The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-05 00:00:00

AWFUL CONFLAGRATION IN AL-
BANY-SIX HUNDRED BUILDINGS AND
MUCH PROPERTY DESTROYED.

(From the 'Neu) York Herald.)
The Albany papers are filled with accounts of a
disastrous conflagration which took place in that city
on the 17th ult. We are indebted to Capt. Gorham,
of the steamboat Hendrik Hudson, for Albany papers
delivered at an early hour on Friday afternoon. The
Albany Express gives the following account of the
disaster :

We scarcely know how to describe the fearful cala-
mity that has befallen our doomed city. It is beyond
adequate description beyond, at the time we
write, intelligible detail. Soon after a fire was checked
that broke out in Quackenbush.strcet, just before
noon, the alarm was again sounded, and fire broke
out in a small stable adjoining the Albion House,
between Broadway and the Pier on Herkimer-street,
and occupied by John G. White. Of its origin we know
nothing; but it burst forth at a most unlucky moment.
The fire department was weary, scattered, and disorgan-
ised. Some of the machines were disabled, and, in con-
sequence of a shameful fight, one of them—No. 9, we
believe, was lodged in the City-hall-yard, and unmanned,
in the moment of danger. The heat was intense, the
mercury ranging at 91 in the shade, the city dry as tin-
der in consequence of the drought, and a gale of wind
blowing from-the-south. Er.vphing conspired against
us; and the destroying elemet4 immediately getting the
upper hand, raged awfully and unchecked for hours,
sweeping away fully 600 buildings, many of them new,
and of great value, destroying about 2,000,000 of dollars
worth of property, and rendering hundreds of families
houseless and homeless.-

Truly, this calamity is an awful one ; but God be
praised that it is no worse ! At one time it seemed as
if the destruction of our city was inevitable. The wind
blew fiercely, the flames spread on all sides, the devour-
ing element advanced from block to block, and from
street to street. Buildings were taking fire in several
parts of the city. All was terror, confusion, and dis-
may, and the efforts of man seemed utterly power-
less. At this fearful moment the wind lulled, heavy
clouds rose in the north-west, and a deluge of rain—
grateful, needed, God-sent rain—poured from the suf.-
charged clouds, and checked the progress of the confla-
gration.
Amid the roar, darkness, lightning and thunder of
the Aorm, glared the red flames and rolled the vast
columns of smoke, while occasionally the shock of a
building blown up with gunpowder, added to the
terror and sublimity of the indescribable scene. The
fury and spread of the flames exceeded anything ever
st en. Tho fire ran,
leaped, flew from building
to building, with the speed of the hurricane that
bore it on in its course of destruction. And as it ad-
vanced, and grew more and more threatening, the bells
resounded the alarm, and the people looked on with
terror and almost with despair. There were many nee-
row escapes from death, and some serious personal in-
juries sustained. Among the latter, William Johnson,
his wife, and daughter, were badly burnt while escaping
from their dwelling, 53, Liberty-street.
Albany has never before, in her 200 years' history,
suffered so dreadful a local calamity as this.
The first block burnt was bounded by Herkimer-
street, Broadway, Bleecker-street, and the dock. The
fire then went up the dock and the cast side of Broadway,
nearly to Hudson-street, and up the west side of Broad-
way quite to Hudson-street. It passed up Hudson-street
to the Park, burnt both sides of Liberty and
Church-streets, down to Lydius-street, went up
Lydius to Union-street, and up the east side
of Union back to Hudson-street Park. Over this
large district every building is consumed, except Haga-
man and Cowell's four-story brick, corner of broadway,
and the new steam-boat landing; Bortle's new three-
story brick grocery store, west side of Broadway, and
adjoining the district burnt in June; J. K. Wing's four •
story brick store, corner of dock and new steam-boat
landing; Cagger's new three-story brick buildings, run-
ning from the dock to Broadway, and occupied in part
by Tweddle and Darlington. All the rest are down, in-
cluding the Fort Orange Hotel, Cowell's eating-house,
Quin's tavern and boarding- house, the United States
House, the Eagle Tavern, a German boarding-house, the
Townsend House, the Odeon, many small boarding
houses, &c., and an immense number of stores. The fire
crossed, and burnt the Hamilton-street- bridge, and set
on fire Dow's Western Hotel, the first building on the
pier. From this point every building on the pier, up to
and across State-street, and thence to the cut at the foot
hofoteMls, forwarding
aidenl
an e
houses,
, was
g destroyed,rocer e
ssteam-boat,
t includingeara-boatemigrant, canal-
boat, and freighting line offices, and all the floating craft
in the Basin, including 50 to 60 canal and lake boats, 15
to 20 large tow-boats, some sail vessels, and the steam.
boat William Seymour.
Burning vessels floated against the Columbia-street-
bridge, and set it on fire. Thence the fire was communi-
cated to the Columbia-street Market, which was burned,
together with a number of buildings in the vicinity. The
exact bounds of the district burnt in this quarter we have
not been able to obtain. _ _

Vessels of all kinds on the outside of the pier floated
out of harm's way.
The loss of household goods of all kinds is immense.
Great quantities that were strewed in the streets were
ruined by the rain.
Carts, waggons, drays—everything on wheels—were
in constant requisition, but could not accomplish a tenth
part of the work required. Five, ten, and twenty dollars
were offered for carrying a single load.
There was nothing like organization of effort. The
valuable aidd East
did
dfrom all they
could. authorities, the fire department, and the citizens were
scattered, isolated, and acted too much without concert.
Still much was done. Almost superhuman personal
efforts were put forth, and thousands of citizens worked
Oldur.
We firemen,received
der
‘t ith all their might.
and West Troy, Greenbush, and Schenectady, Numbers
of persons were rendered powerless by heat,
re under the circumstances,atid
fatigue,
and cold water. Buildings, sheds, &c., took fire re-
peatedly as far north as Wilson and Lumber-streets. The
whole city was in danger.
Mr. J. Smith's Free Soil Banner office and James
Duffy's job printing-office were burnt.
At one time the offices of the Atlas, Knickerbocher, and
Express, as well as Van Benthuysen's and Muns(ll's ex-
tensive printing establishments, were threatened with
destruction. .

Thousands of citizens packed up their goods, furniture,
&c., and the stores were everywhere closed.
A number of buildings were blown up under the direc-
tion of the authorities in the vicinity of Hudson-street.
It is impossible at the time we write to get at any cor-
rect estim tte of the loss sustained. or the condition of
the insurance companies. Our Albany companies have
suffered tert ibly.
In iividual losses must be very great, and there will be
much distress and suffering. It will be a long time before
Albany will recover from this awful calamity.