The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-07-31
ant Marshall has d short and Iiinsiied 1 NE,
ito make his returu. 1 - 49,
.fIss~'
California.

our seemingly devoted city. On FriJ,vl
last, 18th inst, about 3 o'clock in ti;e
morning. fire broke Ou,, which; for yio.s
Ience, rapidity OF destruction, and ,le
a!ihunt oi property destroyed, far exceeds!
either OF the two previous fires with which,
we have beca visited. Il commenced IN
the upper part of the Sacramento House.
Sacramento street, the day being clear.
and one OF our strong nortl,-wcsteriy Winds,
Just bcgpn'ng to whistle forth it's whole
strength; in addition, tho high spring tiasg
were OH the approach, and lust preyIo,,a Nso ,o.z
which. the flats in front Of the CIV. and ! =,
the sides OF the Central Wharf, are alWaws.
left bare at low watcE, even beyond ,(,a..
end OF that wl,aIf. Il was at this stapc ~
low water, with the fats left entirely bare,
Tor hull mile distance frnm the shore. fba ~
| tho fire commenced. The fire enoires.s
| were Immediately stationed in line t,pou
Tie wharf, the hose unrolled and coupled
! but before they couldbe worked. the receda
ing tide md.lcit tie hose which led inios
the water entirely dry; no more leuptl,s
could be had, and the engines were aban-.
| doned. =. E
Tn the meantime tie scene in the streets.
bniffr' description. Many were seated ap.
breakfast; coffee was poured down, hat and
cracker seized. and all immediately boiled.
from the tah'e to tic street, almost at q
bound. There the greatest confusion pre-.
wnilcd--at no fire in New York.. or in any,
! part OF the giebe, has your curres1cnGenB
Witnessed Sd extraordinary a, sielt.--
| People ike bees swarInel iir oyeTp d.
recuon,. some,. seeking, to- save tlieir-
! own property, We're rauling liz into' ,fic,
streets nom every door,: others having
! property Il few doors off were fastening
to1,;; few were Attending to tie fire. all had
'ntcrrsts OF their own TO look nftcr,' amid
THIS busy crowd horses ana carts, ranlcs,s !.
wagons, porters, wcTc moving in every dii--
rcc'ion and the whole sccnc,. accompanied
by the noise Of cr,cEling ,i,nbcrs, roaring.
flames. the whistlirg of the. wind, tile otit.si
cncs Of tic people; ;.nal',h neighing of ts,e'
attr'giitcd animals, may Bc Better iinagiiiedl
| thin deScrIlird.. Use.
stfF less tiinn' thirty minutes from its COM
mcncemcnt, ,Rc firc, driven before a strong
wind, had crossed Montgomery street, at
the head OF Central Wharf, ,.ard that block
many buildings Of which were but Just I
erected, was in fimes. The fire thenel
crossed Sacramento strcet,at alh points,
sweeping clean through to California stree &
WIN some 'ew exceptions, and 10 Kearney
street OIL the west. On the northward and J
tawindwarT side Of the fire ia crossed CLAW
street, and burned down The. corner OF
Mont merry street and the. adjacent abniid-S
ings--all jsst Comp Pleteds ssiss l,e prerioas;
tire. For itsssssss Han ssssilrs The s,oreSS
..I She riiast cd ADDS
| Montgomery streets, wooden hiiiiding,
was exposed TO an intense heat aud tos
ciouds OF Burning fEagsieRtssi and oindersS
from the latsess 81. the scppca:te. cerrsT--.-.
Proving frornitHpes.tontfie Kew ,o,a whole,
blocls OF valuable. stores. inciu,linr Ia,sre.
| quantities OF lun,ber stcred i'm the, rear. andl
me Aiasric ware houses in close proximity.
| hIcry cNcrtion was ccntorcd for the time.
| on this and the Immediately adjoining build.
! ings.
| Twicethe flames ca,sgSt in the rear and
! wcrc distinguished, and after two hours OF
! nnresntting ef0r, the fire was checked tn.
The net'hward, the'corrlnr building standing
hiackcned and scorcl.ej, hut safe. Had
tins corner bul,liag caught FIRE, in every
F! probability the Mantle Warehouses wo,i!ds
have shared The same fate, and con,n,i,ni-.
/! Gated TO the store ship General Harrison.
just hauled up, and from thence crossir.srs
Central Wharf To the Apollo w Warehouses,
and 10 thG Thomas Bennett stores, would
have e:acndcd an,otig the shipping of the.
hnrhor. Fortunately the FIRE was checked
and lhcsc contingencies avoided in the
meantime the head Of the Central Wharf,
aud OF the two private wllarres at the foot
/ oi Sacramento street. were burning, aI,tiis
( these cleseff all communications with tile
! shore TO largo body Of people, gathered
upon the wllarvcs To- secure their goods,
when the fire first broke out.
Constant explosions Of gun powder, OF SCI
vcrai hundred thousani packs If fire crack
crs, OF guns, pistols, &c, varied tao exci.e--
mcn' ct the lio',r, Small squads OF our citi-
zs''s We're dragging their slow lengths
along III The mud. in the flats during the
lorcneon., engage in saving goods. One or
Two c"asih1g vessels, lying NJ the shore, were
destroyed. Large quantities of Goods sought
safety in Ike Apollo" and warehouses ndia :
cant, for convenience of Shipping. as soon az
| the ride should comr IN Al y O'clock the
lire was checked, and n desolatc area of fbur
| squares i'll the business heart of tho civ
| showed its extent.
| GES. TAyLoE's PRorERTy.-We serrct
to sec II stated in letter 10 the New-fork
| Express, that Gen. Taylor's family are not
likely To be as comfortable in pecuniary
point OF view, IA Was generally supposed.
lie left no will We suhjoin the toiiowinp
extract from the latter referred TO:
when he !oltfor Mexico, it is stated. tha,
|
! the management OF his property, in case or
his death there, in which was supposed 10 be-.
will, and these three letters were not onen.
cd till after his burial here, but no will was.
amongst them, and the directions applied TO,
a property which is now almost wholly
changed in its form.
'.indcc'l his family now have no home,
and therefore, Mrs. Tavior, il Is snpnose,i
will n"t return to Louisiana. Ills plantation
on the Mississippi has been sold since n.
cam" here to enable him to purchase sugar
! plantation beow, so that home II lost.
frnv'onsly, however, l,e had purchased an
other midway plan'mias,. bn, that has turae,i
o"' 10 n@ very nnrTosaable piece Of proper
iy, making no crops, in consequence os be-
ing Hooded repeated Then tho homestead
Is gonr. to make ono payment on sucar
plantation on which something like seventy
or eighty Thousand dollars must now he duo
and the middle plantation is under wa,or.
l'rll1hIv- ~ ~. 4 A, {. Z