The New York Herald Newspaper, November 11, 1872, Page 5

a nce pastas tha fre waa still on the increase #6 i i 2 i : : Hedi MARKET and, a8 @ matter of course, one was anxious, if possible, to forestall hum: inst disaster. It is safe to that every Jarge firm in every department of business in the eity had one or more of its members among the crowds. Asa consequence, nine out of ten were acquaintances, and this faet made the general scene all the more exciting, the greetings and the words of Lope rem 2 spoken were iuller of meaning than if the gathering had been a mere congregation of strangers, drawn Aogesher by interests witich were mot common to all. Although by far the larger pronorien: ot the crowd were substantial business en, there were, of course, a very large number of CURIOSITY MONGERS, ‘who had brie better to do than to mope about and listen to, wit it understanding, the talk and comments tween the baukers, the brokers and the commercial men generally. This class of pervons, however, had rather @ hard time of it. wing no real purpose in entering the crowd, no particular ‘aed to hunt up, no other person to onfer with, they were hustled about frem side fo side just as though every one else knew they were in the way and were taking up valuable room that men whose fortunes were then trem- bling in the balance had a better right to, under the circumstances, As the evening Wore on the ex- eitement grew in intensity, and by six o'clock it was at fever heat. The uncertainty everybody geemed to be in ag to whether there was any hope of staying the flames seemed to be the great ex- citing motive; for the despatches being constantly received kept interested parties posted as to its progress, and those whose places of business had Bot yet been reached were naturally in an ex- fremely anxious mood to learn ‘HE “‘PROSPECY”? ‘was reasonably hopeful. It is probable that these men sutfered fully as much ey 9 the suspense in in which they were kept, as dl 4 those who already knew that the fire had actually swept away the fruits of a life time of labor, About seven o’ciock an extra appeared which stated that the fire had at last beem checked. The Hi get were eager! bought, and a feeling of relief at the news scem at once to spread over the entire gathering. The Anteiligence spread like wildfire, and many whose faces had a minute before worn the appearance of the most intense agony became calm, and even as- sumed an air of contentment, While it is true that the leather, sugar and wool merchants especially, a8 well as Commercial men generally, were on hand én great numbers and under the most intense ex- citement, it is more than provable that THE BANKERS AND BROKERS formed the gr bulk of the crowd late in the evening. The ‘‘crash” of the to-morrow was all the theme with them, and those who were long of stocks of course the most excited and the least.rea- sonable. Excitable as a class, many of them lost all control of themselves while the general excitement was atits highest, and by(their loud talk and frantic efforts at times to “make a market” attracted, wherein they carried a crowd about them of men of like character. At times when two or three well known Wall street brokers got together to have a quict talk about the probabilities of the morrow, they were immediately surrounded by twenty or thirty of their be Greet pani who at once proceeded to give their opinions or rather argue in & way to bring out the opinions of others who were Bot shrewd enough to Lag 2 their minds to them. selves. Dick Schell came in about nine o'clock, ‘and was at once buttonholed, He looked calm and collected, and was as indifferent, to all outward ap- pesrance, to the exciting scenes about him as ough he had no real conception of what all the hubbub was about. “What was his opinion ?” lad he seen the Commodore?’ “Had he heard anything new?’ and a thousand and one other questions greeted him ashe was hedged in upon all sides by THE MEN OF THE “STREET.” Richard played his part admirably, and talked about the disaster with a coolness that quite set aback the “youngsters,” who had hoped to learn through him what the Commedore intended to do to-day, if anything. Finding that he was AN UNPROFITABLE NUT TO CRACK, they soon left the govd-natured old gentleman weverely alone, and looked aout for some one else from whom they might get a crumb of comfort, A HERALD reporter accosted Mr. Schell just as he was going out of the door and asked :— “There will be a terrible time down town to- morrow, Mr. Schell, over this diaster? “It is @ feartul thing, this fire,” replied the finan- cler, Monae his head, sadly, ‘It's one of those things that business men can’t foresee any better than Loci Ao and they can’t stand it very often, Just think ofit, two such fires as that in Chicago and Boston within ten months! “Have you an idea that there will be a ‘crash’ to- morrow?” “There ated ofcourse, be great excitement; but $do not t THERE WILL BE A PANIC,’? “How can it be prevented?” “The government will have to come in and save the business community. I understand that the eg intends to buy several millions of dol- jars’ worth of bonds to-morrow. This will be a relief, The feeling to-night, as far as I can learn, since this intention of the Cone was made known, is much better than It was during the after- noon.” Shortly after ten o'clock Judge Richardson, of the Treasury Department, was seen entering the hotel, and he wasat once surrounded by a number of prominent bankers, who were anxious to know for certain if the government really intended to “HELP THEM OUT." The pies refused to give a positive answer, but replied that Secretary Boutwell would be at the Sub-Treasury to-day, and if he found that the de- mands of the business community re- quired him do so he would buy enou bonds to give at least temporary relief to the market. Later on in the night it was asserted on what seemed to be good authority that Mr. Boutwell will buy to-day $10,000,000 worth of bonds, The news created great excitement when it was made known and became at once the theme of conversation on all sides, to the utter exclusion Of all other topics, Prominent among THE LAT# LO! =] in the crowd was Henry Smith, whose operations of late in the street have given him a wonderfut fame among the Wall street operators. He looked very contented with himself; in fact it is not much to say that he looked extremely happy. Of course it is natural to sup- pose that Mr. Smith felt very oan as all go i citizens felt, over the desolation of joston. As he nee through the crowd with his hands in his pockets, smoking a fragrant Havana, and nodding smilingly to his acquaintances, whom PS mes at every step, a broker remarked to a send :—- “What a lucky dog that Smith is?’ “How so?” “Why, he was ‘short’ of stock when the Chicago Gre occurred, and he’s ‘shart’ now. “You don't say #0."" “Fact.” “Well, he'll make a handsome thing out of ims %0 him sudden good luck.” “A fortune," replied the broker. Wy to long after midnight the crowds still re- mained in and about the hotels, discussing the financial pros and cons of the situation, and lay- ing their individual plans for to-day’s contest in the “street.” BEECHER 0N BURNED BOSTON. inte Am Address Last Night at Plymouth Church on the Boston Fire=The Glory and the Sorrows of the City—Narrow Streets Denounced and the Fire a Bless= ing in Disguise, Mr. Beecher preached last night to an immense crown in Plymouth church. There seemed to be a general anticipation during the day that he would refer to the Boston fire, and the anticipation was realized. There was a touching reference to the calamity in the opening prayer, and instead of the usual announcement of a@ text at the beginning of the sermon Mr. Beecher reversed the order, and closed an address on Boston and the fire with an appropriate text, He said:—1 suppose there is not a man, woman or child here butis aware ofthe great calamity that has be- fallen a city near to our borders, whose name is synonymous with American Vberty—the city of Boston. No snch calamity has ever fallen upon any communty; it can only he regarded 3 4 national disaster. To- day while we were gathered together on a bright Sunday, with the sun skining resplendf ently, that city has had over it a black cloud o- smoke. only rung out for purposes of alarm. While we have gathered together in our places of worship ! for praise and prayer there has been no gathering there except the crowds in the streets, All the places of worship have been silent; some of them, jndced, Lave heen destroyed, Street upon street, The bells of that city have been silent or | | but NEW YORK HEKALD, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1872—TRIPLE in the ImMeaAy centre gr tne City, tne whole cen- trai busines? portion of the city, has been reduced to CRUMBLING RUINS. ‘There igno other city in which it seemed possible that a@eh destruction could be accomplished, Gran- ite, Atself the child of fire, and able almost to with. staind its ravages, melted under the agency of the flame as if it were wax. Igo back to my boyhood when I lived there, and remember all the streets that Rave Deen desolated. I have played on them. I remember the old South side; how little by little business has been encroaching ; how street upon street has been given up to it, and how hundreds of residences have had their places taken by buildings devoted to commerce Achange has come over thisanclent part of these streets. What capacity of stores were here! what piles of cemmercia: Duildings!. It seemed as though architecture had done its best, It seemed as thougp buildings were erected there to last as long as THE PYRAMIDS HAVE STOOD. But the flames have snuffed out their life and they are gone. The sun went down last night smiling upon @ great and prosperous city. It rose uhis morning looking down upon @ roaring fame, and to-night it settles upon a city of ashes and of gloom. We could never imagine a loss so wide, 60 sudden, s0 contrary to all human chances, It is in in some respects unmeasured and un- Measurable; to individuals and the products of killed labor it almost transcends all calculation, Men say $250,000,000 was lost in twelve hours, but how much hag been lost we cannot underatana, The loss of build- ings, of machinery, is no @:1 loss; but what has been the loss of the work of the loom, of fabrics? but what is the losa of tke fleece of the flocks, what of the fruits and prod- uce that the spe have brought, what of the brain power? This has been transcendent, The blotting out of so much wealth is no small loss. The organizations of labor that have been knocked asunder, all this loss no man can attempt te esti- mate. The individuals, too, who have been placed by this under serious embarrassment! The man who yesterday looked through A GOLDEN AVENUE is to-day looking through a darkened avenue of coal and ashes, 6 picture need not be deepened in color, To-night I think of the poor who have been despoiled and pursued, and who have yet much to suiler. They are strong and rude, you may say, but they need sympathy, succor and su por! year ago Ohicago was prostrated; now it is Boston; jc ipan ad tale lains, now the city of the Eastern tates; then a city whose history had to be made H in the vast West; now a city whose history is part of the history of fhe Union. So East and West are joined together in one common calamity, In no other place could it have occurred where it would so wound the national feeling. Boston is a aty strongly associated with American ideas—I mean something that is tan- gible—a desire tor vernment that sprung from the peop!e, and is ordained for the people—ideas that have faith in the judgment, self- government and capacity of men, in early educa- tion and in the growth of substantial institutions, I mean by American ideas the faith of man in the mass and the whole of society, and that this is more important to the nation and the totality of life than the privileged or upper classes. Boston stands for AMERICAN IDEAS. Our earlies heroes of liberty and its blessed fruits were planted there. It was from Massachusetts that Virginia kindled her torch, and when the mother coustry made war upon her, and we began our War of Independence, the King was discomfited, and all throughout the land we began to read _his- tory. It was tothe Adamses tnat Jefferson sent to draw the first writ, During all the burden of the American war it was at this fountain that the na- tional heart bounded, There never was in the darkest day of Old Massachusetts, when liberty wa3 in the fleld and was imperilled, that Boston or Massachusetts cver flinched, Here, then, began American industry and American institutions. Not that there has not been other land- Marks, but liberty began to be planted there. There bas been the origin of the life of the nation, Ever since this has continued. Other States have fallen from their manhood, and gone down and down. Massachusetts has never taken a step backward. Boston has never since the first day of its history failed to champion knowledge, liberty or religion, Hated the city has been because MISRULE HATES RULE; because disorder hates order; because ignorance hates intelligence; because pnaee hates regulated liberty. There is no State—there is no place in these federated States—that does not owe a debt of gratitude to the city of Boston. It has givensym- pathy to all, and there is not a place, how- ever remote,’ that has not unconsciously been leavened by the imfiuence of Boston. The whole continent has been her debtor for schools, for literature, for scholars, a noble band of men. From the earliest days to the present this has been her history, and