2-798-707 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Broad-Street, New York, after the recent fire, 1845. A fire broke out in a sperm oil store and spread to '...a building occupied by Messrs. Crocker and Warren, who either had a large quantity of saltpetre on storage, or some worse combustable material; for, in fifteen minutes after it caught fire, the whole blew up with a tremendous explosion, carrying six or seven buildings with it, and shaking the whole city like an earthquake. The concussion was so great as to smash more than half a million panes of glass...The flames next spread down on both sides of Broad street...'. From "Illustrated London News", 1845, Vol VII.