The Express.
London, England, 1851-07-02 00:00:00

AMERICA.

ARRIVAL OF THE PACIFIC.
The steam tender Sam.son last night landed at
Liverpool the despatches brought by the United
States (Collins) steam-ship Pacific, Captain Wye,
which was detained at the Bar, waiting for tide to
arrive in the Mersey.
The Pacific brings 151 passengers, about a million
dollars in specie, a fine general cargo, and the usual
mails from the United States and British America.
She left New York on the 21st June, at noon, and
has therefore made a very good passage, though not
quite so rapid as that performed by the Asia, which '
arrived here on Saturday last.
The news from California, which had been tele-
graphed only, by the Asia's arrival, was fully con-
firmed by the arrival at New York of the steant-ship
Crescent City, which lett Chagres and canoe red
Kingston, Jamaica.
'I he loss is estimated at 12,000,000 dollars (but on
this point it will be seen authorities differ). About
1,000 buildings were destroyed, and three-fourths
at the business districts had been consumed. An
earthquake had been felt but no damage resulted.
Over 600 buildings had been recommenced to be
built.
With the exception of the fire at San Francisco
of which we give details, the files are almost destitute
of general news.
The presidential struggle still continued, and Mr.
Webster's chances were spoken of as more than re-
spectable.
There had been great losses of property at St.
Louis and on the Mississippi river by fire ; as also
the loss of several lives by the burning of stores and
a steamboat.
The cholera continued to be very prevalent in the
south-west, and apprehensions were entertained of
its spread to New York.
A Roman catholic priest had been tried, and cast
in 1,600 dollars damages, for seduction.
Regarding the fire and earthquake at San Fran-
cisco, we glean the following details :
The Alto California says :
About eleven o'clock, on the night of May 3rd, the
cry of " Fire" startled every one like an earthquake. The
fire bad just commenced in a paint shop on the west side
of Portsmouth-square, adjoining the Bryant-house, for-
merly called, but more recently the American. It was but
a slight blaze when that seen, but in five minutes the
whole upper story was full of flame. Before the engines
could. get upon the ground and commence playing, the
American on one side, and a store occupied by Messrs.
Rhodes as a furnishing establishment, were in flames.
The buildings in the vicinity being all of wood and extremely
combustible, the fire spread up Clay-street back towards
Sacramento, and down Clay toward Kearny, with fearful
rapidity. It soon had full command, and the fire depart-
ment could only work upon the borders, and endeavour to
cheek its progress by anticipating it. In this they succeeded
on the north side before it reached Dupont-street. But in
every other direction in which it could spread it took its
own course. To the south it spread to Bush-street,
and to the east, at the time of writing this live o'clock,
A.M. it has passed Jackson-street, sweeping rverything from
a little cast of Dupont to the wharfs. The blocks between
Dupont and Kearny-streets, west of Portsmouth-square, as
fur as Bush-street, three in number, arc in ashes. Between
Bush and Jackson, Kearny and Montgomery-streets, five
in number, all down. Between Montgomery and Sansome'
Bush and Jackson-streets, live in number, all down. Be-
yond Sansome, towards the shipping, we do not know how
great is the destruction, for the smoke is so dense, and the
fire intervening, it is impossible to tell. Beside these 13
blocks, almost every building of which is destroyed, there
are many others. It is impossible even to guess at the
number of buildings or the amount of property destroyed. A
thousand buildings is within the bounds of truth, we judge,
and ten millions of dollars could not replace the terrible de-
struction. Some place it twice or three times us high. It
is sufficient to say that more than threc-fourths of the busi-
ness part of the city is nothing but smouldering cinders.