her scholars were never more illustrious than they are today. It has been ber glory that while nowhere else there has been so large a class of literary and educated citizens her force has been expended in ere her highest education free and accessible to her poorest children, You cali Boston aristocratic. You smile at her peculiarities, Smile at them if you will; you cannot hurt her. She can bear this. There are no such institutions on the globe. There is no such ‘proficiency as that which she gives in music, ju the ine arts, in the elementary studies and in the higher developments. There is no such education as that which she gives to the sons of her immi- grants, her draymen, to THE BLACK AND THE POOR WHITE in her common schools and in her high schools, and this too without money and without price; that instruction, too, was given more than a hundred years ago. There is no’such care for the common people as in this much-laughed-at city of Boston, It was here that were originated the best things in the land. Shame on that man who, in the eis her disaster, would laugh at her calam- ity. a could not have laid his hand of fire on any city that could touch the feeling of the nation’s sympathy so much as this. It is not been a local calamity, it is a national disaster. The patriotism of every heart should be stirred by it. rat man who enjoys any refinement in litera- ture—all that is noble in American history—is in- debted to this city, Let us avoid, in looking at this calamity, speculation as to the actionof Divine Providence and perplexingly asking ‘‘wh. God did this” and “why God did that’? Some wiil say_it was sent to humble a proud heart, as though God sent PROUD HEARTS, as though Brooklyn did not need the same school- master, as if New York was not bad enough to re- quire a similar lesson. Some will say that it is sent to humble us. But who shall say why this disaster is sent in any other way than the Summer is sent? Can a sparrow fallto the ground witbout the view of the Maker? and yet it does fail to the ground, and He sces it. There is not an iceberg iplls into the sea on its solitary lone- {ness in mid-ocean but it marked by the providence of God. It is providence, but God works through laws, It is prepared before- hand. He does not send plagues to one nation be- cause they are idolaters, or cholera to another be- cause they are Roman Catholic or Protestant. Such interpretations are simply delusions. There is no authoritative interpretation in our day of the way in which God acts. There are moral uses which are the answer to the ‘‘Why was this done?” But this being done, the question, 1s how shall we benefit by the disaster? We are good in the inter- pretation of the future, not of the past. Cities which are the grandest products of civilization and the most admirable in their order have been the worst in their administration, The plague has brooded over their streets and their avenues; there have been vast interests of selfishness created, and punishment has followed directly or indirectly. Why the streets should be NARROW AND CROOKED was not determined by any architectural reafon, Where hundreds and thousands of men are creé ing malaria by mae 80 closely Pacer was it wise to live so? And yet it took this plague to teach them this. Samyel taught foresight in hus- bandry, David thought three years of famine came because he numbered the people. Well, every ten years, when we take the census, are we to dread jamine ? We don’t thing of such a thing. THE VOICR OF GOD warns men not to shear the earth of its forests, The voice of God warns men not to live fiithily. It is too early to determine ali that this fire reveais, but I think I may say it was not an accident. | Was it needful that these streets should be funnels, So that the winds were felt no more than in a wilderness? Was it needful to build those MASSIVE BUILDINGS of granite the first ny and granite the second and the third and then the remit on @ Mansard Toof of wood. They were admirable for business, and they were admirable for something the architect did not think of fire, Instead of saying, ye this a chastisement to Bostoni? let us hope that useful lessons may be learned from the conflagration. When great disasters befall the cities on the right and on the left it is well for us to think what we wonld do if the flery angel should beat usdown. Itmaycome. There is nothing sure death and the beyond; the coffin and the grave atand at par all the time. Work; servo less cheerfully for yourself and your own, but not without the thought that these things may be taken away from you. How many are there who, if wealth and financial influence were taken from them, could stand? Live for manhood, and not for externalities. How solemnly does the words of our Master come home to us, “! not y for yourselves treasure upon ¢ where mot! doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal!’ But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust can corrupt, and thieves do not break through and steal; for where your treasure is there will your heart be also. ON TO BOSON. Departure of the Trains—Scenes and In- cidents at the Depot. No sooner Lad the news of the terrible devasta- | siguments, and they themselves ore tug losers. iii | tion in Boston been fulty verified by the tele- graphic despatches received in this city that the question arose among those whose interests Were at stake in “the modern Athens” as to when the first train would start for that place, Time- tables were in order and eagerly scanned, and when it was ascertained that no train would de- part from the depot prior to seven o'clock in the evening 2 murmur of dissatisiaction and uneasiness Tanaround., The Directors of the Boston and New Haven Railway, however, determined to despatch @special train at one o'clock, and by this a large number of merchants, newspaper men; Ac., took passage. THE SCENE AT TUE DEPOT, at Twenty-seventh street and Fourth avenue, was ® most animated one for a full hour prior to the exodus of the seven P. M, train, The ticket offices, the ladies’ room, the platforms and even the side- walks around the station were literally thronged with people. The crowd was a heterogencous one; the merchant prince was jostled and hustled among 4 swarm of pickpockets, who were busy ag bees, plying their customary vocation, seeking for plethoric purses, while ladies’ silken trains rustled over the soiled and pap Ade of honest workme! who were proceeding down to Boston to lend in popentee the broken telegraph wires. As the hour for the departure of the train drew near THE RUSH FOR SEATS ‘was amusing, though many a tear glistened in the eyes of fair girls who were bidding adicu to their sweethearte and matrons whose uses were gO- ing on to view the ruins of their homes and for- tunes, Pale and anxious faces, some of