Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-08-24

lures and stores, including tho 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 on Quay street, throughout
nearly the entire space above mentioned, all is a
heap of ruins.
All the cross streets entering Broadway, Her.
kimer, Blocker, Lydius, Hamilton, Division and
| Hudson west as far as Union and Dalus Streets
are swept away. Amazing effort preserved
Goods great carriage and coach establishment
everything on the surrounding streets being de-
molished.
North, the flying cndefs, with which the air
was filled, caught the Columbia street Market,
and of that large structure nothing remains
| The adjacent buildings were saved by the prompt
efforts Of the two Schenectady fire companies
| But the scene of the most striking and abso-
lutte desolation is the Pier. Scarcely vestige
Of it remains Throughout its entire length,
from Hamilton street to the cut opposite the Bos-
ton depot, it is utterly consumed, ncudng the
wharves, warehouses; nearly all the shipping in
the Basin aud on side he Pier, tow boats, bar
ges, canal boats, huge floating warehouse arks
with all their valuable and vast contents of goods
and products, the three bridges at Columbia,
State and Hamilton streets, lumber yards flour
stores, in short every thing that holted or eemed
with life and value 10 that great mart yesterday
morning.
The scene in State street beggars all descrip.
ton. Thousands, flying from the conf grafton,
pressed every conceivable vehicle into their ser.
vice, depositng goods, furniture, families chill
dren, everything animate and inaninate. Every
point in that wide s,reet--at the Exchange. at
the City Bank, at the corners of all the intersec-
ting Streets in front of st. Peters Church, all
along the Parks, and finally at the State Hall
and City Hall-were crowded with bales, boxes,
furniture, goods of every description, &c. No
point was deemed too remote from the devuurnu
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
arrestng the progress of the FIRE. One belong
iog to MIR. J. l. Boyd in Broadway, and the other
to Mr. john Knower, corner of Hudson and Lib
erty streets but with little effect.
All the insurance companies suffer largely. If
not ruinousy
Among the shipping destroyed was the sch
Cotult, of Boston, arrived yesterday morning,
and the schr. Eliza Matilda also of Boston, seri
onsly damaged. Some twenty vessels, below the
Blsln, were hastily drawn out in the river and
preserved. The Isaac Newton and Rip Van
Wrinkle steamers were also rescued, with much
difficulty.
The coniteraon ofthe Pier, so utterly sweep
lng, was as rapid as 1t was unexpected. 1t was
supposed to be safe, owing TO the intervening
Basin. Its oaly danger was from the flying Gin
ders and every store had It's look. out and its
buckets. When all danger was supposed to have
passed, spark caught under clap lonrd on the
East or river side of the Pier, and in a few mo-
ments the flames were beyond all control, and
throughout the entire length of the Pier, such
was the rush OF the flames, that many of the mcr.
chants, cut oil from escape from the Basin side
Abandoning all hope of saving property, hastily
threw threw their books aud valuable papers in
TO boats, and put ont into the river.
he roofs everywhere throughout the CITY
were thronged with occupants, anxiodsly guard
ing their property from the falling clnders.
1t is TO be feared that several lives were lost
certainly sovela persons were severely Injured
or burned hut we have no positive information
Nearly the entire Troy and West TROY fire
departments 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 rellet guard
AL business was suspended, all places of a.
musement cosed-n short the aspect in all di-
rectlons bespoke the desolatlon which pervades
the city.
One of our oldest residents, familiar with the
hire department, estimates the loss by fire here
since March last, as exceeding the entire loss for
the previous forty-onc years. This confla grafton
In broad day-alt0gelher surpasses, in every
form of loss, any with which the city has ever
been visited
Stanwix Hall and City Hotel we're several
times on fire.
The suffering among the inhabitants is severe
and many demand the sympathy, commiseratlon
ana charity OF those who are SO fortunate as not
to have been among the immediate sufferers. s.
Many IN ailident circumstances yesterday, are
ruined. Thousands are houseless. Destitute
families and numerous children, without shelter
or bread, ure all around us. Aid cannot be too
promptly atforded.-.4bany Argus, 18th.
IL o'clock, p. M.
LATER-Loss OF LIFE I'VE regret to learn
that several lives have been lost Two men
were drowned in the Basin, near the foot OF Mai
den Lane. They were floating on raft, and in
The midst of the conf igratlon, fell oft aud
sunk Tho owner Of The steamboat William
Seymour, b .njalnin Wakeman, Is missing.
man named llardely, an lrlshnan, died from over
exertlon. A man named Johnson, and several
others, missing.
Some or 10000 barrels of -four were burned
on The Pier. The loss of property in the Basin
was immense.
The loss Is roughly estimated at TWO MIL.
LIONS OF DOLLARS! We fear our local
Insurance companies are overwhelmed. The
property on The Pier was insured abroad.
The Swlfisure and Eckford Tow Boat lines
lose tremendously.
Hundreds OF our business men are utterly
ruined.
Four buildings were blown up with powder
.HdnigM The fire is burning in forty places,
hut II is completely under control. There is no
wind, aud The rein has ceased Albany Erpress
ALBANY, Friday, |. p. NJ.
The loss of The Albany Insurance companies
by the fire is estimated at 5000 000-capilal aud
surplus AT 100000. Firemen's Insurance Com.
pany, Albany $1,000; Albany Mutual, loss
$4,000 premium notes SI50000.
Loss of the New York City Insurance Compa-
MES, $4,000: Lexington, Ky, $1,000; Colnm.
bus, Ohio, $1,000; the Camden, ~ j., office los
es heavily. The estimated amount of loss con-
times to advance, and is now put at 50, 900 900
William Johnson, of 81 Liberty street, was
burned TO death. A man named John Harkey,
died of exhaustion. 1t is generally believed that
two or three other lives have been lost, and up
wards of twenty people are missing.
The amount of f,ur destroyed IS 10000 bar
rels, which was mostly on the pier of The Swift.
sure line, who are heavy losers, say $50 900 to
$4,000 in the destruction OF barges, flour, &c.
The Hudson River line loses but little Eek.
ford, Schuyler 81 Durani'S lines had no boats