Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1850-07-18
Terrible Fire raging In PhiIa-
dclphia---FrOm $50 To 200
Houses i'm Flames---Loss Of
Life, &c.

4
Ter street.
A large quantity of gunpowder and salt-
pe,re stored in q cellar exploded, blowing
fifteen OF twenty perscns into the river -
Ten or twelve are seliou.ly injured.
The fire is raging terrifcally. At least
one whole square is in blaze, and from
$50 to 900 houses have already been de-
stroyed. Several lives have been lost.
Morse's telegraph lire has been cut off
BY the ccnnagralion, and Dain's is in j'cp-
ardy.
SECOND DISPATCH
The Mayor Of Phi adelpha, 10y telegraph
has requested the Corporation of \. York
TO send on al the aid ,ha, conlJ be spared
from the Fire Department of the latter CITY,
To assist in checking the conhagration -
Several Ere companies werc despatched to
Philadelphia by an express train, among
which was Engine Company No 5
THIRD DISPATCH.
The Mayor Of Philadelphia has counter
manded the request f. r fire engines from \.
York. stating that the connaCralon w.s
be.ng got under.
FOURTH DISPATCH.
The fire broke out in the ST re 7S North
Delaware Avenue, a, I l-2 o'clock. The
building was occupied for storage purposes
and when discovered had already made CON
siderable headway with the flames, spread
ING in every direction. Bun short time O.
lapse before ,ha, large building through
Water street was envcloped in flames t; the
one adjoining North No. 50 was on fire
as well as tie ono South No. IS. B fore
the devouring element had reached the
ground no,r Of the building in which the
! fc originated, two terrific explosions of
saltpctrc rent he ais asunder, throwing
the flames Of The combusible matter in all
| directions, by which tie fire Was communi-
| Gated to large uuuher Of houses which
will be detailed hereafter.
Delaware Avenue was filled with mass
! Of human beings, among whom were scve-
raj hutdrcd uf our resoluje and noble fire
men. TIE first explosion did not seem TO
cause much excitement or fear with the
people pres nj nor did the second, except
some slight fears Of thcr safety, when they
moved towards the eastern ii c of the wharf
The third explosion vas fatal in many
cases, and proved the death of number of
men, women all children On Delaware
| Avenue and Wa'er street., the scene p,c-
senlcd was apaing in the extreme, and
such as we cannot and will not attempt
| description Of.
Ga the eastern Iro. of the stores, when
/ the third explosion of rhe saltpetre
occurred, the rush for lie was terrific men
and bys-auders, rushed away from the con
/ nagration, and, AS they cudeav,red to pet
beyon the reach of danger, hundreds were
Knocked down and run over, causing iha 7
. legs and arms 20 he lroli"n aud injuries in-
iIcted of a very serious character.
la the fright, some were thrown In the
. Del ware, while a large number volunrari-
! " threw themselves IN to shiol III msclvcs
/ ii iom the bricks and end, RS thrown from
the burning stores.
The fire then extended through Front
/ street, near Race, to above CullrRhill then
/ through Nine 10 Second, through Newman
) kel, up To CuleuhiII streets, destroying at
least FOUR HUNDRED HOUSES, a,
/ flr as we have been able to learn.
/ We give the following list Of killed and
wounded
Daniel Milford, member OF tho North
crn Liberties Hose, killed, in Water street
at the time Of the third explosion. Mori-
mer Morris, a fireman, young girl, three
IN n an | two boys were drowned III the
/ Delaware, at The time Of the third explo-
sion, in attempting to jump on board of
schooner.
/ a young man named Martin, aged l6,
was carried to the Hospital 1wiully Irned,
and he died almost as soon AS he entered
that institution A fireman was burnt to
crisp ~ Water street. David May, young
man, vas Instantly killed by being struck
on the head with rex WIN. V. Buck-
man had both legs broken. Thomas StuL,
a menler of The Viglant Engine Company
Was very seriously injured by being crushed
I between The engine and failing bricks at the
txposion. A lung list of those taken to
tho lIo'pita of fractured arms aud other
wounds, many Of which will prove fatal.
At my present writing, o'clock, the
FIRE encompasses two squares round, cN-
tending from Race street 10 Cullon hill, and
from the river to Sec.nd street, certainly
not lss hin $50 houses all destroyed. Ga
Water street, from Rec to Vine all old
fashion dwellings,, occupied generally by
poor people, twenty to thirty families IN
some OF the ''houscs. Their sunerngs can
moi be- imagined ItIS repoucd that IN one
pf,he louscs eomin vas found dead, and