It was not long before it was seen that danger to that building
was past, and I returned to watch the fire fiend eat up the remains of
our great edifice.
Engines with firemen slowly arrived, but the building was entirely
burned, for there was a difficulty in getting any water, as three feet
of snow covered the ground, and little was done but to extinguish some
of the embers of the burning, blackened main timbers that had fallen
into the cellar.
I pause here to give the account of the fire published in the
_Harbinger_ of March 14, 1846. There is little to add to the clear
statement there made:--
"FIRE AT BROOK FARM.
"Our readers have no doubt been informed before this of the severe
calamity with which the Brook Farm Association has been visited, by the
destruction of the large unitary edifice which it has been for some
time erecting on its domain. Just as our last paper was going through
the press, on Tuesday evening the 3d inst., the alarm of fire was given
at about a quarter before nine, and it was found to proceed from the
'Phalanstery.' In a few minutes the flames were bursting through the
doors and windows of the second story; the fire spread with almost
incredible rapidity throughout the building, and in about an hour and a
half the whole edifice was burned to the ground.
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