them al- ready made haggard by the cognizance of blasted hopes and poverty supreme, were visible in every direction; but here and there would appear one r sed of a stoical expression worthy of Mark Tap ey. “Do take care of yourself, dear!’ seemed to be the favorite parting admonition of the ladies; and “Weill, it’s rough, but pull through as well as you can,” was the farewell of the inasculines, Make light of the matter it was absolutely impos- sinle to do, anda certain air of depression seemed to pervade the air the travellers breathed, tor none Knew whether they might not find SOME LOVED ONE LOST in the fevouring cataract of flame that had swept over the city, None knew whether they were ut- terly ruined and compelled to begin the battle of life anew, “Telegraph all you can,"”? This entreaty was much in vogue as hands were shaken and red lips pressed, but whether the wires will convey consolation or misery to anxious hearts is a mystery only the future can unveil. The nine P. M. train also carried a large number of passen- gers, and the scenes heretofore described were re- epacted in all their sadness, LOSSES OF NEW YORK HOUSES. Boston, Nov. 10, 1872. There is widespread desolation here among the merchants of the city, who have in many cases been reduced from aMuence to poverty ina single night, as, of course, there are many who were not insured. New York will lose but little by the fire inthe way of insurances, though the New York houses which have branch houses in this city and houses in this city which have branches in New York will suffer to a very great extent. Allof the biggest firms here had connections in New York city, and it is calculated that this, taken together with many losses from the Chicago fire last year, which have hardly been yet recov- ered from, will no doubt cause widespread desolation by throwing out of employment thou- gands of hands by failures and stagnetion in busi- ness. I have taken some pains during the day to ascertain many of the losses which have fallen on the principal New York and Boston houses, and in the main I have succeeded, As you have been already informed, the main losses to the great dry goods héuses have been in Winthrop square, where were located the largest of these firms. All of the following haye houses in this city :— JAMES M. BEEBE & CO. This frm hada tremendous block of stores on Winthrop square, and was justly recognized as the largest dry goods house in Boston, ‘Their store took in a fuli block, and was the wonder and admiration of all who visited the city, In fact, it held -the same _ relation to Boston that Stewart’s does to New York. It was fully as large a building and higher, being a build- ing of six stories. The firm have a branch in Worth street, New York. This immense store was per- fectly crammed with dry goods from cellar to ceil- ing, and particularly at this period of the year, when all the large dry goods stores had just taken in their Winter stocks, At no other season of the year probably would a fire among these houses. have destroyed so many goods, The loss to this firm alone will reach fully $2,000,000—that is to say, about $1,000,000 On the building and $1,000,000 on stock, This is not fully covered by insurance, and the firm, it is said, are clear losers of about halfa million dollars. A. T. STEWART & CO. This firm has only a branch of its New York houses here, and the stock is not near so large nor of so valuabie a description. It is mainly a depot, i fact, for New England cottons, and is used as an entrepot for these goods. The firm possessed an entire house in the Beebe block, and will only lose the stock, as the building is merely rented, The loss is said to be $200,000, though it will probably prove less, A. T, Stewart & Co. have escaped one of the lightest in the city, It is erroneous to sup- pose that Mr. Stewart insures himself, He oniy does this in marine insurance; but all his great de. pots for goods are fully insured. The net loss to the firm, therefore, will be very light. GARDNER, BREWER & CO. This is also one of the heaviest firms in Boston, and is said to do the very largest dry goods busi- ness in the city. It has a branch in New York and controls very large interests. Its store in this city was avery large and very fine one, and was also filled with newly-arrived goods for the coming season. The loss to this firm will not be less than $1,260,000, of which $750,000 willbe on stock, JORDAN, MARSH & CO, This firm, of which the late James Fisk, Jr., be- came a partner at one time, is one of the best known in Boston and one of the largest. It was exclusively a wholesale house, and did a large business all over the country. They have a branch in Leonard street, New York. Their building here was very prominent and very well known, and al- together it was one of the most prosperous houses in the city. It is said to have been insured for not over three hundred thousand dollars, though the losses approximate to over seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars, HOYT, WHEELER & BRADLEY. This well-known auctioneer firm, which has its branch in New York, had its store in Franklin street, and at the time of the fire It was over- crowded with goods, The losses are estimated at $350,000, A ’ J.C. HOWE & CO, ‘The main ofice of this firm was in this city, though in Worth street, New York, it docs large operations, Mr. Hutchinson, amember of the firm, lives in Brooklyn. The building belonged to the firm and its loss costs them about one hundred and an thousand dollars, Their stock of goods was value at $150,000, bringing the loss up to $300,000, It may postibly reach $200,000 more. ALMY & CO. This firm acted as agents for a number of Eastern mills and bad goods on hand to the amount of about two hundred thousand dvilars, The house has @ branch in New York city. JOHN PRAY & CO, This noted carpet firm is also an extensive loser. Their house was in te street, and they had a branch house in New York. They did not occupy the entire building, which is not theirs, but their loss on stock alone amounts to fully two hundred and iifty thousand dollars, ANDERSON, HEATH & CO. This last Boston and New York woollen house had just entered an immense woollen stock in their building in Winthrop square, This, of course, is a total loss, and the extent of their damage reaches fully four hondred thousand dollars, if not, indeed, more. Their stores were part of the Beebe block, and their loss on this is morely nominal. STANFIELD, WENTWORTH & CO. : This is also an extensive Boston and New York woollen house of Winthrop square, and, like the previous one, their stock just at this moment was articularly heavy. In this they will lose about three jundred thousand dollars, FRANCIS SKINNER & CO., of Franklin street, near Milk street, is one of the largest dry goods houses in Boston, with