Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1845-07-30


! his lathe Awful COnaagratOn.
ms ns rlsDcs Gent Of this calamity has ex-
III III l.a,a even the excited apprehensions
Tof those who witnessed its whole pros
gress from the commencement. Hap
Ipily its progress is now stayed, SO that
we are enable to define the limits Of its
ravages. On the East side of Broad.
way every building from Exchange
Place, commencing with the Waverly
House to Market field street, it is utter
Iy consumed: also three or four dwell.
| lings below Market.ficld. The house
on the corner Of Stone and whitehall
streets, and two or three dwellings,
North Of Stone st., remain compar-
atively uninjured. Thence to Broad
ST., from Stone, to the public stores,
within two or three doors of Wall st.,
the buildings on both sides are all des-
troyed. A line drawnfrom the pupIic:
stores to the Waverly H ouse, is the limit
on the North west. In Beaver st. all
the buildings both sides are consumed.
from the Bowling Green to within FIVE
or six doors Of William st. On the
West side Of Broadway the buildings
are all destroyed from Morris st. to No.
l3, occupied BY Mrs. Bakeras a 5ording
|house-this last included. #tt s14 's'll'a
The buildings on Broadway, North
of Morris st. were saved by incredible
exertions, in which the inmates rendered
themselves especially conspicuous
They were covered with carpets and
blankets constantly wetted with water
carried up by hand to the roofs. g.
The explosion which set this mose
disastrous conflagration in motion, we
have no doubt was from the reservoir
gasometer of the Manhattan Company
situated in New street, caused bythe
heat Of the neighboring fire. There
was nothing else which could have
made it, and that could In corrobo>
iation Of this, the gas lights in our Of
fee went out instantly upon the explo-
sion. - ss ri.a'i ai4sil ald ~ ERl15aa
There was a quantity of salt petre
in the store of Crocker & Warren; but
store full oft was burned ten years
ago, and there was noexploson. Gun
powder is spoken Of, but without any
evidence that any was present. ii las.t
The explosion was tremendous, and
produced the utmost CONSERVATION
throughout the lower part Of the city.
The office Of this paper seemed as if
topping to its base. The printers
sticks were thrown from their hands,
and the gas lights suddenly extinguishr
ed in part Of the building added 10
the terror and confusion of the scene.
We xperienced no damage however,
except in the breaking Of window glass.
Nearly every building in Wall street,
and in fact in all the streets contiguous
to the burnt district. had its windows
more orless injured, and In some in>
stances whole sashes were dashed in,
and the large massive doorsofthe stores
either swung open, or were detached
wholly from hinge and bolt, and thrown
into the center ofthe buildings. Such
was the effect Of the explosion upon
the Merchants Exchange as to burst
in the windows, breaking large quan--
titles Of the thickest plate glass, Even
the interior doors were burst open.to4
The explosion occurred in success.
4 i've shocks. previous to which the air
was irradiated with brilliant flashes Of
light tinged with every variety ofcolor.
The air was Immediately after filled
with balls Of fire and burning beams
some Of which,o hugh size, were thrown
to an incredible height and distance.tA
heavy burning rafter struck Oh the roof
4 OF Bunker's Mansion House, a9&esf
j The explosion was heard on board
the steamboat Champion while seven
miles from the city, and startled the
passengers from their berttls. II was
also heardat Hempstead, and al New
ark. Capt. York, Of the brig Milton.
as well as the captain and passengers
i Of the brig Savannah, off the Highland,
heard the report and felt d conclusion.
i Among the goods destroyed by the
i, fire are $4,000 bales cotton, 10000
lchests teas, 3 or 1000 hhds. and 1900
lboxes brown sugar, s and 5000 bags