Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-04-15
AN AWFUL CONFEDERATION.

d
.crihed "a having been destroyed is the South.
eastern section OF the city, extending to, and boz
jerino on The MoGongaheia river. IL Is mol men
tin,eJ the, the fire had reached Penn street, or
taken a direction Wes,wardy towards the Ale
oh,ny river. or Northern Liberties, BayardStown,
e.. Il is much to be lamented, that, situated as
Phsburg is between two large rivers, there shoul'
have been 50 great scarcity Of water within The
limits Of the ciiv-an oversight, 10 which, no
doubt, mus. be mainly attributed the surprising
extent Of the conadgration, and The immense loss.
Is and suffering which have thus been inflicted
upon lis en,erprising and industrious inhabitants.
M. IateAisc'Her.
rFton ne P:G;I,l-g Ga<slL, Of Fridau.l
P,rTssreo IN RUSS We sit down 10 our
6es!, win sad hear 10 record the most fearful
calamity which ever befell any city oil the size oi
Pii,sburs. While we now write, an awful lre IS
raging. consuming the iaifeSl portion of our city,
AMI no human being can tell where it will stay
lis r.vages Il has now been burning for six
hours. and, amidst The confusion which reigns, it
canro, he expected we shall give anything like
particular statement Of calamity SO extensive
AMI involving such fearful ruin. What general
PARTICULARS we can give, We lay before our read
ers.
The Gre broke on, about IL o'clock on Thurs
day. in an old frame shed on the east side oil Fer
~ street, useI as a smoke house, Immediately
surronn led on two sides with old frame buildings
The weather was extremely dry the wind blow
in- aim o,t a gale from The west
The horses adjoining on Second street, caught
fire ion nediately The engines at this moment
began 10 play, and, had there been suificency
o! water, would have subdued The fire. But from
want Of water and high wind, the fire extended
across Second stree, 10 the Globe Cotton Factory,
which, together with dwelling adjoining, WAS
consu ned The Third Presbyterian Church was
OF fire, but was saved with great exeriion. The
fire, ais, about the same lime, extended across
Ferry street, I, The west side, where il consumed
some six or eish. dwellings, when il was stopped
in tina, direction, the wind being favorable.
But i, was East Of Ferry street where the fire
ragged with most fury. II Immediately extended
towards Market street, sweeping every house on
both sides of Second street, and the whole square
bounded BY Market, Ferry, Second and Front
aree,s, excep, one bnlding-the warehouse OF
the Cotton Factory. In the square bounded by
Market, Ferry. Second and Third streets, every
building was DESTROYED, except HE Third Church,
and Johnston & Stockion's printing office, and The
American Office The square bounded BY Mar
ke,, Ferry, Front and Water streets was saved,
with but little injury.
The fire crossed ,is-aet at Front street, and
then BEGAN 10 rage with awful fury. This was
abou, two O'clock P. NJ, and the wind had in
creased 70 perfect gale. The fire absolutely ap-
reared 10 dance from roof TO roof and in an incre-
dib!y short space Of time. the three immense
squares, composed mostly Of warehouses, bound
si w Market ami Wood, and extending from
Third 10 The riyer we're q sea OF flame.
The heat by this time was tremendous. Wood
stree, formed no barrier al all The flames went
Kissing acruss as il eager for their prey. They
also crossed Third street, below The new Post Or
Nn1d Ctr
Fourth, and Wood street was a sea Of fire from
the river TO Diamond allry!
Bu, this was no, all The fire had become un-
goyernahle The arm OF man was impolent-
Even The goods removed 10 The streets for safcy
were seiz.d upon and destroyed. On, on, march
cd III. raging element, sea OF flame rolls on
fros, Wood street to Smilhiicd. The Mononga-
hela House. that mobiles; OF modern hotels, is sur
rounded with lames-it takes fire Sill the
.ui,. rolls oa-crossing Smithfeld street and Grant
street, and sweeping Scotch Hill entirely. Even
"a, Canal does mol Stopil The Gas Works take
fire ami directly all kensing,on is in flames, and
the fire rolls on, and is only stopped in that drec-
:i,n. ah,u, one mile from, where il commenced,
rom The want Of food 10 feed lis voracious nav.