branch in New York, ‘The losses, tt is estimated, to this frm foot up to one million dollars, PALKNER, KEMBALL & CO., of Franklin street, is a large commission honse. They lose very heavily in consignments made to them by Eastern mills—as much as $500,000 on building aud stock. JAMES A. LITTLE & CO, the agent of the Pacific Mills, was said to have had the largest stock of cottons and woolens in the Moston market, The immense store was crammed with them, and all was a total loss. The actual loss on stock is half a million dollars. The stock- helders of the mills lose heavily, These cash cor- rations, indeed, in many such cases are the heaviest losers, as their goods were merely con- this manner such towns as Lowell, Worcester, Lawrence and Manciester will ject the ef of the fire perhaps even more severely (hap Boston itself, SMITH & KICHARDSON ia a heavy loser. Dealers in cloths and woolen fabrics. On stock alone the loss of this firm will reach a8 high as $750,000, on which there is am in- surance in the Devonshire Insurance Company for $600,000, ‘The house has @ branch in this city. THE SCOVILL MANUPACTURING COMPANY is also a heavy loser, Its stock was valued at Pee. and it is acomplete loss, The company a8 @ Dranch at 2% Park row in this city. JAMES 0, LAFPARD has alsoa Wranch here. In the leather trade and carrying @ large stock. Loss $100,000, HOYT, BPRAGUE & CO. ‘one of the large dry goods stores of the city, and occupying @ very large building, will count up a logs of about $300,000, ‘This firm carried one of the most expensive kinde of stock, 1, BOLOMONS & SONS. B. k ‘This was a branch of the furniture and hangings’ certain and positive assurance that, though this city, The stock was of but not so large as might have been expected, The loge is about $100,000, HERMANN & Co. the importers, have a house of nondwar. in a@very valuable kind, 108s of $100,000, SMITH, STEBBINS & CO,, the large dry goods firm, have a loss which is vari- ously estimated at from $200,000 to $400,000, At this moment it is impossible to estimate the amount of loss to the firm. FROTHINGHAM & (0.. the fancy goods house, which bas a branch in Church street, New York, suilers a loss of some $350,060, DALE BROTHERA, who have a silk manufactory at Paterson and a branch in New York, suffer @ loss of $125,000 on stock alone. PARKER, WILDE & 00., the dry goods house, suffer aloss of $100,000; the Boston Coliar Company $100,000, and the Hope Thread Company about $50,000. These are all the main Boston houses having connections in New York which can be arrived at at the presentmoment. Some of the largest losers are, however, houses which have no connection with New York, Possibly, as many of the goods are owned by large qpatpeniss, and are in the main consign- ments tor sale, the loss may be disseminated all over New England, cupied by these firms were mainly of granite, of the most massive kind, and yet they burned like tinder, The insurances will tall very lightly upon New York companies, put will be mainly telt by Eastern and English insurance companies. THE SHOCK TO INSURANCE INTERESTS, SSCS ob Sa es A Visit to the Insurance Offices—Opinion of Insurance Writers to the Losses as Compared with Chicago—New Eng- land Companies Believed To Be in a Critical Condition—The Condition of all the Companies on January 1, with Amounts of Risks in Boston, , Alittle more than a year ago insurance circles and companies were thrown into a state of extraordi* nary agitation by the destruction of the Garden City ofthe West. In the crash that followed the disas- trous event many leading companies succumbed, and some were so badly weakened that they had to suspend operations. With matchless elasticity they, in the year that has elapsed, almost entirely recovered, and they have been congratulating themselves that such an event as the burning of an entire city would not again disturb their equilibrium—at least for a generation, The effect of the news of the later and more appalling calamity in Boston, bursting upon them in the quiet of a Sabbath morning, can, tierefore, be better imagined than described, The insurance companies of this city have a larger interest in Boston than they had in Chicago, and the sudden and unexpected blow is consequently the greater. Many of the companies last year, when the crisis had been past, said to themselves another such disaster and we are undone. The second disaster has come, and a day or two will probably witness an unprecedented crash in insurance circles—a crash that will deeply affect the financial circles not alone of this country, but of the entire commer- clal world, In the first excitement yesterday morning the officials of the various companies wildly rushed to their offices and eagerly perused the ponderous ledgers containing their risks, Sedate men became | excited and grave men boisterous, and the heads of none of tie individuals interested seemed to have any degree of calmness. The dis: Tr was 50 | totally unexpected, as none for a moment ever dreamed ot so terrible a calamity from such a place as Boston, that the business MEN COMPLETELY LOST THEIR SENSES and imagined themselves under the influence of some hideous nightmare, A HERALD reporter | sent to call upon the leading compa- nies could get no coherent ~— answers | {} from the persons in charge. They could tell nothing about risks, losses or surplus, They | could form no idea of the extent they were in- volved, and stated that nothing definite could be given until full particulars of the disaster and ihe names of firms could be ascertained, A disconsolate individual with a very long fuce stood behind the window of the Guardian Vire In- surance Company, on Broadway, the door of which was fastened against all intrusion. The reporter motioned to him and he opened the door about an inch to see what was wanted, To the cour- teous inquiry addressed to him relative to the risks the company had in _ Boston he returned a short and uncivil answer, and, saying he had no information to give, slammed the door in the reporter’s face, leaving this individual to his mourniul meditations. A visit was paid to the Clinton Insurance Maries where the Secretary courteously furnished all the information he could at that moment give. The company has lost about $45,000, leaving @ surplus of $195,000, which the Secretary states will be strong enough for all de- mands, Mr. McLean, President of the Citizens’, said he could form no estimate of the losses, but said if the entire clty of Boston was burned down it would not severely affect the company he repre- sented, as there was a surplus of $700,000 over and above allrisks, At the Lamar Insurance office NO INFORMATION COULD BE PROCURED, and the same may be said of nearly ail the other places which were visited. Strange to say, the offices of none of the Boston or