
,e having come Oh a special train. Engine
,e from Providence were also on hand IL
% good season. At daybreak, which wa
il not until six o'clock, the FIRE was com
le pletely encircled by line of engines
at all of which were hard at work to pre-
I'd vent the spreading of the fire. 1t was
10 thank heaven, a gallant and winnin
ir fight, on Washington street. The build
be ings continued from to a. m. to bur
d. through and fall in, frequently endau
re gering the lives of the brave men VIII
,h were tending the engines but few fec
ct distant But the fire never fairly got
ar foothold on the upper side, and so cor
k idence became again partly restored AN
re there was less danger of panic. b
n daylight, too, the fire was fully in han
he from the corner of summer and Washing
ch ton streets down along its southern line
ut and only continued to rage with unaba
he ed fury on the State street side, ,and dow
.lv Milk street toward Broad. 1t was for
to long time question whether the ne
,of Transcript building on Washington st
he near the corner of Milk would be de
lin troyed. A dozen times it seemed on fl
oh and yet the flames kept off and did n
on devour it. But the fire continued to rag
are on Hawley street and burned up again
nm the rear of the Transcript buildir
nv fercely. The fremen could not save
me Far greater was the interest which hinge
bt on the fate of the Old South Churc
in which thousands believed to be doome
me and if that once got fairly on fire,
er. seemed possible, and indeed probab
oer that the fire might march on uninterruI
no. ed across Washington street to Cou
cb, street The extinction of the flames
the the buildings on the other side Of Mi
,et. street prevented this terrible expansi
mo of the disaster The new postoffi
eet building formed an effective barrier
Ind the flames below that point, and shield
.eet the magnificent new Rialto building
ool the Simmons estate on Devonshire stre
ed But through the tinder boxes on CO
md gress street adjacent to the new post


flee and down Milk street and around
hoa Water street the flames seemed to mo
80 ~ unimpeded. Thus the destruction


for Congress street and Kilby street was
~ greater than on Devonshire street, wht
md nd the fine building of the Boston Post v
Tho saved in spite of the burning of the h
tbo completed block On the Simmons est;
! hv below it. Along the northerly side
+be Water street below the postofice bui
mo- ing, around through Liberty square a
The down among the oil and crockery sto
low in Milk street the fire was still spread
1ese rapidly when the full light of day ov