The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-04-14

TREMENDOUS CONFEDERATION.

| T'oW "" f-tilsotug os 81 FTld0y morning.
TREMENDOUS CONFEDERATION.
I'0enty squares Of the city in ruins-fronr
1000 10 1900 houses destroyed-loss esh-
mated at ten millions.
1t is our painful duty to record one of the most
terrible fires that devastated any city on thi,
eontnent-a great portion of our busy and populous
town is in ruins! More houses have been DESTROYED
by this single and horrible conhagraton, than have
been consumed by all the fires that have ever oc-
Cured in the city before.
Those acquainted with the plan of Pittsburg will
realize the extent of the terrible calamity we have
suffered when state that nearly all that part of
the city extending from Ferry street up the MoDon-
gahela river 10 the city line and thence to the head
OF the entire suburb called "Pipetown" Kensington
! has been destroyed.
| The fire reached up Market street, as far as the
south side OF 81 street. and up Wood street as far as
\ the south side OF Diamond alley. The boundaries
OF the burnt district may be thus described: From
Water street up Ferry Sd street (the Third Pres
| byterian church saved1 up Sd to Wood; up
| Wood TO Diamond alley, both sides; up Diamond
alley, to Smlthfed street; and thence down Smith.
held to 4th street Cloth sdes0 up 4th street Ross
street. and thence to the head of Pipeto vn-includ
ing, as We have estimated above, about twenty
| squares, and comprising from 10 to 1900 houses
many OF the warehouses containing goods of i'm
mehse value--they were grocery, dry goods, and
commission houses and their spring stocks had been
| just laid in
The fire originated in frame building over an ice
house, belonging to VIM. Diehl, near the corner of
| Second md Ferry streets. The wind was blowing
stify from the northwest, though it frequently veered
to other points, and owing to its variations the fire
extended up Wood street further than it otherwise
could have DONE Ii was first discovered about I2
O'Clock, and was not materially checked till in the
afernoon-eyen while we write, lat O'clock p M, J
the engines are playing vigorously in Wood street
We can give no adequate idea of the distress which
pervades our stricken community. The progress of
the flames was SO feariuly rapid that many persons
had not time to remove their goods-others, again
had got their property into the street. when the flames
seized 1t there, before IT could be removed to place
| of safety. Others, STILL would not believe the de-
vouring element could reach their dwellings and did
not think of removing until it was too late to save
| their furniture. And we saw many people who es
capped with nothing but the apparel they had upon
their persons AT dark, you might see in every d.
rection, families sitting without shelter guarding such
portions of their household furniture as they were
TSe to save from the flames, and not knowing where
they would lay their heads, procure morseI of
| food OF course the kindness of their more fortu-
nate fellow-citizens did much TO alleviate their suf
ferngs. and we believe all provided for as well
as the melancholy nature of affairs would allow.
The councils met in the afternoon, and attempted
was proposed to blow up houses that seemed in the
Way OF the flames the deliberations however were
Intellectual in results, and believe but enc or Two
buildings were blown up. II seems to us, indeed,
that there could scarcely have been time to accom-.
plish anything in the way of DESTROYING houses an
terribly rapid was the progress Of the fire.
There IS abundant reason for thankfuness that 40
few lives were lost. There ma ny rumors of men
being killed, and burnt and wounded-but thew are
not authenticated One woman is certainly burned,
4
ana we saw poor Old man, lettering along with the
help OF two friends, his face badly burned The loss
of life, however, cannot be learned in the awful con-
fusion which prevails
We know not how to express sense of the lively
gratitude to which the iremen are entitled from our
afflicted and ruined citizens we'll as those thew have
saved-nothlng in the shape of reward can compen-
safe them for the incessant toll they had to undergo
and for the unyieldDg, heroic frmness which they
manifested under the appalling terrors which sur
rounded them on every side. they had had suti-
cheney OF water during the whole time they could
have saved much more property-as il was they pre-
vented the destruction of an incaIcuable amount
The following are the principal public buildings
manufactures and offices that were DESTROYED:
Globe Cotton Factory, corner of I'd and Ferry.
Fire Navigation Insurance Office, Market, between
Sd and Sd.
Firemens' Insurance Office, cerner Market and Sd.
Penn. Insurance Office corner Market and 3d.
Bank OF Pittsburgh, 4th between Market and
Wood N''
Office Of Daily Chronicle, do.
job Printing Office Of j. B. Butler, Sd between
Market and Wood SIS.
Merchants Hotel, corner of 81 and, Wood sis.
A, krame2s Exchange Office, do.
Jones a. Sibbet's Exchange Office, corner of 4tb
and Wood streets. "
VIM. A. Hills Exchange Office, between 4th and
Diamond Alley
X. a. r. III. Pattsrson's Eagle and Bazaar Livery
Stable, Diamond Alley and aib ST.
Associate Reformed Church, 4th near Grant
Baptist Church, Grant street
Bskewells extensive Glass Works, Water above
Grant.
The Monongahela House, destroyed, with all the
furniture.
Monongahela Bridge, entirely destroyed 1t is ru-
moreo mat several lives were lost on the bridge
The Dallas Iron Works in Pipetown. entirely
destroyed.
The loss sustained in the destruction of the abovo
buildings is immense, but il is small when compared
with the destruction of merchandise in the ware
houses on Water, Wood, LIST and ID streets The
merchants found il impossible to attempt to save any
thing whole blocks we're destroyed ir few min
utes, and the most they could do was to make an eff
fort to save their books, and but few of them suc
ceeded even in that
II will be many years before our city can recover |
from the effects OF this dreadful calamity has cast
blight over the commercial and manufacturing en-
terprise Of hundreds Of most worthy citizens and
in an hour has swept from them all the profit. of |
years Of toll and industry. To their fellow citizens
who have been fortunate enough to escape this wide
spread destruction, they must look for aid TO tenn
mence the world anew and we are confident thew |
will not look in vain.
We write IN the hurry, confusion and erci,emen, i