Jenks' Portland gazette. Maine advertiser. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1802-1803, 1802-11-08
GREAT FIRE.
1lvtRFooL, stPr. rs

tins town, by tar the mott atondhIng
10 its appearance, aud ex,enhvc in its
devaaation, which Liverpool has ever
known ADD in reipea 70 waite Of pro
perry. one of tie moa deltruaive which
has happened IN The Birth dominions
hnce The great fire Of London in 1866
"A little before ten O'Clock in the even
ing, fmcak was obierved to iIJe from
lower room in the great watehcute
belonging 60 Thomas L, ance, Eiq
which continued to incrcatc FOR con
hderable time before ,he doors and
windows were forced. In the mean
time, an alsrn, OF FIRE had been rapidly
fp1ead, ard an immenfe croud iooa col.
leaed in front of the building, The
engines having been fet TO work, twas
hoped that the progrefs Of the fire was
arreRed, and many perfons returned
home, on fuppoGtion that all danger
was over but as foon as an entrance
was given to the external air by forcing
open the doors and windows, The
fmothered flames hura out WIKI a vio-
lence ard impetuofity that equally dc.
hej reGtanee and approach.
The ftene now bscame 70 iuhlimely
terrific, as to bid defiance to all The
powers Of defcription, or even Of -
agination. The alInefs Of Glcnt hor
ror, and hopelels inactivity, prevailed
throughout the eroud and the immerie
volumes of fame which rehe9ei their
glare on the faces ,ot the multtudc, ex
hibited nothing but one uniform ex
prehion Of horror and atonilhment.
All attempts to aop the rage Of the de
vouring element were for fome time
fuipended for reliasnce was hopeleis,
and exertion impoli1le.
In few hours this immenfe pile Of
warehou!es, from BruHiwick Greet to
Water-Rreet. end a'lo that noble range
OF ware houies erected il front, next the
dock, were reduced to heap Of ruins !;
and a very great proportion OF the val
liable and various commodities with
which almo0 every part of thcle '>oild-
ings had been crowded. was totally
confirmed. Thefe piles Of warehoufes
have tor fsveral years been the admira
ton Of all Europe, and probably were
net 70 be matched il the whole world.
The celebrated warehoules az Antwerp,
as well as at Venice equally famous,
were neither 20 lofty nor councillors.
The whole number deHrove6 is about
thirty, from 6 TO y. foriss high, and of
a proportionsble depth.
As foon as the dirniIhed force Of The
fire permitted the people to act, every
poilible exertion was rendered both by
the military, and every one ellie whole
fervices could be employed. The
Mayor and other officers OF the Corpor
alton, attended during great part Of
the time, and contributed much 10 the
prelervation Of order.
The eveaing was uncommonly mild,
(Which was the more providential, as
the weather had been for fome time pat
very WINDY and thr tide was fortunate.
ly at food by which means an oPortu
nity was afforded OF removing the
inippinc beyond the reach of the flames
Had the fse once fsached the ihiPs,
icene Of coniulion and devslation might
have enfoed ;---conpared 60 whieh, the
prelent calamity, Aeplorable as it is,
would have funk into iniigni6oauee
or the immenle lof which has teen
fuaained it i. Inpoldolc at preient to
form an climate, ID any degree oorred
or probable bur from tie opinions OF
,hole beR informed on the fuhiea, it i
fuppofsd the entire damage may
amount TO upwards Of half a million !!
bot smida the multiplied ddaaers Of
This dreadful night, it is iource Of
great confolation, thar, as far as has
heen difcov~red not Jingle Individual
has LOT hi. re This is the more fur
priGng, as heaps of rubbilh and large
aones were filling on all 6des among
the crowd in iuol quick fuccefion, for
every one to eicape, isems almo2 mir
icle. The great front wall OF the high
warehou!es came down about : O'Clock,
but fuficient time was allowed for the
crowd to dilperie. Previous to It's fan.
ing, il bent lowly forward, from its
immenfe altitude, with tremeEdudus
maieay, and then fell with craih,
which appalled, thehsarts of every enc
who heard it, and buried under lis ruins
great quantity Of valuable property,
contained in the cellar, underneath.
The flames were feen in various direc.
lions az a diAance OF az leaa twelve