Scarce a fire-proof building in the whole burnt district
has stood the test. Such as have are the California
Exchange, El Dorado, Verandah on Portsmouth-square,
, and the buildings of Captain Howard, in which was
the United States Assaying-office, of Moffat and
Co. on r-street. This building was saved

_,.. Montgomery-street. so..
only at the risk of their lives by Messrs. Moffat, Perry, and
Ward, of that firm, who remained within the building
throughout the conflagration and extinguished the fire re-
peatedly. Thelarge United States bonded warehouse, erected
by Cross and Co., containing about 2,000 tons of merchan-
dise in bond, was saved through the exertions of Mr. An-
derson, the inspector. When Burgoyne's safe was opened
1,500,000 dole. was taken out not singed or damaged in the
least. The books and all the papers, deposits, tee, came
uat 111:311 4444 Silt; 14,14 att. UM' 11/Lti, IP
lieu of water, used 80,000 gallons of vinegar in preserving
their warehouse. It was entirely saved. While endea-
vouring to save Naglce's building ten persons had their re-
treat cut off by the surrounding flames enveloping the
building. There they remained several hours in a most
perilous and forlorn situation, expecting every moment to
be buried in the rains and consigned to a dreadful fate.
While in this predicament one of the party looked through
a window or small aperture, and saw a man endeavour-
ing to escape from a neighbouring building. Ile became
enveloped in flames—he fell, exhausted, and was consumed.
The books, papers, and specie of the Custom-house were
placed in the substantial vaults built under the direction of
Collector King for that purpose, and were all found to be
entirely safe. The El Dorado stood proof against the fire
which raged round two sides of it. It is a very substantial
brick building, with all its window frames, shutters, doors,
and verandahs of iron. The Verandah, also a brick build-
ing at the opposite corner of Washington and Kearney-
streets, escaped consumption. The fire tooks its course
down Kearney-street, consuming everything before it on
the eastern side, down to Jackson-street, and then sweeping
all the intervening blocks from Kearney to Battery:streets.
The west side of Kearney:street was raved by the influence
of the strong wind blowing from that quarter, and the
well-directed efforts of the fire department and their en-
gines. Toleeward it was impossible, with the limited means
and imperfect appliances at command, to stay the progress
of the conflagration. Onward it swept on its devastasing
career until it reached the waters of the bay. Jones's
Hotel, at the foot of California-street—a new and
splendid establishment—was saved by the intervention
of a brick building on the ono side and an iron
one on the other. The brick building is occu-
pied by Evans and Carter, Siegmund, T. Mayer and Co.,
J. Seligman and Co., and Hostler, Baines and Co.; the
iron house is unoccupied. In blowing up the Sacramento
hotel, Broadway, the first explosion was ineffectual, and it
was thought that only one of the casks planted had ignited,
-st, in 0 --- found, v"

Battery-street. The only vessels burnt were the Niantic,
the Apollo, and General Ilarrison store-ships, which were
a long time ago hauled in and built upon close to high
water mark. The city has since extended far beyond them,
and left them, as it were, in the heart of the town. Almost
everything seemed to combine to effect tho ruin of the city.
The chief engineers and numbers of firemen were at Sacra-
mento; there was almost an interregnum in our city go-
vernment; the old council had adjourned, and felt no dis-
position to assume any responsibility in tearing clown
buildings; tho new council had not been sworn into office,
and had no power; some of the engines lacked sufficient
hose, water was not abundant, the winds blew like furies,
and in various directions, and then. was generally a great
want of concentrated effort. Ilad the staging in front of
a new brick store on the east able of Kearns street been
pulled down, the fire would not have crossed Kearney, be-
tween Clay and Sacramento, perhaps not at all. By tear-
down two or three smal buildings sn the rear of the Cali-
fornia Exchange, the fire could have been prevented from
crossing Clay-street, and the whole range of the devasta-
tion to the north of it probably been prevented. When
we went to press yesterday morning the tire was still ex-
tending towards Clark's Point. It crossed Broadway, taking
everything on the north side of Battery, except two build-
ings on the corner of Vallejo-street, and on the south side
leaving two or three buildings, beside Colonel l'oore's built
over the bay. Here was the last struggle. The building
was saved, the front pretty much burned off. Neatly
every building within a distance of over a mile north
east and south-west, by a half wile from north-west to
south east, was destroyed. Eighteen larg, squares,except-
jug a few buildings, and large portions of live or six others,
have been completely destroyed. The plank streets aro
ruined, and in many places entirely impassible, except on
foot.

Several persons fell dead front over-exertion and
excitement during the lire.
