Benjamin L. Carp describes how the fire erupted between midnight and 1:00 a.m. on September 21, 1776, near White Hall Slip. While some attributed it to a drunken accident, British witnesses on nearby warships reported seeing flames ignite at 15 to 20 sepa

Benjamin L. Carp describes how the fire erupted between midnight and 1:00 a.m. on September 21, 1776, near White Hall Slip. While some attributed it to a drunken accident, British witnesses on nearby warships reported seeing flames ignite at 15 to 20 separate points simultaneously. This multiplicity of ignition sites strongly suggested a coordinated design by rebel saboteurs. The city was particularly vulnerable because firefighting equipment was in disarray and the alarm bells had been removed to be melted down for Continental Army cannons, leaving the few remaining watchmen unable to sound a general alarm. (3)