Fires and Firemen [pp. 199-208]

FIRES AND FIREMEN.
It would be a very interesting paper that traced the history of great
fires in our own and foreign countries. What extraordinary statistics of ruin, death, misery, and devastation! Our friend has referred
to several instances, but what are they? The frightful losses that
have thus been sustained, who can chronicle?
Professor Olmstead, of Yale College, we have learned, has collected together man)y interesting materials upon this head, in the design,
perhaps, of contributing a volume to the press. The facts and inferences may have much practical value. We regret our inability to
communicate with the Professor, who might have furnished some
interesting hints for our note.
It would not be difficult to determine with some degree of accuracy the annual losses which are sustained in the United States by fires,
and the whole expenses of the Fire Department. In many of the
cities records are kept. The books of Insurance Companies will show
how much they are called upon to pay, and some estimate may be
made of the ratio of insured and uninsured. Statistics of this sort
would be of great value to our Insurance Companies, and we marvel
that some one has not collected and arranged them in a permanent
form.
Having fallen into something like this train of thought, it occurred
to us that an hour or two might be spent, not unprofitably, in calling
to mind some of these noted catastrophes which have befallen
mankind. Of course it would require volumes to go back very
far.
The great fire of London comes in first, and has furnished Mr.
Ainswvorth the groundwork of an interesting romance. Much of
mystery hangs over it. Houses, towers, palaces, and temples were
reduced to ashes at a blast. Two-thirds of the capital of Europe
lay smouldering! 200,000 inhabitants fled to the fields to make their
beds or collect theirscattered an(l miserable rags!
However, we must be satisfied with a glance at the losses of the
past fifteen or twenty years, for these are more within memory.
They show that even yet, with all our art and science, the despot
reign of fire has not been checked, but mocks and baffles the impotent
efforts of man.
In the memory of almost every reader, are many terrible conflagrations. We shall introduce some of the more notable of those which
have occurred since 1833 in our own country and abroad, taking no
notice of the thousands of minor losses.
In 1833, twvo tremendous and unparalleled fires swept over Constantinople within a week of each other, destroying, the one 2,500,
and the other 850 houses!
In 1835, a great fire destroyed 50 or 60 houses in Charleston, S.C.,
and the famous OLD CHURCH OF ST. PHILIP, consecrated by so many
memories of olden time.
In 1835, 15th December, the memorable 15th-a little spark performed its mission, and FIFTY-TWO ACRES, closely and compactly
built, of GREAT AND TOWERING HOUSES and stores were swept away
in NEw YoRK-648 buildings! Who will forget the dismay and
ruin-EIGHTEEN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in a few hours-tithe earn
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