Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1819-03-23
PETERSBURG, March 70.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE

PETERSBURG, March -
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
In a brief postscript to our last, :.
made mention of the calamity which h..
befallen the eastern suburb Of our tova
We promised TO give more particulars i
to-day's Inteliigencer; but there aOusa,a
so much uncertainty hanging upon eyerv
circumstance connected with this Lament,
able affair, that We are at loss baw IA
fulfil this promise to the satisfaction Of our
distant readers. That between fittv and
seventy houses have been destroyed-thst
great destruction Of property has taken
place-we can fully attest; but we Know
nothing of the origin of the calamity. We
have seen the destroying element, chaGed
and enrased by an intense wind, spread.
ing from place to place with a fearful "a.
pidity--mocking the efforts made to re.
sist it, with the scorn Of poser beyond
the control of multitudes: We have seen
the rains-the ashes of buildings that once
were: We have seen many poor, DOC,
creatures. treading slowly and pensively.
amidst smoke and embers, with such looks.
SO full of sadness, SO sorrowfuI, SO Wild
such looks, as gave the shipwrecked mar.
iner, when walking on some desoIste
shorc, he gazed upon the angry waves
that covered his aN-they were looks Of
despair Yet, whether this catastrophe
has been produced by accident or design
whether it is to be attributed to negli-
gence or incendiary malice, we have seen
no one who would undertake TO inform us.
What We know with certainty, we will now
proceed to state.
The fire was discovered about 4 O'Clock,
in building formerly used as lumber
house. Some persons say, it was commu.
nicated by the wadding of swivel, fired
from some vessel coming up the river.
But no one We believe states this in con.
fident manner, and therefore We do not
give it entire credence. Information Of
this, and of the consequences likely to en-.
sue, was brought into town properly SO
called) by means Of a gentleman passing
through Blandford at the time; and the
alarm sounded in every direction.
Our citizens, upon whom the cry Of fire
has an effect almost electric, FASTENED to The
scene in great numbers and with the Ut
most alacrity. But what scene was pre-.
sented to their view F.? An explosion had
taken place, the blazing fragments scatter
ed in every direction, and the village 10
flames in three places, widely distant from
each otheri What is to be done, what
can be done, burst from every lip. The
wind, which had blown from N. W. with
violence the whole day, seemed to rise 10
its strength as the flames progressed. Tns
angry element had obtained completely
the ascendancy. Against its devourlns
career, human efforts could avail but little
yet human prudence dictated, that tha1
little should be exerted TO the best advan'
tage.
1t appeared evident that .he whole block
of buildings on Main-street, from ths
Causeway to the street running along ,ne
eastern boundary TO the Masonic Hall io'
to the river must be destroyed. Mr..
Boyle's houses were already nearly con.
sumed-the buildings adjoining the east
and west were 10 flames--the Hall 'tse,l
and Mr.. BoliDg's warehouse on the SCUM
side (the fire communicated it is supposed
by means of flying fragments) were az !:
ready too far gone to admit OF any hopes Oh
their being saved from total destruction
The efforts, therefore, of the person,
who had collected, were chiefly directed
to the preservation of property. and to the
Keeping off the fire from those buildings
whose proximity to danger rendered tnen
objects ofth greatest solicitude. 10 TINS
we are happy to say, the exertions OF 0a'
feIIow-tow were eminently success
full. Several Of the best buildings u |,
Blandford, thus situated, were preserved
Among these, we win mention those DC
longing MIR. Peters, (Iate Mr.. Aiklasl MT
Johnson, Mr.. Wilder, (Iate Maj. Iayiors
Mr.. A. Taylor, and Miss M'Leod;
IT was near seven o'clock when the iur>
of the flames began somewhat to aoate.-
Contrary to general expectation, the 'ws
buildings on either side of the street, mex
to the causeway, were preserved. DC
tween these and the street mentioned anos'
Nr oo1 G farming the easter