The following is front the Pacific News of May I I:
Although a week only has elapsed since the destroyer
*wept over a vast portion of our city, still like magic do the
buildings rise upon the burnt district. Thu wonderful
stories of the fabled gourd could nut have been more sur-
prising. True, we have not the substantial brick blocks
that were so much an ornament to our city previous to the
fire; but the energy with which our business men arc again
at work, will soon restore even these monument. of our
progress and enterprise. Through M'asbington-street, from
Montgomery to lieurney, the space is nearly filled with new
buildings, already occupied, or in an advanced state of pro-
grets. On Montgomery-street a number have already been
erected, and many inure are going up with rapidity. Clay-
street presents a very animated appearance in the building
way. A number of tenements are already occupied, and
several others will be ready in the course of two or three
days. The sound of the busy hammer and saw is heard
through Sacramento, Commercial, Sansone, Merchant,
and several other streets that were laid waste by. the
destroyer. Indeed, every portion of the burnt district is
alive with mechanics, who ore reaping a harvest by this
visitation. Instead of gaging at the ruins and mourning
their losses, our business men generally have again entered
the lists of competition fur trade with all the energy of
former times. The appearance of our city was never more
animated, though the his is of a somewhat different cha-
racter from that which marked it ten day. since. Out wo
ass going forward, and but a few months will elapse before
nearly every trace of the recent disaster will have disap-
peared. The mass of shipping that crowd our harbour was
in imminent danger of taking lire ou Saturday night. Had
one vessel caught the flames, so close together are they all
anchored, and sn hopeless the idea of moving, that the en-
tire Meet would have, iu all probability, been consumed. Aa
it was, the captains and crews hail to be constantly on the
alert to preserve their vessels. 'the ship Susan Drew,
Captain flelbrouk, took fire three times front the
burning brands that were driven upon her by
the wind, but by prompt application of water she was each
time saved. Several others were also on lire at various
times but none, we are happy to say, were burned. The
Audubon, after being in flames several times, deliberately
put up her helm and wound her way among the fl, et. and
succeeded in reaching a place of safety without a collision
or accident of any kind. The whole maanuuvre was ad-
mirably executed. At one time, from the course the tiro
was pursuing, the high wind setting toward the bay, and
the utterly powerless efforts of the firemen to stay the
flames, the shipping seemed inevitably doomed. had tho
Me continued down Long-wharf much Luther, nothing
on earth could have saved the fleet. But stopping, as it
did, sat Battery-street, alltseyond was preserved. As to the
newspapers, the Public Balance has ceased its publication.
Thu Picayune office 'AU entirely destroyed; nobs ag saved
The True Standard shared the same disaster; it Isms:Ling a
efforts to re-appear. The Courier lust everything; will ap-
pear on Monday next. The Pacific News and the Herald,
though great losers, made their re-appearance on Wednes-
day.
The correspondent of the it ekly Herald, dating
his letter San Francisco, May 15, 4 p.m., says :
The mail steamer Northerner, and the steamer New Or-
leans, arc about putting out into the bay. Both go loaded
with passengers, and notwithstanding the confusion conse-
quent upon the recent calamity, truth carry nearly the usual
srmianonthly shipments of treasure. The two take an ag-
gregate of about one million and a quarter. The whole city
was startled about twenty minutes past S o'clock thisaanm-
nig, by a low rumbling sound, accompanied by a sit:skins
and trembling of the buildings, caused by a severe shock
of an earthquake. Some of the houses waved back and
forth a distance of one foot. For a minute the central
part of the city presented a scene of confusion. Thou-
sands ran from the buildings into the street, hatless, and
many with but little clothing. The Plaza was covered
with persons front the surrounding buildings, many of
them in their drawers and shirts. The boarders at Jones's
Hotel, some two or three hundred, were at breakfast,
and so violent was the shaking of the building, that all
made a simultaneous rush fur the street, upsetting chairs
and tables in their flight. A similar scene was wino:as...slat
the Oriental. Both buildings are very large and of 'need.
