The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1851-07-10
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE ssMoUFTAIN SENTINEL" 4"
SAN Francisco, CALIFORNIA, !
June 1st 1851.

SAN Francisco, CsLIFoREIA,
June 1st 1851.
A. j. riley, ESQ:
According to promise shall
now proceed to write you brief letter in rela-
ton to matters and things in California.
On the Sd day of May this city was visited
with one of the most severe and destructive fires
which has ever occurred ON the continent. 1t
commenced about u o'clock P. NJ, and ragged
with great violence until 10 o'clock A. NJ. of
the succeeding day. At least 100 blocks of
buildings were entirely consumed, most of
which were stores and business houses, togeth
er with large and valuable stocks of merchan
dize. The fire originated in an Upholsterers
and Paint Store, near the centre Of the city,
and owing to the combustible nature of the ma
terials of which the adjoining buildings were
composed, it soon spread with fearful rapidity.
All the efforts made by the gallant fremen to
check its dreadful rayages were fruitless, block
after block fell before the devouring element,
until it had reached the fire proof block of
buildings on Montgomery street, here the fire.
men and citizens made desperate effort to
check its progress, but alas in vain, such was
the immense fame and heat which was waited
downward around these fire proof houses, that
they too, with scarcely exception, fell before
it like smothered struggling giants. In these
houses and the streets adjacent thereto, is
where the appalling destruction of human life
occurred, and where so many were seriously in
jured by the flames in making their escape from
the buildings, when they discovered them to be
m, 6ra Hare too he deStr,ctson ofr rrnpertv
was greater than on any other street, owing to
the fact of many parties having removed their
goods to these houses as place of safety. All
the Banking houses, with the exception of two,
were destroyed. The Custom House which
contained nearly one million dollars worth of
merchandise was also destroyed. The fire
proof iron warehouse of TAAFFE, MCAHILL &
Co., (of which D. A. MAGEHAN, formerly of
your town, was a special partner,) together
with an immense stock of dry goods, was con-
sumed, and in this building is where the most
fearful sacrifice of human life occurred. Sir
persons s0ere burned to death, three only out of
nine who were in the building having made
their escape, those who escaped were, D. Har-
die, Thomas MCahill and d. A. Magellan.
Hardie and Magellan made their escape by rum
ming two entire squares through sheet of
flame, both being sadly burned in the street.
Mr.. Hardie has entirely recovered, Mr.. Mage
han, although badly burned on the face and
hands, has so far recovered as to be now able
to attend to business, his loss by the fire was
enormous, at least $15,0 900. That firm, how
ever, with that peculiar energy only known in
California, have erected another building and
are again t.going ahead,'' such is California.
Mr.. MCahill, the other gentleman who escaped
from the iron warehouse, made his escape
through the scuttle on the roof, and from thence
crossed over two of the adjoining buildings anG
entered through scuttle into building, wher
he together with thirteen others battled against