Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1838-05-12
AUGUSTA, Ca, Saturday evening,(
6 p. NJ, APRIL 20.
AWFUL FIRE IN CHARLESTON.

AWFUL FIRE IN CHARLESTON.
We learn with the deepest'regret, by pas
sengers from Charleston, who arrived her
TINS evening by the Carolina Rail Road
that the city Of Charleston has been visit
ed by one fthe most awful and destruc
tive fires that has ever visited any city il
the U. States. ONE THIRD OF THE
CITY WAS LAID In ASHES, at the
departure the cars this morning at siA
o'clock, and the fire was raging as if il
would consume at least one third more.
The fire broke out last night at quar-.
ter past o'clock, in paint store, on the
western side ofKing ST. corner of Beres-
ford st. The wind blowing strongly from
the south west blew the flames diagonal
~ across King ST., and at the time Of the
departure of the cars the whole section of
the city above Besford st, up to Society
street and east of King street to the bay,
was burnt down or burning. From Beres-
ford to Society, are four streets-from
King street TO the Bay about as many or
perhaps more. The fire had also extend
ed four or five blocks west of King street
and was still progressing with terrific ra-
pldlty up that street in the direction of
Boundary street, when the cars left. Our
informant believes it impossible what will |
be the ultimate extent of the fire as it |
seemed no way checked at 6 o'clock this
morning.
Among the buildings consumed are
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 centre of business on King street
were burnt out-among them, Parish,
Wiley & Co., C. & G. II. Kelsey & Co.,
Boream & Co., and all in that neighbor-
hood; and the large store house of Miller,
Ripley g. Co, on the corner of King and
Society streets, was catching the flames
when our informant left. The Merchants
Hotel, formerly Miot's, had not caught, but
it was believed to be impossible 10 save it.
At Norris Hotel, still higher up King ST.,
and on the West side, they had removed
all The furnitude and bedding in almost
certain anticipation of being burnt out,
A large number of houses had been
blown up to no purpose. Al! the powder
in the city was exhausted, and all the wa
ter in pumps; and the people, wearied with
a whole nights incessant and unavailng
toll, found themselves, this morning, able
to!make but a feeble resistance to the still
raging and devouring flames. A number
of persons had been killed by the blowing
up of houses and throwing furniture into
the streets. The steamboat Neptune, ly-
ing in the Bay, caught on fire, but was for
tuRately extinguished.
The trunks directed to this office and to
the Constitutional office from the newspa-
per Offices in Charleston, failed TO come
this evening, as we presume no papers
were printed there last night, and as the
regular mail was closed there last night
before the fire broke out, no other infor-
nation has been received here than that
from passengers, which is necessarily lin
tied as TO particulars.
This is indeed q mournful catastrophe.
A flourishing city laid in ashes--her peo-
pie burnt out of home and substance and
millions Of property destroyed in single
night The Insurance Companies of
Charleston we learn are of small capitals
and will every one no doubts be ruined,
and still be enabled to make good but a
small portion Of the losses. Hundreds of
families must be entirely ruined by this
general calamity. Years cannot make
Charleston Wha. she was
p. S.-Since the above was written, we
have been shewn letter from Charleston,
closed a little before o'clock this NOR
ming and brought up by passenger, which
confirms all the important facts stated
above. Ii also states that the rigging Of
many Of the vessels lying at the wharves
had been burnt tn. D. Bulletin.