New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-08-19
pREspFUL coNFLAGRaTIoN.
Most of the Business Portion OF the III, 7"
Ruins Hundreds of Buildings ana "h"""-
of Property Destroyed


F-aon he Afaug Ar-us Of le.'-r'a5
Our city : literally desolafe. 4 IRE broke cut
=; about yesterday IN stable IN nc resI % p.
Albion Hotel corner Of broadNa .ra ne Ns'ils- :,
between Broadway and the river. The wind wts a
gale from the sosih the heat Of the weather anh to
IRE intense, and every thing dry and eomousuole
an nconceivsby short time the hre spresd over w
surface prusfrating everything before ~ me ,oi's
of ia. frrulen aided by the Troy West Troy. GIeen
bush Arsenal and Schenectady companies. were direct
ed s. well - they could b. under such sppahng CIR
cunstances bat they were powcre-s aesinst sAsn "a
amazing force oi flame OF raging WIND sna me n'ie'
heat OF the wide spreading and sllcsnsuming clement
The IRE was not arrested tail after in ihe afternoon
and only then BY prOvidentia change ci WHO" Nicu
threw the current OF lame back upon is vast u~N OF
devastation, followed by heavy sud drencnns an
This alone preserved 70 the city al the business snd
oo!n~erea portion Of il %, escaped Consumed and
IroSs although estimafe Of value yet attanable
We hear OF two forwarding lines that esInsie prop.
ery under their charge to the smouL' 81 ssVlvl AL
consumed Another line suffers 70 an smognt from
$4,000 70 S-00N The loss OF Hour sioat and IN store
y not less than lo 0oo barrels
The area Of the FIRE embraces many acres. perhaps
City OF sixty Of the most compact and valuable part 81
the city. L Includes a. least twenty squares. Amid
the ruins which everywhere meet the eye, u difficult
20 traca the outlines OF the former state o. Things lut
those familiar with the city viii perceive the extent Of
this calamitOus visitation by few senera-ites
Broadway from the Intersection Of Herkimer, 70 the
south Of Hudson 81 on the west side ana 70 IN
schsscks Variety store on the east side nearly hat
mile with Al IL structures and stores including the
Eagle Tavern, the Townsend House. and the United
states Hotel level with the earth.
From Broadway TO the river, including the ranges OF
lofty stores Quayst throughout nearly The enIlre
space above mentioned. al Is heap OF ruins
Al the cross streets entering Broadway Her kimer'
Becker Iydius Hamilton. Division and Hudson. west
far ss Union and Dsius cts are swept awsy ANA
ing effort preserved Goods great carriage and coach
establishment. everything on the surrounding streets
being demolished.
nled CAUGHT the COlu blast Market and OF that large
structure nothing remains. The adjacent buildings
saved by the prompt efforts OF the two Science
lady fire companies
But the scene OF the most striking snd absolute desc
stion is the Pier. Scarcely vesuge OF 70 remains
throughout il entire length from Hamlton.strect 10
the cut opposite the Boston depot It Is utterly con3um'
ed including the wharves ware houses nearly al the
shipping IN the Basin and outside the Pier tow boats
osrges canal boats huge h0sting warehouse arks with
al their valuable and vast contents OF goods aud pro
ducts, the tire, brdg A. Columbia state snd hamil'
tom lEnher yards -four stores in short every
thin that ioated tecmed with life ana value IN that
gre At mart yesterci morning.
The scene 10 stat St beg all description. Thous.
aOds flying ir6l q cOnnagratOn, pressed every con
cevabe vehicle into heir service depOsung goods
furniture families children everything animate and
nannate. Every pom. in that wide strect-at the
Exchange az the City Bank At the corner o All me IN
terseciing streets in front OF - Peters Charch al
all along toe Parks and hnsy at the State Hall and City
Ha-werc crowded w.sS bales, boxes, furniture, goods
of every description. SC No point was deemed too
remote from the devourng element The stores every
where were closed, were only opened 20 the lying
citizens and their effects.
Two building were blown up in the hope Of arrestng
the progress OF the IRE. One belonging 70 Mr. J.
Boyd In Broadway aud the other % Mr. John hnower,
corner Of Hudson and Liberty SITS but with little effect
All the Insurance Companies suffer largely 4 not ru-
nously
Among the shipping destroyed was the schr. Couit
OF Boston arrived yesterday morning, and the schr
Eliza Matilda also of Boston. seriously damaged Some
twenty vessels below the Basin hastily drawn out
10 the river anG preserved The Isaac N.won and Rip
Van Wrinkle steamers were also rescued. with much
difficulty
The conia-raiion OF the Pier, so utterly sweeping
as rapid IL was unexpected. u was supposed 10
be- safe owing % the Intervening Basin lts only dan.
ger from the flying cnders and every store had
is look and its buckets. When all danger had sup
posed 90 have passed. spark caught under clap
board the east river side Of the Pier and IN lew
moments the flames were beyond all CONTROL anu
throughout the eutire length OF the Pier such was the
rush Of the flames that any OF the merchants, cut on
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
throngcd with occupants. anNiously guarding their
property from the falling cinders
Il Is 81 be- feared that several lives were iOst-ccr-
ainy several persons were severely injured or burned
but We have no positive Information
Nearly the entire Troy and West Troy ire depart
ments were the ground. Their aid was promptly
and most efficiently rendered Last evening they ten
dered through the telegraph, the aid of three add
uons companies which came down and served AZ
relief guard
All business suspended all the places Of amuse
ment closed IN short the aspects 10 all directions be
spoke the desolahon which pcrsades the city.
One our oldest residents. familiar with the re de
partmeut estimates the loss by IRE here since March
last exceeding the entire loss for the previous forty
years. This conhagration-in broad day-sltogeth
er SURPRISES every form OF loss any with which the
city has been visited.
Stsuwix Hall and City Hotel were several times on IRE
The suffering among the inhabitants - ss'er,i and
many demand the sympathy, commisseratton and char
ity OF those who fortunate not 10 have been
among the immediate sufferers Many in atiiuent cir
cumstsnces yesterday, are ruined Thousands are
hOuseess Destitute families and numerous children
without shelter bread all around us. AID con
not be too promptly afforded.