Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-10-06

The Great Fire in Kingston. The New Orleans
Bulletin gives the following We have been al
lowed to peruse private letter received by the
schooner Alicia, from which we extract the fol-
lowing I" F. desires me TO acknowledge the re-
ceipt Of yourleiter by the Commerce, as he is un-
able to write from agitation and indsposition
since the dreadful calamity which has betallen
this city. Times are worse, if possible, than ever,
with us-Heayen knows how it will end The
whole city is in great distress there are about
1000 persons without roof over their heads. A
mos. awful fire broke out on the 10Th, at III o.
clock in the morning, at the east end of Kingston,
when the sea breeze was blowing perfect hurri-
cane and ragged with fury the whole day, defying
all attempts to extngush it, the flames and smoke
being visible all over the country, at distance of
GO miles, and far at sea. At about o'clock in the
evening it reached the Catholic Chapel at the top
Of the Parade, and reduced it to heap of ruins
in very short time About that time the wind
changed TO the north, and the fire began to return
towards the lower end of the town, taking new
path, however. About IL at night it had reached
the houses Just above ours the opposite side Of
the street. The magistrates then ordered the hou
ses over the way to us to be blown up, in order TO
create an open space for ii one house had caught,
adeu to Port Royal street. 1t was found impos
sible to blow them up, however, as all the pow.
der in the city had been used in the course OF the
day TO lombard the buildings The sailors of the
mel-of-war, and soldiers, then came up, and in a
very short time had pulled down the houses and
made open space. The fire had not then so
much power, and was exngushed at about o.
clock in the morning on the 9th. i send you
newspaper, where you will see what has been
burnt the number of blocks is incredible. The
engines all broke, md the negroes would not save
any thing but the Baptist and Methodist Chapes.
A, 5 o'clock in the afternoon, went on the pa
rade, and iound it one mass of furniture, &c.
The negroes all stood iE the streets and parade,
fu lana hipu md ,oLy ipn thars
supefied the soldiers and sailors were tearing
dswn one side of the parade, heaving out the fur.
niiure, &c. aud trying uselessly TO stop the pro-
gress of the flames the bells ringing drums beat.
ing, bombs and cannons firing at the houses, wo-
men and children screaming and grooming. saw
splendid pianos thrown out of the balconies and
crushed into thousand pieces"
Extract of another letter, dated Sept. a, from @
respectable commercial house: This city has
been visited with most awful conhagration
which il was feared at one time would have sweep
away the whole town but even as il 10, it is com
puted there may be 1900 people turned out Of
house and home. Some state the number as
much greater, the report not having yet been
made by the authorities. The principal part o.
the business quarter was saved, but it only by
a change Of wind, and pulling down houses. The
distress will he very great, and we fear 1t may
have an injurious tendency every way"
The New Orleans Bee gives the following esti
mate of the loss, taken from the Jamaica De
spatch:-
The fire which broke out in Kingston on tn
25h ult. destroyed in its progress one third o
the city, and property TO the amount of E500,0
currency, equal TO S2,25OO0O. The fire it appear
was confined to the southeast quarter of the city
nearly the whole of the various blocks of build
ings comprised between Milk street, Water, lane
Hanover and Golden Streets and intersected b.
Lombard and Thomas streets, were burnt TO tn
ground, besides five or six squares on Suttor
East, Queen and Laws streets; in addition 4
which many other tenements suffered severely.