The native American. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1840, 1839-10-12
EXT ENSIyE FIRE IN PHILADELPHIA.


f."ing the Delaware river III Philadelphia Three
Custom House wa'ehmen, William Able, Piersor
Horn, and James Lenton, broke open the door,
and state that a few buckets of water would havc
cxlinguishcd the fire, but the draughl increased
bit, and extended to various combustible merchan
disc In few minutes the flames burst ont anl
reached the adjoining provision store Of ID. w
Prescott.-This house was built back to Waite,
street, facing No. 10 on that street. In the same
range the store Of George Merrill took fire i'm.
mcdiatey afterwards.
Although the Fire Companies were promptly
on the ground, the progress of the flames was so
rapid. that the prospect of arrcs,ing them was,
even al that early hour, very doubtful. The gro
Gerry stores Of c. Cheeseborough and of Geo. A.
Wood, No, Is south wharves, the oil store OF
Newlin and A!(ibone, and the commission store
Of J. Emlen, No. ~ the iron warehouse Of An
drew M. Jones and Brothers, the Office of the
Merchants Transportation Line, and the general
Commission warehouse Of G.. King e Co., No.
10, were successfully enveloped in the flames
The tavern kept by George Nealts was next
attacked and thence the fire communicated to the
large Oil warehouse Of Shober, Bunting g. Co,
! No 81, extending through to Water street. At
ibis point the confagraton became terrific.
The Ship Chandery of A. H. Hinkle, No. o.,
South Wharves. and the commission warehouses
of Ncwbold & Harversck and of Smith d. johnson
were in succession consumed
Here the fire reached the corner Of Chestnut
street. Returning to Water street, adjacent to
Mr.. Prescott's store, the fire is. traced to jno
Harding Juniors, extensive wholesale grocery
establishment, No. II, thence to very large
wholesale grocery of White, Stevens d Co., No.
81, and the store house of the same firm, % !;
thence to II. Sloan's general commission ware
house, No. IS, and thence to the large fire-proof
stolelouse occupied by w. r. Thompson 81
Co. Next to this building stood the Fulton
House, kept by ]. Meyers at the corner Of Water
and Chestnut streets, which with all the houses
above mentioned were utterly destroyed. Fhe
buildings on the opposite or west side Of the
street then took fire. In this range there were
VIM. r. Thompson & Co.'S store-house, "a Sc
cond building occupied by that firm J the Hlber-
Man tavern kept by J. Fitzpatrick, and between
the latter and Chestnut street three houses occupi-
ed as taverns and clothing stores, the names of
the owners of which we could not learn. At the
northwest corner of Water and Chestnut SITS, the
clothing store Of Gaskill and Barnes was next
consumed.
From the rear of the latter row of buildings
the fire communicated with those facing on the
east side Of Front street. There, William S1eels
Davs's Sus pender ManuIactary, No. 20 and S.
& r.. Davisson's Sacking Bottom Factory, No.
81, were also injured; James l.. Miffin and Geo.
Hills, Commission houses, Nos. 80 and IS to-
tally burnt; Francis G. Smith Commission store
'or the sale Duponts Gunpowder, No. 81; John
Nee, Spice Factors store, No. 80: William R
Thompson's large warehouse and counting house,
No. al Donelley's Tavern, No. 49,; Dennis
Lahey's Tavern, No IS; John Lloyd, Tobac-
const's sore No. Al; and John Loughead's
Cooper shop, No. 40, were entirely destroyed.
The house at the northeast corner Of Front
and Chestnut streets, occupied dy Thomas Diehl,
Is. G. Bunting, Thomas NJ Clerk, and Paynter
and Slack, Commission Merchants, was much
damaged. The intense heat of the flying cnders
set fire to the roofs of the stores of George ".
Richards e. Bispham, on the West side of Front
street. The upper stories of the former were
burnt, the latter partially injured Here the fire
was checked in this direction, beyond the cxpcc-
.ation of the spectators. Meanwhile the flames
had extended to the Steamboat Hotel, on the
south side Of Chestnut street, at the corner Of
Wafer. Next door acoopers shop was destroyed,
and the office and baggage depot Of the Camden
and Amboy Line was materially injured. Al the
southwest corner of Water and Chesnut streets,
the fire reached the clothing store Of Enoch Al
LEM next the barber shop of William Gorgas,
next to Martins tavern, No. 81 Front street,
and to the German commission house of Mes-
gics & Unkart, No. SO. These houses were
all consumed. The other stores in the same
range, of J. B. M'Ivaine, VIM. p. Hanna, and
Charges Field e. Son, were slightly injured.
The sparks set several buildings on fire in
Taylor's alley. j. Rowand's Liquor store was
seriously damaged, and large four story build
ing also injured.
In Chestnut street above Front the store Of Dur
don B. Garter was considerably burnt, aud the
store Of Henry Risbrough partially.
Tho amount Of property Of various kinds thus
destroyed it is impossible to estimate with preci-
sion, but may be reasonably stated atabout Go0,
900 dollars. This loss is most untimcly. Never,
we learn, have the merchants Of this city stood
more in need Of regular and prosperous trade.
: The extensive warehouse Of David S. Brown
Commission Merchant, we omitted to mention
above, among the buildings slightly injured. Al
though greatly exposed, it was saved, by the use
of wet blankets II, the roof and in the windows.
There are various surmiscs concerning the
cause CT the fire, which many suppose was the
work of an ncendiary.