Hartford companies, which are the most deeply aifected by the calamity, were open, and all kinds of strange rumors were in circulation on the street in consequence of this strange circumstance. An excited individual shouted, “They have gone higher than a kite; they are burst up and they don’t want tokeep open.” This seemed to be the prevailing impression ; and as the day wore on and the offices fave no signs of life the opinion that a sweeping disaster had overtaken them was deepened. Gen. | tlemen connected with other companies hazarded remarks to the same effect, but in general the ofti- cials of one company were very guarded in offer. ing opinions relative to the solvency of another company. i Inthe St. Nicholas office a clerk was busily ocen- pes in examining the books, and he states that the losses of the company will be very slight. In the German Insurance office a smal! knot of individuals Were cautiously scanning a map of Boston. The great English companies--the Queen's, the Liverpool and London and Globe—were not open at any period of the day, and in consequence their losses could not be ascertained. It is stated that their loss will be | great, as their risks are large. It seems as if the sinaller companies would nearly all sustain losses, but the great ones will have to bear the brunt of the visitation. The greatest sufferers will be the Eastern companies, and Hartford will be about as Much affected as Boston itself. It was rumored on | the street in the afternoon that some companies whose names were given HAD GONE UP, but nothing definite could be ascertained, ofices of the companies alinded to were all clo A continual stream of visitors kept pouring into the offices that were open during the entire day, pagerly ae for later particulars and losses, but their curiosity was not gratified, There were no later particulars received by them, and the anxious ones were referred to the extra editions of the Telegram, which were at the time selling by the thousand on the street. Most of the visitors were interested parties, many of them being policy-holders, and the agitation and alarm visible | on their faces were painful to contemplate. They Tushed from office to office in search of the news they so eagerly wanted. They were forced to re- turn home without having procured it, but they again and again returned to mect with the same reception. Wall street was crowded with pedestrians and the brokers were madly running around to get at something reliable about their losses, but the fact of the day being Sunday was an insuperable obstacle in their way. Up fo a late hour last Ouse: the same excitement prevailed, | although most of the offices closed early and did ot again open. The Commercial Insurance Com- ‘The structures which were oc- | {}) SHEET. this city, which wil be food below. From it the | Williamsburg Cliy 200,000 ublic Will sce the condifion of all the companies at | }New York and Ne beginning of the year, The publishers preface ¥ bes ir tables by the foll wing comments :— In the presence of such @ calamit, that whose de- ~tally All the newspaners of this morning, ‘riking © blow of more oF less weight at every counting room and every hous, to offer advice to the public may seem, at first | sight, an assumption. But te itseli & calamity, and aagréva, o2 he Calamity which produccd it; itis, more. ove! Fore pry hy cy" +. come, aud whatever tend it jo jimely from any souree, The a inowittan ue Pp and 500,673 = 3 8 é 1, » j heverert *INOeD 19, uy (tv) Pt “yeumye worm a 2 ‘dn i intimate OsseHse Gd, AF Ii marance publishers, of the surance to the Chieane, re, the con: of that interest, as well as'our knowled; of the companies ot this city with re: fants, five us tape gare foi : ‘an intel- ixent opinion on (he sal and must be our apol for venturing to address the public direc, pene Tt ty not to be concealed that the calamity in Boston is rufticient y, terrible to alarm the strongest aud most hopetul. Tt is too carly to make any estimate of the losses, either in the Segrogate or as they afect particular institutions. Yet enough is known preney iy Sard ¢ destruc: knowledge we relation of In- “saupduto, *pasiaug “uoru.) [MoraMMO, “Co1SOm@ NI SSUNISAE OXI0G SAVES BSNO ZO saISVAKOD BXIUYR SYS SIL 10 80} -aUOTe STOUTTEL UE (ZT) "9301 ‘of property has been very great, the disaster Is not by ‘any means such ae to warrant alything like public | = apprehension as to its consequences. ‘The area of the district is very much smaller than that at ; but it is to be remembered that it also con- i jJarger proportion: amount of property— larger and better buildings, and more yaluable stocks of goods, These, of course, comprised the risks which were regarded with greatest favor by the insurance companies, and Bros, them they wrote their heaview 4. On the other hand, there risks were well distributed, so that the aggregate losses are divided be- tween @ very large number of companies. The total loss In Chicago Was not only much heavier, but it was borne by fewer companies than the total of the losses at Boston. Another important fact is that, as at Chicags heavi- ‘est losses tall upon local companies, We believe that more than half of the whole amount is distributed among Boston offices, many of wh confined their business ¢x- elusively to Boston, and, in consequence of this foolish and mistaken policy, are now the chief sufferers, There is not much ground for hope that a single Boston fire in- surance company, except the few which wrote only dweiling risks, has’ escaped losing more than its ent re assets. A few of the oldest of these, whose prestige fs of | aiue, will undoubtedly call in fresh capital wader their old names, panics ot New York and other States, | them will withstand the shock ork city companies have lost in- 1 escape With unimpaired capita heavily will call on their stoe ‘apital. in this emergency is very plain. ipltate a moncy panic, the con uld be vastiy more disastrous tha But there is no occasion tor he insurance companies will he font cet the shock than the public antici- swormoT SyS[2 W9}seq SIT Paani “saquBdiios Laijyo 0} pat & S. “NOASOm NI SSHNTSOR certainly the any ot the OT pur yoodsoary oy ur h thing like alarm, better able to n pated. surance directors and stockholders will look forward forth t of paving rates, and even those who are the will find it their best policy to —ieenihle tribute fresh capital and avail themselves of the reh ha ‘The Spectator continues “It_ is, too early to state or ¢ vest of sinless Which must ensue. Amounts of estimate the insarance ve Risks | losses in Boston, Enough, however, is known to warrant Losses at in fi the assurance that while the companies have received & Assete, Chicago. Tari low the mutjority of them will withstand the Capital, $363,000 2 severe bi shock. ‘The Chicago fire was a greater calamity than fhe is : 12,395,608 | catastrophe at Boston, Moreover, the losses were Beverly 42) tributed over fewer companies. Now, as then, the strong ifioato 11,176,195 | compant with improved credit and dis- Bovisto 12,688,788 | tinction, They have improving steadily since the 7 713 | Chicago firo, and, having received increased rates all Ello€. 