The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1838-05-09

East side all the houses on both siues to
East Bay, including the Methods, Protes-
iant Church. Society street, all the bull
dings OIL the South side from King street to
East Bay-on the North side all save one.
In Maiden. lane, two houses were burnt,
being all there were in .he lane.
While The conflagra,ion was raging at
its height fresh alarm was given, and hre
was found to proceed from building call
ed Norton's Mill, on Gadsden's Wharf,
which was burnt down, without, however,
doing other damage. The fire was arrest
ed in all quarters at about IL o'clock, NJ,
having burned for fifteen hours unrcmit-
tngly.
The amount insured in Charleston is a
bout s ,200,GJ0, of which it is supposed
the offices hcse will be able to pay about 90
per cent. A considerable amount on goods
is insured in New York.
But the most melancholy part of our du.
ty remains yet to be periormed-to wit. the
record of the death of valuable lives. A.
mong those who perished from want of
caution in blowing up houses, was Col. c.
j. Steedman, long known iu our communi-
ty for his valuable qualities. Captain Duff,
of the ship Herald, Messrs Frederick
Schnierle and J. s. Peirt. Among those
seriously injured by explosions were
Messrs J. ID. Brown and Mr.. nj. Torley.
Messrs. Steedman and Torley received their
hurts while blowing up house on Fast
Bay opposite Hassell street. Messrs Schn-
erie and J. :. Picrt, while in the house at
the corner of King and Liberty streets.
Several blacks were killed from the same
81 A. al.
above house, and a mulatto boy named
William, belonging to Mrs. Mitchell, who
was literally blown to pieces.
Ii is a subject oflasting regret that build
ings, both public and private, which were
ornamental or useful TO the city, should
have been involved in this vide spread des-
truction. Among these the new Hotel, e..
rected at an immense expense, is TO be emu
meraed, and what is remarkable circum-
stance, is that the new fire proof stores late
ly built on Pearl street, were only slightly
injured, while the buildings on every side
of them were burnt. The Roman Catholic
Chapel and Hebrew Synagogue were neat
buildings and among the private struc-
lures consumed, which the enterprise of
their proprietors has lately erected, the
large and elegant fire proof ofstores Of Messrs.
Mofet 81 Calder, corner of King and Ha- !
sell streets, and those recently built by |
Mcssrs. Miller, Ripley & Co., were most
conspicuous. The Theatre narrowly es-
capped destruction, the cornices having ia
ken fire.
The flames were visible at 30 miles dis
tance from the city.
1t is impossible to estimate the extent Of
the loss on any but imperfect data. We
think, however, that it cannot he less than I
between TWO OR THREE MILLIONS OF DOL
LARS, and the number of buildings destroy
ed at one thousand.
The New York Evening Post of Friday
,says-"Prvate letters, we understand, rep-
resent the number Of houses burnt at from
six to twelve hundred. The burnt district
comprises about third of mile square,
the fire having extended about third of n
mile in one direction and about quarter
of a mile in another. The number Of blocks
destroyed were about thirty, though most
Of them were small. The great fire in New
York, in December, 1885, destroyed we be-
lieve 81 blocks, containing about 700 hous-
es and stores, which if placed in straight
lire would extend three miles,"