It was in the middle of the night in silent New York City when the smoke from a five-story warehouse alarmed Watchman Hayes as he passed by the corner of Exchange and Pearl Streets. This was the night of December 16,1835, where the coldness of winter has covered the city with white.

Early in the morning of December 17, 1835, citizens awoke to find a sky filled with smoke and flames. The tempestuous winds were howling through the snow-clad streets as the people below City Hall were suddenly startled by an alarm of fire. Upon looking out they saw a volume of lurid light streaming into the sky below Wall Street. The City Hall, jail house, and churches rung their bells to notify the city but “…within fifteen minutes, fu

The winter winds were fed to the flames and the ferocious red carpet was seen as far as Philadelphia. Fiery tongues of flame leaped from roofs and windows along whole streets, and seemed to be angry dashes at each other. The water of the bay looked like a vast sea of blood. Volunteers from all over arrived on ferries and trains. But the giant red, flaming monster was too powerful for the poor helpless volunteers who resorted to warm up their frost bitten toes by pouring brandy in their shoes. Finally, they withdrew from their attempts and decided to devote their time to saving property.

Many of the stores were new, with iron shutters and doors and copper roofs. The heat at times melted the copper roofing and the liquid ran off in great drops. Wall after wall was heard like the tumbling of an avalanche. Cart men had taken advantage of the situation by charging extreme rates for the transfer of possessions to safety and would refuse all potential customers except for the rich. Also, many people were arrested for looting.

lly fifty of the area’s tightly packed buildings were ablaze.”2

The nineteenth of December was the day New York City gathered to map a course of recovery. A committee of one hundred and twenty-five individuals was given the task to investigate the fire and other duties such as providing governmental aid, etc. The Stock Exchange resumed after being closed for four days and one year later, the streets of New York City was filled with office buildings and other small businesses. Most of all, the brave men who fought the monster of fiery was

Some topics in this essay:
City Hall, Philadelphia Fiery, Red Hook, York City, Pearl Streets, East Broadway, York American, Colonel Lawrence, Hudson Canal, Mayor Lawrence, york city, city hall, wall street, thirteen acres,