The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-06-20

rtn Arrival ~ 10 Crescent city.
RUMoRED CONFEDERATION OF SAN
FRANCISCO CONFIRMED.

Hetsls, Theatres, Custom HOUSE, & Banks burned
Store 6kips Destroyed Destruction If Ten MAJ
iieHs y Property lhini,g Intelligence The PREF
slsncs Of Lynek L@o-- The Markets, &c.
MEw YoRg, June 10. IL p n.--The Crescent
City, with San Francisco dates ofMay 10Th, has
Just arrived. She does not bring the mails, the
mail agent having refused TO allow them to come
on in her, and thoy would come BY the Chero-
kes. which had not arrived at Chagres on the
9th, when the Crescent City left. She brings
6a7 passengers, and $777,OO0 in gold dust.
The Crescent City IL detained at quarantine,
and her news was brought up by special boats,
and will not reach the city till morning.
The Alta California of the 4th OF May thus
announces the great CONGREGATION in that city:
SAs FRAscIsco AGAIN IN ASHES The smoke
and flames are ascending from several squares
of our city, IA if the God Of Destruction had
seated himself in our midst, and was gorging
himself and all his ministers of devastation upon
the ruins of our doomed city aud its people.
About IL o'clock last night, the cry Of :" fire.
startled every one like an earthquake. The
fire had just commenced in paint shop on the
west aide Of Portsmouth square, adjoining the
Bryant house, AZ formerly called, but more re-
Gently the American hotel 1t was but slight
blaze whom first seen, but in five minutes the
whole upper story was full of flames. Before
the engines could get upon the ground and com
mence playing, the American house, on one
aide, and store occupied by Messrs Rhodes as
furnishing establishment, were in flames. The
buildings in the vicinity being all OF wood and
extremely combustible, the fire spread up Clay
strcet, back towards Sacramento, and down Clay
street towards Kearney, with frightful rapidity.
Il soon had full command, and the fire depart
iinent could only work upon the borders and
endesvoF to check it's progress by anticipating
il. In this they succeeded on the north side be-
fore it reached Dupont street, but in every other
direction in which it could spread it took its
Own course. There was little chance to save
much Of the moveables To the south it spread
TO Bush street, and to the east part Of Jackson
street, sweeping everything from east OF Du-
mont street to the wharves. The blocks be,
Tween Dupont and Kssrney streets, west OF
Portsmouth square, as far as Bush street, three
in number. are in ashes. Between Bush and
jackson, and Kearney, and Montgomery streets,
five in number, are all burned down. Between
Montgomery and Sansome, Bush and Jackson's
affects, five squares in number, all are burned
down. Besides these thirteen blocks, almost
every building of which is destroyed, there are
many others.
1t is impossible to even guess at the number
of buildings, or the amount Of property de-
Jstroyed A thousand buildings is within the
bounds of truth We Judge, and $l0,000,000
could not replace the terrible destruction. Some
place it twice or three times high. 1t is suf-
1eient to say that more than three-fourths OF the
business part of the city is nothing but smoul-
dcring cinders.
The principal buildings destroyed are the fol-
lowing to wit: The Custom-house, Onion hotel,
Parker house, Jones' hotel, Adephi theatre,
A. bota NOrl1
CITY hotel, Delmonico's, Merchants Exchange,
Post-office building, the ships Mantle and
General Harrison, and every newspaper office
except the Alta California. Nearly or quite all
the banks are in the burnt district. Burgoyne
g. Co., Wells a. Co., Jas. King of VIM, Del
monce and American hotels. Revere house, Pa
cific Mail Steamship Company, are all consumed.
Not house was left on Leidasdorf street, and
every thing on both sides of Long wharf to be-
yond Whitehall.
Scarcely fre-proof building in the whole
burnt district has stood the test Such as have,
are the California Exchange Ell Dorado, Veran-
dab, and the buildings of Captain Howard, in
which was the United States assayng office of
Aoffatt g. Co, on Montgomery street. The
officers of the Custom house saved the specie OF
the office by casting it into well. About ST.
900 900 were saved in this way.
A. j. Cost, naval officer, Mr.. Brown, appraiser,
Mr. Green, collector, and a number of Others in
the naval department had all Of their private eff
fects destroyed. The books and papers of the
departm emit were nearly all saved The large
United States bonded warehouse, containing
about 1000 tons of merchandise, in bond, was
saved.
The banking houses will all resume business
in the course of the week. When Burgoyne's
safe was opend, $l,500,000 was taken out not
singed or damaged in the least.
The fire swept every thing down on the east
erly side of Kearney street; Jackson street, and
all the intervening blocks to Battery street.
The shipping in the harbor providentially es-
capped The only vessels burnt were the Man
tic, Apollo, and the Gen. Harrison, store ships.
California, Montgomery, Pine, Sansome, Com
mercial and Clay streets were nearly destroyed.
The Sacramento hotel is blown up. Ho ward
e. Green's building containing many valuable
law libraries, Jones' hotel, the Savings bank,
and Dodge a. Co.'S Express Office agents build
inQs, California Exchange, Cook g. Bros stores,
were saved The Dramatic museum, Custom
house, Jenny Lind theatre, Parker house, Adams
& Co.'S Express Office, the Engine house, and the
Union hotel, are among the buildings burned.
The following are amongst the principal loses:
w. II. Robinson, 100000; Webber and Ham,
mond. 900 Backer and ~. y. henan, Soo,-
600 c. ]. Brown, $4,000; Heath and Emory,
Colvin Paige g. Co, $50 900; Paige and Web
ster, 100000; GIingham, 500 600; Davis and
Smith, 100000: Exchange, $4,000 Dickinson
House, $4,000; ]. S. Owens, $4,000; with
numerous other mercantile houses, varying from
two to thirty thousand each.
The total, according to the estimates, cannot
be less than 81 100000
The destruction Of the Union Hotel involves
a loss Of $250OOO. Messrs. Adams g. Co.,
saved their books, &c The deposites of Wells
e. Co. are saved. The Alta California says:
enclosures have been taken to supply the city
with water from lake near--3 miles distant.
A proposition had been laid before the council
by Mr.. Merri6eld, and was to be acted on May
18TH and if favorably, Mr. M. would leave i'm
mediately for the Atlantic States to contract for
the pipes and other materials"
n THO ra hnildinp Ind already commenced The