NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 67
That's because the country had seen this before, less than 11
months prior. From October 8 to 10, 1871, a conflagration consumed
two-thirds of the city of Chicago, burning 2,000 acres
and destroying 17,500 buildings. An estimated 300 people
lost their lives. Supposedly the fire started when a cow kicked
over a lantern; that tale is doubtful, but the myth remains
powerful, underscoring an unsettling truth that widespread
devastation can result from a single careless event.
News of the fire sent a shudder through urban firefighters
around the United States, including the chief of the
Boston Fire Department, John S. Damrell. Soon after the
Chicago Fire, Damrell boarded a train to Illinois to review
the damage with fire officials and General Philip Sheridan,
the Civil War hero who played a significant role directing fire
efforts. What Damrell learned chilled him. Before his trip
to Chicago, he knew Boston's growth had far outstripped its
firefighters' ability to keep the city safe. Now, he believed,
time was running out.
" GENTLEMEN, ARE YOU
AWARE THAT THE WHOLE
CITY IS IN FLAMES? "
He returned from Chicago and redoubled his efforts to
convince Boston city officials that they were sitting on a
tinderbox. He renewed his call for replacing the aging water
mains in the downtown to provide enough pressure for
water to reach the tops of the tall buildings in the district.
He advocated for more fire houses downtown, a fire boat,
and a prohibition against building with wooden Mansard
roofs, a popular architectural embellishment. He also sought
new building codes and better code enforcement. Most of his
recommendations were ignored.
This, then, is the real issue of the Great Boston Fire of
1872. All that destruction was a disaster foretold, a tragedy
largely caused not by capricious nature or an unfathomable
deity, but by the determined ignorance of men who, like
far too many figures in history, supposed nothing would go
wrong. It is a lesson in hubris and in the courage of those
who doggedly, determinedly, do what they know is right
despite criticism and disgrace.
November 9, 1872, has been rapturously described by contemporary
chroniclers as a lovely autumn day in Boston,
with mild temperatures, a light breeze, clear and exhilarating
air, a cloudless sky, a rosy sunset, and a brilliant full moon.
Was the day that the Great Fire began as stunningly beautiful
as those writers would have us believe? Or like any Hollywood
screenwriter, did they wish to paint a calm portrait of
Pleasantville, USA, before the monsters began to roll in?
The truth is that even if that Saturday were a nice autumn
evening, Boston was not exactly resting easy. Many of the
NFPA .ORG/JOURNAL * NFPA JOURNAL | 67
BOSTON SUNDAY HERALD, NOV. 10, 1872
https://nfpa.org/journal
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - Fall 2021
Contents
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - Cover1
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - Cover2
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 1
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 2
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 3
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - Contents
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 5
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 6
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 7
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 8
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 9
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 10
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 11
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 12
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 13
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 14
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 15
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 16
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 17
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 18
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 19
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 20
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 21
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 22
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 23
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 24
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 25
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 26
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 27
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 28
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 29
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 30
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 31
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 32
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 33
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 34
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 35
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 36
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 37
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 38
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 39
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 40
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 41
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 42
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 43
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 44
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 45
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 46
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 47
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 48
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 49
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 50
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 51
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 52
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 53
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 54
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 55
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 56
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 57
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 58
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 59
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 60
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 61
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 62
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 63
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 64
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 65
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 66
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 67
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 68
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 69
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 70
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 71
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 72
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 73
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 74
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 75
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 76
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 77
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 78
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 79
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 80
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 81
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 82
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 83
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 84
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 85
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 86
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 87
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 88
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - Cover3
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2024spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2023winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2023fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2023summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2023spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2022winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2022fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2022summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2022spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2021winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2021fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2021summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2021spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20191112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20181112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20171112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20161112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_201610_sprinkler
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20151112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20150910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20150708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20150506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20150304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_201501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20141112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20131112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20121112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20120910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20120708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20120506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20120304
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com