65 | over the country, are now in a better position to sustain prey the blow, As’ for the smaher Son aC, it will pexchang be found, |in most cases, that the | proportion ere ante = | of cir’ losses — to cir resources is smaller §Firemen’s. 85,00) 27,808.8!4 | than that of the companies which transacted an 8 tional $Franklin.. Gloneester. Howard. sLawrenee. . sManufacturers’. 2,500 “6,512,858 59,250 19,265,248 77,500 9024/9348 12,500 6,731,237 117,400, 96)0591473 iven elsewhere Were regularly mitted to do business in Massachusetts, Of course the brunt of the disaster fa'ls on them, But, in addition to the companies which were regularly authorized to write risks In Massachusetts, it will be found that there are easy business, The lists which are y the names of all companies whic! Mercant’e No ferisks | many other companies, not so authorized, which have 10,000 13,975,743 | lost {though in tost eases inconsiderably) ou risks offered 81 ) | to them by brokers at their home offices. It is not unrea- sonable to suppose that nearly every stock insurance company in the United States nas lost something; but the reat DUIK of the losses, it Is to be remembered, falls upon the companies whose names appear in the lists as author- ptune ate New Engiand Mu: tual ai 000 New Co. 10,000 13,12%798 | ized to do busi n Massachusetts, 390,000 64,917,211 | In the tables given is a column which shows the amount — 9,694,242 | insured in 1871, This means the total amount. of insur- — No risks | ance taken in Boston by each company in 1871. This cannot be relied on as a guide to the exact amount lost 000 18,854,529 | by each company, or even approximately, for these com- HA,04L 69,855,750 | panies write not only ono year risks, but three and five 23,10) 7,916,443 | year risks as well, and the total amount at stake in. Bos- of ton in nearly overy case will be-found to vary considera- chanics’ 208,917 = 2,864,809 | bly from, the figures stated, Nor should it be inferred Tremont. 273,104 70,167 7,433,582 | that the loss of each company will equal the figures Washingt 1,070,743 25,00) 7,768, ven. In many instances these figures include a very fi ny Massachusetts companies were bank- | @%g¢ sum at risk outside of the burned district aud inane on On ; wholly unaffe sted; so that, as a rile, itis better to be- 1 nicagos Hide and Lea Tieve that the losses wiil {uli far below the figures given, losses, $720,000; Independent, _ losses 1,052,00); Raging Mutual Marine lomee $a as we have found to be the case with. sev" ay eral companies, There is one thing about it, $ Does business in New York. and that Is that the public m very largely setae 2 Upon the strength of the compa: member what MASSACHUSETTS MUTUAL FIRE, MARINE AND FIRE-MARINE. done at Chicago. Many companies were blotted out COMPANIES. : , but not one that did not pay something consider- Amounts of Fire | able.’ A large majority of the companies survived ‘i wes Risks in force | Ohicago—the leading companies did without an excep- i Coma: les. apital. — Aseets, Jan, 1, 1872. | tion—and nearly all that falled paid more than fifty cents Abingdon Mutual: Mutual, “#164961. on the dollar. “The compantes that did withstand the Annisqnain Mutua + Mutual 4.4 Chicago disaste as strong in the main as they were Arkwright Mutual. .s... Mutual, — 105,672 before its occu and, taking them as a whole, the Atlantic Mutual Fire and public can well afford to wait with confden Mean- RUINGssccocearevcess Mutual. 227,550 while, if any one has a doubt about indemnity, let Attleborou pcan Mutual, b 730, him take out new insurance. Better to be doubly Barnstable County Mutual. Mutual. a short time until it can be. ascer- Berkshire Mutual, . Mutual, ink and who will float, rather Boot and Shoe Ma of a loss. "Another turers Mutual, ...... Mutual. ing, pay the rate, whatever ts charged. Insurance Bristol County Mutual Mutual, more than it did a week ago, and the higher the Boston Manufac'rs Mutual. Mutual. rate the better the company will be ‘able to pay the lose, Builders Mutual . Mutual, should atoceur. ‘The public may ax well learn one thing— Cambridge Mutual Mutual, insurance many years past he urmished th expenenee ot Chicago and Boston the demnity Velow its markes Central Mutual China Mutual. Mutual, woah low cost. public will no I eae eeu value. The commotlity will Wereatier bring what It Is i : . worth, ponteetees on rasices mie ‘The following remarks as to the undermentioned Conway MOtGAIS se Meeeual, companies are taken from the same source of infor- Dedham Mutual. Mutual, maion : 5 " Dorchester Mutual } Skeels & Bouyhton say that if every dollar of the Firo~ Essex Mutual. i men's Fund of San Fra in the’ burned district i I River Mani ut. destroyed the company will lose only $75,000, This com- burg Mucual a pany paid nearly six linndred thousand dollars at Chica- ¥0, and it ean stand this lose. ‘the Alps Insurance Com, have ouly $96,000 at risk Franklin Mutual... Gloucester Mutual Fishing. land Mutua pany fs said by its manager {a n Beston, and it can lose only Hampshire Muti : Mutual, seh eae Hai bana Cohaeet Mie cee retary ofthe Fairfield Connty dhiuks his com- tual ishing... ss...) Mutual. 1 survive with a loss of $50,000. i am Mutual Mutual. e Exchange, York, loses only $10,000, Mutual. ‘ork, can't lose but $200,000, Mutual. stirance Company has assets of nearly four Mutual, ousand nine hundreds dollars. The whole : Mutual. he barned district docs not exhaust Mutual, hy siderable amount, the loss of ail of Massac Mutual. its illleave the company in a strong and solvent Mechanics’ : condition. Merehants? ie The Arctic will not lose over. $75,000, Mutual... » Mutual. The Phenix, of Brooklyn, place’ thelr loss at $40,000, Merchants’ Mutual Marine, 100,000 They can stand that amount. Merrimack Mutual......... Mutual A year ago tlie North British and Mercantile had not far trom $6,000,000 at risk In Boston. ‘The Manhattan loses about $54,000. ; The Commercial will retain its capital and something of its surplus. The Germania will continne. Middlesex Mutual, Milford Mutual utual Asstrance, mkeag Mutual, ‘buryport Mutual ‘The Resolute loses only $14,009, orfolk Mutual. ini ‘The Hanover will con The Republic will con! The Howard has no loss: THE BURNED DISTRICT. ian ats ‘The locality embraced within the burned district comprises the richest quarters of the ola city, of late years more than previously devoted to trade, commerce end business of every description and kind, The locality, according to latest accounts, gis Mutual Southbridge Mutual. ..... South Danvers Mutual. ‘Traders and Mechanics. Union Mutual Marine... Union Mutual... Westtield Mutual Wo pay i2illz | is bordered by Summer, Federal, Broad, Central, Weymouth and Braintree soy _| Water, Washington and Bedford streets. This HtUAl canutachavers’ ital 87,601 2,596,855 | comprises to a great degree the wealth and amu- Mutual. 