

526 Dr. R. Hare on the Explosiveness of Nitre, 



mysterious than those of the great fire which took place in the 

 city of New York, on the 19th of July, 1845. 



2. The destruction of 230 houses, containing merchandise 

 amounting in value probably to 2,000,000 of dollars, made 

 the calamity in question highly deplorable as a cause of pe^ 

 cuniary loss and embarrassment; while the characteristics 

 which gave to it an unprecedented rapidity of extension were 

 of a nature to excite an enduring interest as well as tempo- 

 rary consternation. 



3. A series of detonations, successively increasing in loud- 

 ness, were followed by a final explosion, of which, agreeably 

 to an affidavit, the report resembled a "loud clap of thunder." 

 This tore into pieces the building within which it took place, 

 threw down seven houses in the vicinity, and drove in the 

 fronts of the houses on the opposite side of the street, at the 

 distance of 87 feet. The whole of the space within which 

 these tremendous effects took place, was filled with a dazzling 

 flame, and various masses, intensely ignited and vividly lumi- 

 nous, were projected aloft as if expelled from a volcano, so 

 as, on alighting, to spread the conflagration far and wide. 

 Shipping anchored in the Hudson River, probably at the 

 distance of more than a quarter of a mile, were greatly en- 

 dangered by these deflagrating missiles. 



4. So violent was the atmospheric concussion, that people 

 were prostrated by the consequent blast, when too remote to 

 be injured by the flames or flying fragments. Some persons 

 were wounded or killed, but so small was the number, in 

 comparison with that of the multitude which might have been 

 mutilated or destroyed, that there was more gratulation for 

 the escape of the many, than sorrow over the few who actually 

 perished. This comparative immunity was due to the warn* 

 ing given by the detonations, which, as already mentioned, 

 preceded that by which the mischief was effected. 



5. The natural inference arising from the detonations thus 

 alluded to, was, that gunpowder had been stored in parcels 

 of various amounts on the different floors of the store, the 

 smaller portions above, the larger below, and that the deto- 

 nations were the consequence of the successive ignition of the 

 parcels thus situated. The cry of gunpowder was raised on 

 the occurrence of the first explosion, and caused the retreat 

 of almost everybody near the quarter whence it proceeded. 

 Hence, before the final catastrophe, the streets about the store 

 were entirely vacated, so that scarcely any person was injured 

 besides those in the houses opposite to the conflagration. 



6. Notwithstanding the reasonableness of the belief at first 

 created as to the agency of gunpowder, there was the most 



