The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-19 00:00:00

TILES LAST GREAT FIRE IN CALIFORNIA.

The following is a postseript to the letter of our
New York correspondent published yesterd y :a—
NEW YORK, At:a. 6.
After closing my regular despatch this morning,
the steamer Empire City arrived from Chaves with
a large number of passengers, and one million seven
hundred thousand dollars in specie and gold dust on
freight, and three hundred thousand dollars in the
I hands of pro.enger4. The news from San Francisco
is fifteen days later than previous dates.
The following are particulars of the tiro at San
Francisco, which destroyed ten squares of buildings,
and property to an amount estimated at 4,0110,000

dollars.
The fire broke out, at 11 o'clock a.m., on the 20th
of June, in a frame house on the north side of Paci-
fic-street, about twenty yards from Powell-street. It
was undoubtedly the work of an incendiary. Down
Pacific-street sped the fiery storm, stopping not for a
second, but on, on it drove before the now fast rising
winds to Washington. In the meantime, while thus
extending south it was spr:ading north and cast. At
about half-past 12 o'clock the flames had complete pos-
session of Washington-street on the Plaza. Despite
every effort, it crossed over to the houses at the
north-west corner of the Plaza, consumed the old
lAdobe, occupied by Burgoyne and Co., and others,
together with some half dozen houses between that
and Dupont-street. It was stopped on the south by
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making fearful headway towards Montgomery-street.
The Alla California office withstood the flames for a
while, but it too fell before the fiery blast that swept
around it. The new Jenny Lind Theatre on the
square was consumed. All the houses on both sides
of Washington between Kearney and Montgomery.,
except the Verandah, El Dorado, and Burgoyne s
new banking house, shared the same fate. The
small frame on Montgomery-street upon the site of
Delmonico's took fire, and the block on the opposite
side of the street, was in imminent danger for a long
time, but by the tremendous exertions of the citizens
it was saved. At this point the tire was stopped,
but it extended still further down to Washington-
street as far as Jones's-alley. consuming Cobb and
Co 's auction house, on the east side of that alley.
Towards the north everything went down before the
flames. At Broadway it was stopped. Sansone-
street scented doomed, but it too escaped, the fire
stopping at its eastern limit about half a square
from that street. The boundaries of the fire arc as
follows. Beginning at the house where the fire
started, situated a short distance from the north-cast
corner of Powell and Pacific-streets, it extended
along the east side of Powell and Broadway, sparing
some half-dozen houses at the south-cast corner of
Powell and Broadway; down the south side of
Broadway to Kearney, destroying every house ex-
cept Tattersall's livery stable, at the corner of Kearney
and Broadway; along the west side of Kearney
to a point just opposite the City-hall, where
it crossed the street to the Court Exchange.
From that point it extended towards the
water by a line about midway between Pacific and
Broadway, and parallel with Pacific to Moutgotnery ;
from Montgomery, following the same line to Oluo-
street, along the west side of Ohio to Pacific. From
a point in Pacific, opposite the entrance of Ohio
southwardly, to Jackson ; up the north side of Jack-
son to Jones's-alley, sparing Bidleman's warehouse
and four frame buildings at the corner of Mont-
gomery and Jackson streets; along the west side of
Jones's-alley to Washington, consuming Cobb and
Co.'s auction house on the east side of the alley ; up
the north side of Washington to Montgomery; from
Washington to Clay. No house on Montgomery was
burnt, except the small frame before spoken of on
the side of itelmonico's ; on the north side Clay,
from Montgomery to Kearney, all the frame buildinp
were destroyed between Kelsey, Smith, and ltisley s,
and the California Exchange ; front Cla' to Wash-
ington, on the Plaza, the Jenny Lind 'theatre was
the only building burnt; along the north side
of Washington, the fire extended to the Baptist
Chapel, two doors from Stockton along the east
side of Stockton to Jackson; up the north
side of Jackson to Powell; along the east side of
Powell to Pacific, the place of beginning. This
space extends six streets from east to west, and five
from north to south, including ten entire squares,
and the major part of six others. The principal
buildings that were burnt are the elegant new Pres-
byterian Church, of the ltev. Mr. Williams, on
Stockton-street; the large brick building on the
corner of Jackson and Dupont-streets, occupied on
the second floor us the armoury of the Ist California
Guards; the Adobe on the Plaza, the Alto Cafffio--
/do office, the Jenny Lind *I hentre, City Ilall, City
Hospital, and the fine new four story brick building
of Messrs. Murkwald and Caspar. in Jackson-street,
near Kearney. hose saved within the burnt district
were the Baia U buildings, Custom-house, Veran-
dah, El Dorado, California Exchange, all the fire-
proof houses on Montgomery-street, between
Washington and Clay. Bolton, Barron, and Co.'s
buildings, on Merchant-street, Kelsey, Smith, and
Hitley's, and Bidleman's. On Merchant-streo, the
Union Saloon and the houses opposite, to the aston-
ishment of everybody, escaped. It was expected at
one time that the Post-office would go, and a general
movement of papers and valuables was made, but
fortunately the tire stopped at the county building.
The City Hall, towering four stories high, and built
of combustible materials, burnt like a fierce volcano.
The sight presented as the flames obtained possession ,
and shot high into the air, was grand beyond de-
scription. All the officers of the courts and of the city
government succeeded in saving their records. The
City Hospital soon after took arc, and here the scene of
distress as the unfortunate inmates, some 00 in num-
ber, were brought out, WWI harrowing. Many who
were burnt in the former fire, and the explosion of
the steamer New World, were stilt under treatment.
By the untiring exertions of Dr. Chaplin, Mr. John
Cotter, and a number of other benevolent persons,
they were all removed without any serious accident.
One man on Montgomery-street became exasperated
at those around, and drawing a revolver fired three
tunes at different persons. A ball passed through
the hat of one, hut fortunately injured nobody.
As soon ns the fire broke out, Burgoyne and Co. re-
moved all their books, papers, and deposits to their
new banking-house at the corner of Montgomery and
Washington streets. None of the other hankers
were burnt out. The Alta Calitiwnia was the only
newspaper that suffered. Since the above was writ-
ten, we have heard the names of two persons who
were burnt to death: Mr. Bach, of the firm of Bach,
Barnett, and Co.; and Mr. Lyon. A man was shot
dead by an officer in Bush-street, for plundering the
property placed there by the sufferers in the fire.
Mr. Sanchez, in Sacramento-start, discovered, about
two o'clock, some villain attempting to set fire to his
premises. He fired at hint, but without etket. The
incendiary escaped.
and I -