116,265 12,400,204 | ence and the commercial and mercantile area of Ww Mutual, 864,589 26,001'249 | Of the city. Here the merchant, the shipper, the wholesale-business man in any particular trade Most did congregate, It was the Rialto of Boston, It is @ matter of most especial congratulation, however, that up to latest despatches none o' the old historic or time-honored structures of the city have fallen a prey to the devouring element. *The assets of all these Mutual Companies consists Inrgely of no FIRE INSURAS E COMPANIES OF OTIVER STATES DOING BUSI+ NESS IN BOSTON. AW tine ured an" ca Anetra ly, Ametlt | ro'the old Bostonian, or a present native and to Capital, Fane ly 1872. © STI. . | the manner born, some ancient landmarks which $8,090,000 $6,400,502 $4,693,098 $4, their fathers set up have succumbed, no doubt; : Bowe. lees 2 AG but these will hardly leave a blank in the historio its 20000) "202408 landmarks of the past—when Boston was +Amazon. 600,000 753,009 ps beleaguered city, when the cargo of taxed +Alps x 40,087, -_ on which the people were to have been Am can Exeh’nge ‘562 © 877,500 before they could have enjoyed it, fAnde: 39,221 1,021,711 eof the most esteemed monuinents of ype ae oe er days, commemorative of Massachusetts as a +Atlantic,. 20,000) = = | Commonwealth in the aay of States of the great +Black Riv ‘ 250,000 - = | American Union, still stand untouched by the de- Brewers... 291,458, — 269,751 | structive fire, whose terrible progress in other Brewers and Malt parts of the city it is our unpleasant duty to HOP... 260,71 — 25,90 | Fecord, & 77 62,100 ROSTON’S EARLY HISTORY. 2 a From the “Handbook of Northern Travel” (1871) saz | we take the subjoined brief description of Boston, 393.083 | familiarly known as the American Athens, so as to 29,00 | be enabled to lay before our readers a clearer per- 4145 | coption of what the American people, and Bostont- 1,550,183 | 2S in particular, would suffer from the destruction “65,uo2 | Of this beautifal city, Chicago has had its day of “= | tribulation, but there everything was modern, The Lake City of the West was the creature of American enterprise from the moment the march of empire westward took its way. Its record in the late war proved the love of the people of the city and the Prairie State for the Union; but Illinois has not its Concord and Lexington, Bunker Hil! and its hos- tility to British tyranny and intolerance written in the history of the American Revolution—the brightest and graudest page in the eariy life of any _ goonies but it has its Grant, and this is all-suficient lor the present. So we go back to the past. Boston is one of 1,000,000 ‘STL AS 577,312 44,065, 8,000 the most interesting of the n pany state that their losses will not exceed one jundred thousand dollars, and that there will be an | ample surplus left to cover all demands. The fol- | lowing letter has been sent to the Hexatp from | the company for publication :— Orrick Commenctan Fine Inscnaser Cowraxy,) | 187 Broapway, Niw Yous. |S To tue Eprtor ov tir Henan :. | Having been informed that this company is reported as | pavan, Hed, we would respectfully say that al! our Josses in Boston can be paid from the surpius and the cap. | ital romain unimpaired. | Yours respectfully, ANIEL QUACKENBUSII, Secretary. » The attachés of nearly all the New York compa- nies were engaged until a late hour last evening in pe | their books to ascertain their probable losses, and nearly ail will likely be able to make an approximation by noon to-day, In the absence of any details of the condition of the conipanies and the individual risks they have we avai! ourselves of the following compilation made by the publishers oi the Spectator, the leading insurauce journal of | 286,158 83, eat American cities, not only on account of its Hanover. apie, TOSS 9 yc Arr traditionary and historical. aio Berterd ‘ yee) dating fom early daya in the discovery and BoWehesseceeee I 153,128 997,950 — | zation of the Western Continent, through ail the Hoffman......... 200,000 290,741 61,000 30,000 | trials and triumphs of the childhood, youth and . see 4,672,004 3,584,012 | 3.071.390 | manhood of the be alo bat for its dauntless ped 7,038 510,844 | public enterprise and its high social culture, for its aN —o5cg | great educational and literary facilities, for 1 Ineuras “ i numerous and admirable benevolent ablish-* pany 009 8,212.76 35,589,328 65,000 | ments, for its elegant public ond private architec- International 0,000 1,085,113 1,319,927 705,045 | ture and for the surpassing natural beauty of its tLorillard... , = =| suburban landscape. Boston Is divided into Tuannaree oD bon =| five sections—Boston proper, East and South jaretii on 707% 15.000 | Boston, the Highlands (fermeérly Roxbury) and Merchants 147487 960) | Dorchester. The old city is built upona penin-, Merchants’ 1,374,466 00) | Sula of some 700 acres, very tneven in surface, and Narragans 4,382,582 $4,760 | rising at three diferent points into an eminence, Nationa 248,283 40100 | One of which 1s 138 feet above the sea. ‘The Indian National 639,408 42,500 | name of this ee re aon meaning Mlagera-s. 1,865,535 300,100 | ‘Tt was called by the ier inhabitants Tri’ | torient. - — | mount or Tremont, which latter name it still re- fn mnsyly — ~ | tains in one of its principal streets, The name of Phenix. {T9623 | AB408 | Boston was bestowed on it in honor of the Rev. Reiter. ‘siti a2'ay | John Cotton, who came hither from Boston in Eng~ Republic 1,272'632 = syo,tu | land, The first white inhabitant of this peninsula, Standard 1,991,463 | now covered by Boston proper, was the Rev. John Star. 208,970 — | Blackstone, Here he lived alone until John Win« | St Nicholas........ 160,000 482,900 — | throp-afterward the first Governor of Massachud aaa ae — 149,900 | Sotts—came across tho river from Charlestown fungi: 2 ation wnn,a0 Lott | Where ho had dwelt with some fellow emigrants fo +Trader's: 500,000 = —|a short time, About 1035 Mr. Blackstone sold ‘Tradesmen’s. 150,00), 009 1,084,391 90,500 | his claim to the now populous peninsula for {Trinmph...... 0,000 793,570 - —\ and removed to Rhode Island. The first chui Bi me ‘ie Lore ory | WAS Duilt in 1632, the first wharf In 1673. Four yo Wentests. piss 77,624 05.0 | Tater a postmaster was appointed, and in 1704 (A) +Washington. 200,000 208,082 = = | 24) the first newspaper, called the Boston News Weswhester 200,000 610.096 1,229,108 — | Letter, was publishes,