h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This is a vivid account of a disaster and the effect it had on peoples' lives.

It sounds as if much of the city was built of wood, which must have been a factor in the spread of the fire. I think much of old London was built of wood before the fire of 1666, and old Moscow before Napoleon arrived.

Thanks, MVP. This is true! Philadelphia managed not to have a major fire because William Penn, its founder, had seen the Great London Fire and was determined to avoid such a catastrophe in his new city.

When they rebuilt, the Pittsburghers were way more careful.

Were bricks and stones and other materials more prominent than wood in Philadelphia?

Wood is awfully handy as a building material, though. You can put nails through it (unlike bricks or stone). You can cut it to almost any shape you want. I don't think it's accidental that so many buildings are built of it. It's just easier, and unless you have money to burn (note the pun ), you're likely to go with it.

Anyway, lots of cities have burned, some more than once. Even Boston had a major fire. I'm just glad that so few lives were lost in Pittsburgh.

I was in Pittsburgh on a choral tour in 1968, I believe. I remember some imposing buildings of stone and brick. I think they may have learned their lesson.

Philadelphia made brick very early.

See this street? I used to be a tour guide there. Colonial brickwork.

http://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/archive/brickmaking-and-brickmakers/elfreths-alley-landscape-300x199-2/

That's gorgeous. I like Pittsburgh. I think it gets a bad rap. It deserves better.

Yeah, that street's in Philly, but Pittsburgh is cool, too! People who don't know about the Pittsburgh Renaissance think it still looks like Gelsenkirchen, but it doesn't.

It's a beautiful town, it's gone green, got a great mayor these days, and is fast becoming a high-tech mecca.