Great Baltimore Fire and piers lining the north side of the old "Basin" (today's "Inner Harbor") of the Northwest Branch of the Baltimore Harbor and Patapsco River facing along Pratt Street. It is considered historically the third worst conflagration in an American city, surpassed only by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906. Other major urban disasters that were comparable (but not fires) were the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 and most recently, Hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico coast in August 2005. One reason for the fire's long duration involved
Great Salem fire of 1914 death during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, appears in Salem and walks his death place at the Howard Street Cemetery each time a disaster is about to strike the city. Notably, he was said to have appeared the night before the fire occurred. Some historians believe that Corey made the fire occur, as part of his curse against Salem. It could have been revenge over the execution of his wife, Martha. She was one of 19 executed by hanging on Proctor's Ledge, located directly behind where the fire started. Great Salem fire of 1914 The Great Salem fire of