The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-07-19
The Great Fire in Phlladelphia.

We make up from various sources the following
account of the great fire in Philadelphia on the 9th
inst:
The greatest fire known in Philadelphia for years
occurred in this city yesterday II broke out at a
quarter past O'Clock, in the upper part Of large
store house on the south side of Water street, be-
low Vine, owned by John Brock, grocery and COM
mission merchant. The part of the building where
the fire originated was occupied by Gordon q Bur
ger, flour and hay merchants. The flames spread
with rapidty, and the firemen and an immense
crowd Of people were soon assembled. Suddenly
terrific explosion took place in the building, de-
stroying the house, causing great panic amongthe
crowd and disastrous loss of lives. This explosion,
which was understood to be from a quantity Of
saltpetre stored in the building, followed by
number Of other explosions of more less violence.
The CONSERVATION among the people, the rushing
Of hremen, the shrieks and groans of women
and children, the crashing of timbers the rush of
horses and drays, and the fall Of tmbers, bricks,
etc, made most frightiul scene. A great number
OF persons who were standing on the wharf either
leaped in or were blown into the river. Most of
these were rescued, but is thought that three
and boys were drowned, and there may have been
many more.
This frightful scene diverted the attention Of the
people and the abers of the fremen, and the flames
began to spread with fearful rapidity. A large
giFder blown from the scene of the explosion fell
upon house in Front street. Other timbers were
blown upon other houses, speedily setting fire to
them and spreading the confagration. The Vigil
liant engine was working in front of the scene ofex
plosion, and was considerably injured and for
time disabled
! The scene now became magnificent, though APP
| palllng. The flames, aided by a strong wind,
spread to the west and morrill, The buildings were
most Of them old, though substantial, and the cur
| rents of flame among the courts and alleys, were
fearful. The firemen were some time in recovering
| their places, and many persons were frightened
from the scene by The recent explosion and the wild
rumoFs circulating that other buildings contained
| powder and other explosive matter. In a little
while, all the buildings along the wharf from the
commencement of the fire up to Vine street, and
west, across Water and Front streets to Second and
| up Second TO Vine, were mass of flame The
buildings comprised, many of them, fine warehouses
as we'll as large number of good dwellings on
Front and Second, New and Vine Streets numer-
Gus buildings on Water street, occupied by great
numbers of poor families, and many other dwell
Ings in the alleys and courts that abound in that
| vicinity.
The fire ragged till past midnight and towards
| morning it was checked, but not until it had de-
slrOyed all the property within the following limits:
From the wharf below Vine street, west, across
Water and Front 10 Second up Second to Callow-
hill down Callowbill TO the river including sew
eral houses on the north side of Caliowhill and five
warehouses on the wharf above Callowhill, thence
down the wharito the place of beginning.
A correspondent of the Baltimore Sun saws:
1t is impossible at this time TO give more than an
| approximate idea of the number of buildings de-
sifOyed. Where the fire first commenced, on the
east side of Water street, below Vine, and extend
ing to the wharf, SIX or seven buildings were de-
| slroyed; on the east side of Front street, below
| Vine, and extending to west side of Water IS ; on
west side Of Front, below Vine, 70; on south side
Of Vine, from Front TO Second, 26; north side o,
| Vine, from Front to Second, II; east side of Mar
ket street, So including two courts; west side of
New Market 20; west side Of Front, above Vine,
to Callowhill, n: east side Front, opposite, 90 /;
east side of Water street, above Vine, or 10; on
south side Of Caowhill, from Second to Front, Is
same SIDE, elow Front, Z
On the north side Of Callowhill, below Water
6; and 4 on each side of Water, above Callowhill :
on Second, below Vine, Z south side Of New
street, 6, including two school houses; north side
Of New, 10, and ina court, and on east side Of
Second, above Vine, IS in Morriss court 20 houses
were destroyed; in Buckins's court 10 houses de-
stroyed in Vests alley 40 houses destroyed in
CORTLAND Place 10 houses destroyed Cowperth
| waits Place l6 houses destroyed.
Tecapitulation from the above shows that the
| whole number of houses partially or wholly de-
! stroyed, were three hundred and fifty-four, OF
which three hundred, perhaps, were used as dwell
ings, which, at the average of five to each house
makes the number Of persons rendered homeless by
this terrible calamity, not less than fifteen hundred