Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1845-04-18
IFrom the Pittsburg Post, April III
Tremendous ConAagratiOn in Pitts
burg.
TWENTY SQUARES OF THE CITY IN RUINS
FROM 1000 to 1900 HOUSES DESTRoYED-LoS:
ESTIMATED AT TEN MILLIONS.


ESTIMATED AT TEN MILLIONS.
tits our painful duty to record the most terri
BILE fires that ever devastated any city this continent
great portion Of our busy and popuous town is IN rl
ins More houses have been destroyed by this single
and horrible confagraon than have been consumed by
all the fires that have occurred in the city before.
Those acquainted with the plan Of Pittsburg will re-
sze the extent Of the terrible calamity we have suffer
ed when we state that nearly all that portion OF the
city extending from Ferry street up the Monongahela
river to the city line and thence to the head of the en-
tire suburb called "Pipetown tKensngton) has been
DESTROYED The FIRE reached up Market street as lar
az the south side of Sd street. and up Wood street as
far as the south side of Diamond Alley The 6ounda
res of the burnt district may be thus described from
Water street up Ferry to Third street. 1.-THE old Presby
aerian Church was saved,) up Third to Wood up
Wood to Diamond Alley, both sides up Diamond Alley
TO Smth6eld street, and thence down Smthheid to
Fourth streets, both Sides up Fourth street TO hoss
street and thence the head OF Pipetown; including
as we have estimated above about twenty squares and
comprising from ten twelve hundred houses many
Of the ware houses contained goods OF immense Value-
thew were grocery dry goods and commission houses,
and their spring stocks had been Just laid in
The fire originated in frame building over an Zee
house belonging VIM Dieh near the corner OF sec
.ond and Ferry streets The wind was blowing suh1y
from the northwest though it frequently veered to 9th.
or points and owing to its variations the hre extended
IN Wood street farther than it otherwise could have
dome II was discovered about ~ o. clock, and was
not materially checked till in the afternoon. Even
while we write, at o'clock 7. NJ, the engines are
playing vigorously in Wood Street
We can give no adequate idea of the distress which
pervades stricken community The progress oil
the flames fearully rapid, that many persons
had not time to recover their goodsothers, again. had
got their property into the street, when the flames seiz
ed there, before it could be removed to place oil
safety. Others still would not believe the deVonring
element could reach their dwellings, and did not think
of removing until late to save their furniture
And we saw many people who escaped with nothing
but the apparel they had upon their persons AT dafS
YOU might see in every direction, families sitting with
out shelter guarding such portions of their household
furniture as they able to from the flames, and
not knowing where they would lay their heads OF pro
cure morse of food Of course, the kindness OF then
more fortunate feow-citizens, did much to alleviate
their suferngs and believe all were provided io
as well the melancholy nature of affairs would allow
The councils met in the afternoon, and attempted to
devise some to stay the conffagraton. IL was
proposed to blow up houses that seemed in the way
The flames; the deliberations, however, were neheeua
in results and we believe but one or two buildings
were blown up. 1t seems to us, indeed that, there
scarcely could have been time to accomplish any thing
in the way of destroying houses so terribly rapid wa
the progress Of the fire.
There is abundant reason for thankfulness that sc
few lives were lost. There are many rumors OF mer
being killed and burnt and woundedbut they are no
autbenticated One woman is certainly burned and we
saw poor old otterng along with the help OF two
friends his face badly burned The loss OF life, howev
cannot be learned in the awful CONFUSION winch pre-
walls. o., :,
We know not how to express sense of the livel,
gratitude to which the fremen are entitled from GU
afflicted and ruined citizens, well as those they have
saved nothing in the shape of reward can compensate
them for the incessant toll they had to nndergo-ant
for the unyielding, heroic 6rmness which they mani
tested under the appalling terrors which surrounded
them on every side. If they had sufciency of waite
during the whole time they could have saved mucl
more propertyas was they prevented the DESTRUCTION
of an incalculable amount.
The loss sustained in the destruction OF the abov
buildings is immense but it is small compared with tn
destruction of merchandise in the warehouses on wa
ter, Wood First and Second streets. The merchant
found it impossible to attempt to save any thing, who'll
blocks were destroyed in a few minutes, and the mos
thew could do was make effort to their book
and but few of them succeeded even in that.
1t will be many years before our city can recove
from the effects of this dreadful calamity it has cast
blight over the commercial and manufacturing enter
prise of hundreds of most worthy citizens, and il
an hour has swept from them all the profits OF years
toll and industry. To their fellow citizens who hav
been fortunate enough escape the wide spread de
struction, they must look for aid to commence tn
world anew and confident they will not look j
vain.
We write in the hurry, confusion, and excitement G
the terrible time, and under the physical wearnes
caused by Iaboring the furniture Of the house
one of the editors, which burned to the ground.