New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-06-20
The san Francisco Fire.

The san FRANCISCO EAEe'
fever any people earned a rightful claim
to final success, those people are the Cab
forniaus. During the brief period OF their
oroanized existence, their history has been
a constant succession of checks and catas-
trophies, all of which they have undergone
and overcome, with patient energy which
nothing seems able to subdue. With the
exception, perhaps, Of the great fires In
New-York and Hamburg, no fire which has
occurred in the present generation has
been so destructive IN It's consequences as
the recent cOnhagratlOn in San Francisco.
While in extent it nearly equals the two
former. the inordinate value of property
swells the actual loss to a much greater
amount. The private advices received yes
terday by some of the principal mercantile
firms of this city, are at variance with the
newspaper accounts, the latter estimating
the loss at from seven to twenty millions,
while the former place it at about two mil
lions. The list of individual losses which
we published yesterday, amounts in the az
pregate to more than SIX millions, and this
sum, we presume, is somewhere near the
truth.
The conhagration ragged ten hours, and
the scene is described as having been one
ofthe most appalling magnificence. large
proportion of the houses being frame, they
caught like finder, and the immense mass of
flames, famed by a strong wind, shrlvelled
up and consumed everything in its path.
The rapiditv with which it spread, leaplng
from street to street, and hemming in with
its relentless barriers those who had lin
gcred in the hope of rescuing their proper
tv, till they fell and persisted before the eyes
of the spectators. gives the catastrophe
tragic and terrible interest. Instances are
related where the victim, who had forced
his way through that sea of fire, turned
again as if impelled by a horrible faSclna-
ton, and madly rushed into the flame.
While these scenes were cnacung, and
small band of citizens was perlllng life to
STAY the devastation, thousands of specta
tors-as we learn from the letters of our
espondents-looked on supinely and re-
fused to lend their aid, except on the most
exorbitant terms The main body of the
confederation was only arrested by the wa
ter. and its force being thus scattered, twas
at length prevented from extending further
in other directions.
On the smoking and blackened district,
covered with charred timbcrs, like the re-
mains of burnt forest, three hundred and
fftv-Seren houses were wholly or partially
erected, in ten DAYS aiterward The whole
number of buildings going up III the city at
the same time. was STA hundred. In spite
of the terrible blow to the business of the
city, the courage and perseverance of the
sufferers does not seem to have tagged for
a single day, and the San Francisco papers
confidently predict that in two months the
burnt district Will be entirely rebuilt. We
know OF no parallel to such mdomltable en-
terprise
/ In spite of tue large sums thereby with
/ drawn from the ordinary channels, there
was no diminution in the amount of gold
dust shipped at San Francisco on the 18th
ut, the Northerner and New-Orleans hay
inc two millions on freight. In addition TO
this, the passengers by the Crescent City
are known to have brought large amount
estimated by some as high as two millions
which was not entered on her manifest
The recuperauve energies of California So
ciety have been too thoroughly proved, for
N to anticipate any permanent injury to the
prospects OF San Francisco, from this ysi-
tation The unusual richness of the golden
harvest this year, and the consequent activ-
ity in all branches OF trade throughout the
Interior, are also favorable TO the speedy
restoration OF all that has been lost.
The FIRE at Stockton has fallen with
equal severity upon that fourishing town,
hut the advantages of It's position as the
great market OF supplies tor all the South
ern mining rivers, will soon rebuild its rl-
lued streets.
Mere Facts i'm the Case.