The southern press., 1851-06-25
From the Daily Ala California, May Alb.
Account Of the Tremendous Fire.

Il is our melancholy duty to announce thi'
morning the most awful ann versary of the ter
rble confauration one year ago, In this place.
San Francisco is again in ashes. The smoke
and flames are ascending from several squares
Of our city, as il the God Of Of destruction haC
seated himself in our midst, and was gorgine
himself and all his ministers of devastation upor
the ruin Of our doomed city and its people.
Abolt eleven o'clock last night, the cry Of
I" fire" startled every one like an earthquake
The fire had just commenced in paint shop, or
the west side Of Portsmouth square, adjoining
the Bryant house, formerly called, but more re
Gently the American. II was but slight blazt
when first seen, but in five minutes the whole
upper story was full Of fame. We have never
seen flames spread so rapidly. Before the en-
gines could get upon the ground and commence
playing, the American on one side, and store
occupied by Messrs. Rhodes as furnishing es
Enlistment, were all in flames.
The buildings in the vicinity being all Of wood
and extremely combu tibe, the fir spread up
Clay street, back towards Sacramento, and ,wr
Clay street towards Kearny, with frightful m.
pidity. II soon had full command and the fire
department could only work upon the borders
and endeavor TO che, k its progress by anticipat
ing Il. In this they succeeded on the north side
before it reached Dupont street But in every
other direction in which il could spread, il took
its own course. There was little chance 10 save
much of the moveables-for ere they were
aware Of th' IL danger in most cases, the flames
were wrapping them In destruction.
To the south il spread 10. Bush street. and b
the east, at the time Of writing this, o'clock A
NJ. it has passed Jackson street, sweeping every
thing from little east Of Dupont TO the wharves
The blocks between Dupont and Kearney
streets, west Of Portsmouth square, rs far rs
Bush street, three in number. are in ashes. Be
tween Bush md Jackson, Kearny and Mont.
gomery streets, five In number, all down. Be.
tween Montgomery and Sansome, Bush and
Jackson streets, five in number, all down. One
MN on Washington street fell dead from ovel
exer'ion. He was so completely surrounded by
the fire, he coull not be relieved by those who
saw him fall
James King Of VIM, was badly burned, bot
esraped with life.
Beyond Sansone. towards the shipping, we
do not know how great j. the destruction. for the
smoke Is so dense, and the fire intervening. Il is
impossible To tell b sides these thirteen blocks
almost every building Of which Is DESTROYED
there nre many Others. tits impossible 10 even
guess Of the number Of buildings or the amount
OF property destroyed. A thousand buildings
IL within the bounds Of truth, we iudrp, and
ten millions Of dollars could not replace the
terrible destruction. Some plfce il twice or
three times as high. Il is sufficient TO say thn,
more than three fourths Of the business part nj
the city il nothing but smouldering cinders. II
is impossible TO give list Of the buildings
burned or the names OF the sufferers: but the
principal buildings are the following
Custom-house, Union hotel, Parker house
Jones' hotel Adelphi theatre, Dramatic museum
National hotel, New World, City hotel, Del
monicos', Merchants Exchange, Ross building
ships Niantio, and General Harrison. Every
newspaper Office in town, except the Ala Cal.
forhia Nearly or quite all the bankers are in
the list
Burgoyue g. CO., Wells g. c :, James King
Of VIM, Delmonico, American hotel Revere
house, Pacific Mail Steamship Company all are
down.
All the buildings about Jones' hotel had been
consumed when we went to press, and il is
thought the hotel itself will burn, although the
iremen were making extraordinary exertions
10 save t.
Not a house was left on LedesdorfT street
and every thing on both sides Of Long wharf to
beyond Whitehall is consumed.
Here and there brick building stands like 0
tomb among nation Of graves, yet even they