Many of the brick houses also were viuleatly shaken, as
were the adobes. The shock was felt most sensibly at the
Lagoon, a distance of nearly two miles. In some instances,
so great was the vibration, that persons iu attempting to
run found the same difficulty as is usually experieneed On
shipboard at sea. Particularly was this the ease with the
wharfs. Your readers will scarcely credit me when 1 say
that I counted yesterday on the learnt district no less than
six hundred and eighty-three buildings either op and occu-
pied, or iu process of erection. The fire occurred ten days
ago, with two Sundays intervening, and yet the number of
buildings I have named are going up like magic. Who
will say that Sau Francisco is prostrated with such mani-
festations of energy ? One reason of such prompt re-
building is found m the fact that ground rents have fallen
nearly one hundred per cent. since the lire. Lots that before
rented fur from 300 dots. to 1100 doh., are now in the market
at from 1711 doh. to 300 dub. Kent of buildings, immediately
after the lire, for business purposes, went up tram fifty to
one hundred per cent. • but they will soon find their former
level, and evetigo below previous rates.
The Columbia came in from Oregon yesterday, bringing
dates to the 10th inst. There is nothing of particular late-
rest from the coast above the Klamath mines, which, al-
though supposed to be more visionary than real, tiro said to
be yielding satisfi.ctorily.
In commercial matters accurate quotations cannot be
given, as prices are still very much unsettled. Nearly every
article in market has advanced. Bleached and brown sheet-
ings and calicoes have gone up 110 per cent. 'the supply is
small, particularly of the two termer. Sale rates advanced
ta 12c.; very little in market. Immense quantities of
dried apples were burned. Before the fire they were a drug
at lc. ; since they have been sold at 15c. to tOc. ; tobacco
advanced from 34.1 c. to 37e. to 75c. to 80c. Lard and butter
advanced 50 per cent. Fitly thousand pounds of the former
sold yesterday at 14c. Nails are scarce, out few wrought
ones in the market. All kinds of liquor have advanced;
Monongahela whiskey 75 per cent. Fur two or three days
after the fire two or three hundred per cent. advanee was
paid for liquors, but as supplies were brought from Olt
board ships in the harbour, prices fell ME
Large quantities of jewellery were either burned or
In - instance no watches wee-

damaged. one ..... destroyed.
i Nothing remained but the cases that was of value. Thera
is, however, sufficient supply in the market to prevent an
advance, even though we were as Hush with money as
before the fire.
The New York Tribune has the following :
If ever any people earned u rightful claim to final success,
those people arc the Californians. During the brief period
of their organised existence, their history has been a con-
stant succession or enceas anti catastrophes, all of which
they have undergone and overcome, with a patient energy
which nothing seems able to subdue. With the exception,
perhaps, of the great tires in New York and Hamburg, no
tire which has occurred in the present generation has been
so destructive in its consequences as the recent conflagra-
tion in San Francisco. N't bile in extent it nearly equals the
two former, the inordinate value of property swells the
actual loss to a much greater amount. The private ads ices
received yesterday by some of the principal mer-
cantile firms of this city, arc at variance with the
newspaper accounts, the latter estimating the loss at front
seven to twenty millions, while the former place it at about
twelve millions. The list of individual homes amounts to more
than six millions, and this sum, we presume, is somewhere
near the truth. The conflagration raged ten hours, and the
scene is described as having been ono of the moat appalling
magnificence. A large proportion of the houses being
frame, they caught like tinder, and the immense mass of
flames, fanned by a strong wind, shrivelled up and
consumed everything in its path. The rapidity with
which it spread, leaping from street to street, and
hemming in with its relentless barriers those who
had lingered in the hope of rescuing their pro-
perty, till they fell nod perished before the eyes
of the spectators, gives the catastrophe a tragic and terrible
interest. Instances are related where the victim, who hail
forced his way through that sea of fire, turned again as if
impelled by a horrible fascination, and madly rushed into
the flame. While these scenes were enacting, and a small
band of citizens was perilling life to stay the devastation,
thousands of spectators—as we learn from the letters of our
correspondents—looked on supinely and refused to lend
their aid, except on the most exorbitant terms. The main
body of the conflagration was only arrested by the water,
and its force being thus scattered, it was at
length prevented from extending further in other
directions. On the smoking and blackened dis-
trict, covered with charred timbers, like tho re-
remains of a burnt forest, three hundred and fifty-seven