Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1845-08-02
From he N. Y. Express Of vi, Il.
Great CONFEDERATION

fr0cfddid'loft. a
We record with pain and anguish ths
details Of the terrible CALAMITY that NJ.
sver,aken one Of the richest and mos, com.
meroiai paris of the city. The FIRE il In
The vicinity Of eur Office, and we were, 4
one time, in an alarming proximity. None.
however, connected with eur Press. an.
iicipa,ed any such overwhelming conda.
grafton, when the alarm bells were fra
sounded at 3 A. NJ, and when he ii
Edition Of our Morning pal er was put %
Press. 1t was not felt 10 be 50 terrible.
until the splosion took place. -~ IA
AT about four o'clock, Croker & War.
ren's store in New street, in which wa,
stored very large quantity Of saltpe,re,
blew up with one Of the most tremendous
explosions ever heard or ieit in the civ.
That building itself was Of course scatter.
ed in fragments in an instant, and those
near it were little better of. The explo.
sion created one Of the most frighiful spec.
tacles it was ever our misfortune 70 vii.
ness, and the noise and uproar could only
be equalled BY the explosion Of naga-
zine.
The first explosion, which was CON-
paratively moderate, filled the room n lie
writer Of this paragraph, with light more
int. Sc than at MONDAY, and, upon look.
ing out upon Broadway, scene met our
gaze, that can never be forgotten. Hardly
had he reached the window when the Sc
cond and grand explosion took place. The
buildings, as far as the eye could reach
appeared one mass Of flames, while the
buildings on the west side Of Broadway,
from the Mansion House 10 the Astor,
were so brilliant that the eye could scarce
rest upon them. The spire Of Trinity
Church looked like pillar Of fire, and The
moon, which moment before We saw just
above the roof, paled under this vivid light,
and was invisible. The sky over the re-
gion OF the fire, and along tie range Of
Nassau street, was filled with mass Of
flame from the burning gas, alcohol and
camphine, let Loose at the explosion
High in the air as the eye could range ap-
peared an innlersr Yuniity or fire, hathsd
the appearance Of serpenls darling spiral
ly upwards, like the small rockets Of Il Are
work. These tongues Of flame, too, ha
out in all directions from The centre. ma.
king together the whole look like noun
tain Of FIRE, which CT Gated in the air noiss
like. that caused ly flash Of electricity in
thunder storm. The panic caused BY
such an explosion, who can describe?---
The street from the Wa,erley House to
our office on Broadway, presented thick
multitude OF men, running as if for their
lives, shrieking as though they were in
the agonies OF death. Those who could
keep their feet were fortunate, indeed, for
the masses behind, in their terrors. over.
ran many who fell, regardless ofany Thing
but their own safety. a8
Through the other streets like scene
was exhibited, but as the others were'nsr.
row the confusion was greater, The fire.
mes' and spectators left those parts oily y
receive in another place the showssd
bricks and other missiles forced of By .h
explosion. So awful was the shock tAa
the thick plate glass in nearly al the build
ings in Wall street, was broken in fsg'
ments and strewed over the pavement, p
many instances the substantial window
sasAes themselves being broken ia.H I's
cries Of the frightened people. the fall q
missiles on the roofs OF bnildings, tis
crash Of glass upon lie pavements, added
~ The tinb'ing Of buildings from The force
Of the explosion, and the vivid glare q iM
flames, assailed the numefoas mulliuds'
now Quito see the fire, and gave The w
preston that great convalsica q nature
had taken place. The wiudcws y ths
City Hotel and buildings near 10, were 10
a moment filled with the tensntry Of tle
houses, who. until the great explosion, ~
remained quiet in bed, thinking the hfesa
ordinary matter, but not until now Thor
ought, reused BY this awful shock.
The conclusion in the Courier oee
was 50 severe that the substantial sths
walls of the building shook 10 their 6un1
aations, and the people there though ia
one moment that they were tumblng
heir base. The workmsn in liz eoaQv
ling room in the fifth story fousd ~ -
IN which the form was making up, ~
several inches from its resting pl1ees
gas all went ont instantly and dunngp
darkness tlnf followed, The sceae VA,
ny the least Of it, an exciting one. y
workbench employed in the PFesSltn! u
zine rooms in the basement story fpll!~
Iieving that the entire building ~ s'ea
70 fail upon them il mass, flew with ''P
steps, into the street. -
The same occurrences took placs ~ /
he workmen in our Office. In : $500
hey were in darkness, and astos1.tse y
he shock, they few a. il IN esrsnqa
were tumbling the walls upon fhelr ne.
All ss6A ree6vered, however. aAd wsnl .
work 70 give our readers, 10 . ssoosd ~
ion, the details ofrths prsgfsss q
ire. 1oie stsJ sNi >AsavAg
(Iters fonos.. !. Z z d4s.;i.d s,isasai :
he ravages Of the, fire, occupying =
hree columns q tho Express, Nh'cn
ind i impossible 70 tssnsfsr = ss'
INNS in even 1 condensed shaRs. 4.
,unber ; of houses actually dsdSg,
! not more dan hslf ~ number iadis,ls
q he e.ppsion busin value a. pscfr