HISTORICAL SKETCHES. 205 



upwards of $200,000. A Nantucketer usually speaks 

 of the ' ; great fires of 1836 and 1846 " ; but according to 

 the Nantucket Inquirer of June 6, 1838, this fire was 

 " by far the most extensive and disastrous ever expe- 

 rienced in this community." In 1846 came the terrible 

 catastrophe known as the Great Fire, which laid the 

 entire business portion of the town in ashes; involving 

 a loss of over $1,000,000, and for the moment almost 

 paralyzing the people. That they were equal to the 

 occasion is shown by the fact that in just eight 

 months and eleven days from the breaking out of the 

 fire, a number of new stores were lighted for the first 

 time on Main Street. This event occurred March 24, 

 1847, and was the occasion of quite a jollification. 

 Space will not admit of an extended article on this 

 fire, consequently a few facts only are given. The fire 

 originated in the hat store of Win. II. Geary, which 

 stood near the site of the brick block now belonging to 

 T. W. Calder, Esq. The alarm was given not far 

 from eleven o'clock of a hot, sultry July night. 



An eye-witness says : — 



" A good, smart stream of water at this juncture 

 would have quenched the flames, which were in a 

 few moments bursting from the roof. Once upon 

 the dry roof, the adjoining buildings were an easy 

 prey to the fiery fiend. . . . And now the roar of 

 the great conflagration is heard, and the hoarse cries 

 of the fire wards * as they, almost in vain, give their 

 orders. Then, above the whole, came the sound of 



* There are twelve of them, and it is no wonder that with so 

 many conflicting orders as the officers must necessarily have 

 given, such a large amount of property was destroyed. 



