Baltimore commercial journal, and Lyford's price-current. [volume] (Baltimore, Md) 1840-1849, 1848-08-26

warehouse arks with all their valuable and vast
tents OF goods and products the three bridges at Co
lumbia State and Hamilton sts. lumber yards, Hour
stores, in short everything that fioacd or tecmcd
with life and value in that great mart yesterday
morning.
The scene in State street bcggars all description.
Thousands, flying from the coniagratiOn, pressed
every conceivable vehicle into their service, deposit
ing goods, furniture, families, children, everything
animate and Illuminate. Every point in that wide
strect-at the Exchange, at the City Bank, at the
corner OF all the ntcrscctng Streets in front OF St.
Peters Church, all along the Parks, and finally at
the State Hall and City IIall-wcre crowded with
bales, boxes, furniture, goods of every descriptions
&c. No point deemed too remote from the de-
vouring element The stores everywhere were
closed or were only opened to the flying citizens
and their effects.
Two buildings were blown up in the hope of ar
resting the progress of the fire.
All the Insurance Companies suffer largely, if not
runously.
Some twenty vessels below the basin hastily
drawn out in the river and preserved. The Isaac
Newton and Rip Van Wrinkle steamers also
rescued with much difficulty.
The confagration of the Pier, so utterly sweeping
was as rapid as ii was unexpected. 1t was supposed
TO be safe, owing TO the intervening Basin. Its only
danger was from the flying cindcrs; and every store
had its look out and its buckets. When all danger
had supposed to have passed, spark caught under
clapboard the east river side Of the Pier and
in few moments the flames were beyond all con-
troll, and throughout the entire length OF the Pier,
such the rush Of the flames, that many of the
merchants cut off from escape from the basin side,
abandoning all hope of saving property, hastily threw
their books and valuable papers into boats, and put
out into the river.
The roofs everywhere throughout the city were
thronged with occupants, anxiOusly guarding their
property from the falling cndcrs.
1t is to be feared that several lives were lost
certainly several persons were severely injured or
burncd but we have positive informaton-( GIVEN
ty ascertaincd to be mssing.)
Nearly the entire Troy and lest Troy fire depart
ments were on the ground. Their aid was promptly
and most efficiently rendered Last evening they
rendered, through the telegraph, the aid OF three
additional companies, which came down and served
as relief guard.
All business was suspended, all the places of amuse
ment closed i'll short, the aspects in all directions
bespoke the desolation which pervades the city.
One of our Oldest residents, familiar with the fire
department, estimates the loss by fire here since
March last, exceeding the entire loss for the pre-
vous forty -one years. This couiagraton-in broad
day-atogether surpasses, III every form OF loss any
with which the city has ever been visited
The suffering among the inhabitants Is severe, and
many demand the sympathy, commiseraton and
charity of those who so fortunate as not to have
been among the immediate sufferers. Many III afllu-
cnt circumstances yesterday, ruined. Thousands
houselcss. Destitute families and numerous chill
dren, without shelter bread, all around us.
Aid cannot be too promptly afforded.
Further PdrtiCuidrS.-Thc losses in the various
streets were follow: Pier, 80 buildings. In the
Basin, Boston schooners, tow-boats belonging to
the Swiftsurc Line aud float; lake boats barges,
belonging 10 tle Eagle oW boat Line, anu scVei"
Canal boats Quay 80 buildings, mostly OF them
three and four story brick stores. Broadway, l39
stores and dwellings, including Eagle Tavern and
Townsend House, U. S. Hotel, Columbia Hotel, &c
Church-st. A buildings. Diagonal-st., buildings
Union 81 houses Hamilton st, "a houses: Di-
vison-st., Is houses. Hudson-st, houses. Eliza
beth-st. % houses. Denniston- houses. Lydi-
u.s. ST., 80 houses. Blccckcrst IL houses. Herki-
mer-st., houses. Dallius st, houses-total, 439.
The loss by the different Fire Insurance Compa-
mics, as far as can be learned, is: Albany y 0O0
Firemcn's Albany, $4,000; Mutual, Alb, S OOO0
New York Mutual Safety, 100000; North Ameri-
can, New York, $4,000; National, New York,
York, S 1900; Hartford, 100000 Etna and Protcc-
ton, Hartford, $S25,0OO; North western, Hartford,
$4,000; Camden, New Jersey, $4,000; Lexing-
ton, Kentucky, $sS,000 Columbus, Ohio, 1927 900;
Protection, New Jersey, S9,60O-total, $56S,2OO.