In 1835, New York city had become a very profitable American city, even more than Philadelphia and Boston. This economic boom was because of the Eerie Canal that was established ten years prior the fire. The canal gave New York access to raw materials and trades which stem from the Midwest. As the city developed and increased in size, there was an increase to risk and hazards, one of them being a domestic fire. If a domestic fire were to occur in New York city, there would be huge losses to the New York state economically. But unfortunately their nightmare became a reality.
On the evening of December 16, 1835, a fire sparked in a five-story warehouse at 25 Merchant Street due to a furnace coming in contact with the dry goods inside the warehouse. The fire exponentially grew due to several factors. Firstly, the warehouse was packed with dry goods, this made it easy for it to be lit by a small fire, Secondly, the warehouses were only separated by narrow alleyways which made it easier for the fire to ignite adjacent warehouses. Third was because of the freezing and windy weather in which the fire occurred in. The winter chill and gale held back fire fighters from effectively containing the growing fire which consumed a large portion of America's financial district.
Many water sources occasionally used by the fire fighters were frozen and any water that was sprayed on the fire would be directed back at the fire fighters due to the winds. By the morning of 17 December 1835, the fire became massive and a large percentage of the city was burned violently.
A plan was proposed to control the fire. They planned to blow up the buildings surrounding the fire using gunpowder. This was necessary as they feared that the fire may also consume residential areas. The buildings along Wall Street was blown up and rubble created a barrier between the fire and the remaining buildings. This successfully controlled the fire, however the damage had been done. Two people were killed and 674 buildings were destroyed.
On the evening of December 16, 1835, a fire sparked in a five-story warehouse at 25 Merchant Street due to a furnace coming in contact with the dry goods inside the warehouse. The fire exponentially grew due to several factors. Firstly, the warehouse was packed with dry goods, this made it easy for it to be lit by a small fire, Secondly, the warehouses were only separated by narrow alleyways which made it easier for the fire to ignite adjacent warehouses. Third was because of the freezing and windy weather in which the fire occurred in. The winter chill and gale held back fire fighters from effectively containing the growing fire which consumed a large portion of America's financial district.
Many water sources occasionally used by the fire fighters were frozen and any water that was sprayed on the fire would be directed back at the fire fighters due to the winds. By the morning of 17 December 1835, the fire became massive and a large percentage of the city was burned violently.
A plan was proposed to control the fire. They planned to blow up the buildings surrounding the fire using gunpowder. This was necessary as they feared that the fire may also consume residential areas. The buildings along Wall Street was blown up and rubble created a barrier between the fire and the remaining buildings. This successfully controlled the fire, however the damage had been done. Two people were killed and 674 buildings were destroyed.
references
- Staff. (2020, May 5). The Great New York Fire of 1835 and the marketing of disaster: From the stacks. New-York Historical Society. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://blog.nyhistory.org/the-great-new-york-fire-of-1835-and-the-marketing-of-disaster/
- Wikipedia contributors. (2021, December 19). Great Fire of New York. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_New_York#:%7E:text=The%201835%20Great%20Fire%20of%20New%20York%20was,property%20damage%20%28equivalent%20to%20%24544%20million%20in%202020%29.
- How New York’s Great Fire of 1835 Nearly Destroyed the Entire City. (2019, September 1). ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/new-yorks-great-fire-of-1835-1773780
- Wikipedia contributors. (2021, December 19). Great Fire of New York. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_New_York#:%7E:text=The%201835%20Great%20Fire%20of%20New%20York%20was,property%20damage%20%28equivalent%20to%20%24544%20million%20in%202020%29.
- How New York’s Great Fire of 1835 Nearly Destroyed the Entire City. (2019, September 1). ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/new-yorks-great-fire-of-1835-1773780