Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1838-05-16
AWFUL FIRE IN CHARLESTON
OFFICE OF THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE, }
Anil % q o'clock u Al

April 70, 9 o'clock L. NJ.
We learn with the deepest regret, by pas.
scngers from Charleston, who arrived here
this evening by the Carolina Railroad, that
the city of Charleston has been visited by
one of the most awful and destructive fires
that has ever visited any city in the United
States. ONE THIRD OF THE CITY
WAS LAID IN ASHES at the departure
of the cars this morning at 6 o'clock, and
the fire ,oas raging as if ii ,could consume at
least one third more.
The fire broke out last night at quarter
past eight o'clock, in paint store, on the
western side of King street, corner of
Beresford street. The wind blowing strong.
ly from the southwest, blew the flames di.
agonally across King street, and at the time
of the departure of the cars the whole Sec
ton of the city above Beresford street up
to Society street, and east of King street,
to the bay, was burnt down or burning
From Beresford to Society are four streets
from King street to the Bay about as
many, or perhaps more. The fire had al
SO extended four or five blocks west OF
King street, and was still progressing with
terrific rapidity up that street in the drec-
ton Of Boundary street, when the cars left.
Our informant believes it impossible to cal.
culate what will be the ultimate extent of
the fire, as it seemed in no way checked at
6 o'clock this morning.
Among the buildings consumed are a
number of churches, the new theatre, the
splendid new hotel recently erected, and
the whole market, except the fish market.
Nearly all the large merchants, in the Gen.
tire of business, on King street, were burnt
out, among them Parish, Wiley 81 Co., and
u. Ii. Kelsey q Co., Borem 81 Co., and
all in'that neighborhood, and the large store
house of Miller, Ripley IL Co., on the cor.
ner Of King and Society streets, was catch.
ing the flames when our informant Left
The Merchants Hotel, formerly Moi's
had not caught, but it was believed TO be
impossible to save it.
AT Norris .hotel, still higher up King ST..
and on the west side, they had removed all
the furniture and bedding, in almost certain
anticipation OF being burnt out.
/ A large number of houses had beer
blown up to no purpose. All the powder
in the city was exhausted, and all the wa
ter in the pumps the people wearied witt
whole nights incessant and unavallnl
toll, found themselves, this morning, able tt
make but feeble resistance to the still "a
ging and devouring flames. A number o
persons had been killed by the blowing NJ
of houses and throwing furniture into thu
streets. The steamboat Neptune, lying il
the Bay, caught on fire, but 1t was fortu
naely extinguished.
The trunks directed to this Office and t.
the Constituencies Office, from the news
paper offices in Charleston, failed 10 CONF
this evening, as we presume no papers were
printed there last night; and as the regu
lar mail was closed last night before tn,
fire broke out, no other information ha
been received here than that from passen
gers, which is necessarily limited as TO par
ticulars.
This is indeed mournful catastrophe
) A furnishing city laid in ashes, her peopl,
} burnt out of home and substance, and mil
lions of property destroyed in singl
night. The Insurance Companies @
Charleston, we learn, are of small capitals
and will every one, no doubt, be ruined
, and still be unable to make good but
small portion of the losses. Hundreds {
, families must be utterly ruined by this gen
) eral calamity. Years cannot make Charles
ton what she was.
/. P.S.--Since the above was written, W
have been shown letter from Charleston
, closed little before o'clock this morning
and brought by passenger, which confirm
I all the important facts stated above. 1t al
so states that the rigging of many of tn
vessels lying at the wharves had bee
burnt.