In the mean time, the Mononsahe!a Bridge has
taken fire, and is entirely consumed. The Pitts
ir5m fhf5 10 FoaTf streets s IS III lIames. The
MAYORS Office IS also on fire, and The new Post
Office is in great danger.
L.: any one who is acquainted with PitIsburg
survey this scene, and look ever the extent of
ground covered by this vast conhagration. So
rapid did he flames progress, that, at one time,
h,!weea four and five O'clock il The afternoon, the
fire was raging, with undiminished fury, over a
space extending from Market street, at the corner
Of Third, down Market street 10 The river, up the
river 10 Inc upper end Of kensirg,on or Pipe
town, opposite 10 Birmingham, down from Ken
sins,on 10 Fourth street, down Foarlh street 10
Smithhci, up Smithheld 10 Diamond alley, dow
Diamond alley 10 the large bric: warehouse on
Wood street across Wood extending in q d.
ascnical direction towards The Ban., up Fourth
stree, 10 the Mayors Office, and across 10 Third
street, the place Of beginning. In III this vas,
space, tie very heart oil the civ, including mos,
OF the warehouses Of our manufacturers, and our
principal Wholesale grocers and commission ncr-
chats, there IS mol one house standing that We
know Of
TwESrY SouARss are entirely DESTROYED, and
several parts OF sqr res besides all Of Pipetown
ecd al the baildine- around Bakewe's Glass
works, which we're also consumed.
The loss OF properly must be immense. We
shall no: attempt 10 compute il. The FIRE spread 50
rapidly III Il il was impossible to save property.
The Front street merchants, whose immenselware-
houses were full Of goods, groceries, and Pits
burg manufactures, rema:ed their gods 10 the
wharf, which iheS covered over its whole extent,
down 10 the waters edge, but there they caugh,
fire, and the most Of them were consumed.
Among Inc public buildings DESTROYED are the
Piusburg Bank, the Monongahea House, the
Merchants Hotel, the Mayors Office known as
Phi!o Hail. and all our Pilisburg insurance Off
ces. TIL. Chronicle AMI Age offices were re-
moved. The Chronicle lost its presses The
Presbyterian Advocate aud Protestant unionist
Offices are both DESTROYED.
BIT Il Is Impossible for II. toattempt 10 give the
particulars or this dreadful calamity. Piitsburg
has received dreadful blow, but we trus; she will
again rise from her ashes.
Al this time, seven o'clock Thursday even
Ing the fire is not extending, but is We, raging
with awful sublimiy in the burnt district hun
dreds and hundreds Of families are house,cSS and
homeless and their goods nil The streets. To add
10 the distress the GAS Works are destroyed, and
our city will he involved in darkness as soon as
lbe ln:id flames die away.
Millions Of dollars will not repair the loss ex-
perienced For eI;en, Of loss and widespread
aeso!a,ion, 10 FIRE IN This country ever equalled
IL. To morrow We shall be able 10 give more
particulars.
LArrs.-The Pit,.burs Chronicle of Saturday
morning states The number ofhouses consumed al
] 200 Of which about 700 were dwellings, depriv-
ing at leas, 1000 persons OF house and home
The burn, district is mile in length, with an
average breadth Of l60 yards, making an area Of
60 acres. Only one life is known TO have been
lost-a Mrs. Brooks, who was burnt 10 her house
on Third street. The vaults ofthe Bank of Pitts
burg and the iron safes OF MIR. Kramer and Sib-
bet & Jones, Brokers, have been opened and their
contents found almost entirely uninjured.
CONGRESSIONAL CANv4ss-In pursuance of
notice, the candidates tor this district held dis
cussion in the Theatre on last evening, before
narnl nf hcth al