TUE SEIZURE OP A MERCHANT Slur BY MILITARY . ___ —_
PASSLNGEII,.—The following letter, in reference to the RETURN TICKETS FOR TUE WEST INDlES.—Ex-
seizure of the barque Leer:aside, by Captain Vess y and the
cursion and return tickets are now issued by the Royal
military under his charge, has been addressed by a relative
West India Mail Packet Company. l'ersona can visit
of that officer to the editor of the Hampshire Teleyrapit Madeira, or any of the places included in the West India Mail
Sir—ln one of your last numbers you inserted a paragraph
Packet scheme, in the company's packets, and if they em-
copied from a St. Helena paper) headed "Seizure of a , Hbark on hoard any of the homeward packets within six
erchant Ship by Military Passengers." As that state- I months from the date of issue of their passage tickets a
went only gave some of the facts, I trust, in justice to the • considerable saving is effected.
parties impiicated, that you will allow a place in your co- I
in COLONIAL
lam sto the real state of the cute, as I I have it from un- BlSllOPS.—Arrangements have been
completed for the immediate establishment of a mission in
doubted authority, and as it appears Captain I, asiey's
Borneo fur the whole of the Eastern Archipelago. It has
official statement to the Harty: Guards. It would now seem
been currently stated that the first bishop of the new see
that Captain Vesey was compelled to act in the manner he will he the Rev. C. F. Childe, M.A.' principal of the
did, for the preservation nut only of his own life,' fe, hut, in Church Missionary College, Islington. Arrangements are
all probability, of those of the rest of the passengers and .
also in progress for erecting new bishoprics in Western Aus-
the crew. The eaptaiu of the voise! was constantly drunk,
trails, Sierra Leone, and the Island of Mauritius. It is be-
used the moat disgusting language in the presence of the
liceed that one of the new bishoprics will be offered to the
passengers, among whom. was a lady, and after having • Rev. Dr. Mortimer, head master of the City of London
twice presented a pistol at Captain Vesey, was at last in
Schou. I a—liberal in' politics, and evangelical in religious
the act of firing it off within three inches of his heart when 'matter;._Nunday Tan..
he was disarmed and handcuffed.
. Captain Ve.sey's life. was q.,IE TRoops ss
only saved by his fortunately being able to seize the pistol, ' ''' OS raiI:SAGE To TUE CAPE OP
with his thumb placed under the hammer, by which it was : Goon Hore.—The head-quarter division of the 12th
much cut as it fell. The next day, as Captain Campbell Lancers, in the Charlotte, arrived at Madeira on the 27th
continued, when sober, to be as violent as before, he was' ult., and was to sail again in a few days. The 2nd diet-
kept in confinement, his boxes and papers scaled up, and : gioai in the Berkshire, had not touched at that island. Captains Vesey and :Cele, with the assistance of the crew, I The division of the 2nd (Queen's) Infantry, in the Cyclops
carried the ship in perfect safety to St. Helena, when they
, steamer, touched at Madeira on the 14th ult., and left for
delivered Captain Campbell to the magistrates, who did not
'the Cape. The 2nd Battalion 60th Rifles, in the Itetribu-
hesitate a moment in keeping him in prison to take his liontrial. The Duke of Wellington, the Marquis of Anglesey, I on and Sidon steamers, also arrived there on the 23rd ult.
These troops were all well.
and Lord Fitzroy Somerset, on reading Captain V my's I ARRIVAL OP TIIE NEW SCREW STEAM SHIP
statement, and the report of the St. Helena magistrate, and FRANKFURT.—On Sunday night at a late hour this new
questioning an officer just returned from St. Helena on the screw steamer, destined for the Mediterranean, arrived in
subject, declarial that they considered Captain Vesey as the Mersey, after a run of 18 hours from the Clyde in the
not only blameless, but as having acted with the greatest face of heave head winds. She is one of Messrs. Vienna,
coolness, courage, and determination. Captain Vesey's Jones, and Co.'s fleet, is of 700 tons burtben, has two MVO,
friends feel that whets the Duke of Wellington expresses and capable of the same freight as a full rigged brag. Her
such an opinion, they may be perfsctly satisfied. Trusting engines and screw have worked admirably in the. trial to
that you will excuse me fur trespassing upon you at such which they have been subjected, and this is the first seas
length, I am, Sir, your obedient servant, E. ViliEY.—Pay. going steamer to which Beattie's patent for the improved
---nenerars Unice, Aug. 15, MI. " application of the screw has been applied.