Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-08-08
LATEST NEWS
BY LAST EVENINGS MAILS.
From the New Y ork Commercial, Aug. 6.
ARRIVAL OF THE EMPIRE CITY
THE CALIFORNIA MAIL.

VI The steamship Empire City, captain VIM. H.
Brown, from Chagres. July 18th, and Kingston,
Jamaica, July 30th, arrived this morning
A The Empire City brings mails, specie and pas
sengers from steamer Panama, Is days from San
Francisco.
BY this arrival we have full files of San Fran
cisco papers to the lst OF July, fifteen days later
than our previous advices. The intelligence is
both interesting and important Notwithstanding
the losses consequent upon the fire, it is the opin-
ion of many of the most intelligent passengers by
the Empire CITY that the accounts from Califor-
MIA have seldom been more fav orabe than at pre-
sent. The fire burned over large extent of
ground, but the buildings destroyed were not of
the first class, and much better were in the
process of erection when the Panama left San
Francisco. Notwithstanding this loss the bust.
ness prospects of the country were good, and the
accounts from the mines, especially where the
quartz operations are carried on, were encoura-
ging No former steamer, we believe has BROUGHT
as large sum in gold as the Empire CITY on her
present trip, in addition to which, two other
steamers will arrive in the course of day or
two, with further sums brought from San Fran
cisco by the two steamers which left on the same
day as the Panama.
THE FIRE AT SAN FRANCISCO
We copy the following general particulars of the
sixth great fire in San Franc from the Alta Calitor
mia; The fire occurred Saturday, the 22d of June:
Yesterday moTang, little after ten o'clock the
dately gathered around the building where it originated
This was in Pacific street. on the north SIDE near Pow
ell street, in two story wooden building. Fire was
first disc overed breaking of the roof and under The
caves OF the house. few moments before the fire
the air seemed calm and strless but with the progress
OF the flames wind seemed to rise, and in few mi
nutes strong gale blew from the northwest Next
door to the house where the fire first seen was the
carpenters shop OF Morriss & Reynolds which imme-
dately caught The hire spread from this down Psci-
tc street, when the building the corner Of any alley
near STOCKTON street, torn down with the hone OF
arrestIng the flames. A pile of lumber in the rear of
the house where the fire originally caught was soon on
tire, and IN few minutes the whole block to Broad
way, and on 10 Stockton street, in a blaze
The re about half past ten crossed Pacific street, and
with the strong wind blowing, soon communicated
TO the whole block as far as Jackson street. Houses
on the corner OF Jackson and Stockton streets were
torn down. but with no avail, The wind had risen to
perfect hurricane, and IS there no water in that
vicinity there was nothing TO be done but gaze upon the
progress OF the flames portion OF the city built OF
the most combustlbe materials. At The time the fire
crossed Stockton sreet at the time spread down
Broadway, Pacific and Jackson streets. Along the
former burnt on the side toward The Plaza as far as
hearney street; 0n Pacific street it burned to Ohio
street, taking the City Hall and the City Hospital in
Its course On jackson street reached to few houses
below Montgomery street. The lire burned fIriousv
along Stockton street, on both Sides nearly down to
washington street, where by the most extraordinary
exertlons the frame building on the of Washing
ton and Stockton street, owned by W. d. M. Howard
ESQ., and occupied by DR.. Wozencratt, was saved
Blankets were thrown over the roof which was kent
continually wet and thus the fire heie combatted
L then crossed in diagonal direction in the of the
Baptist church, which was also saved into Washington
street, burning down the hospital of DR.. Arthur B.
Stout and the adjoining buildings. 1t passed down
Washington and along Dupont street. On the latter
down Washington street it caught the Jackson House
The buildings on Dupont street, between Washington
and Pacific streets, were all on fire, and then the whole
city seemed again threatened with destruction The
jackson Hou e and the house ad joining was burned
while the California restaurant, above and adjoining
our office was blown up At the time the fire
as sfrn : -
the burning OF the build ngs on Kearny street. which
being nearly all OF wood burned vely readily The flames
caught below our office in the wooden buildings be-
tween it and the Belle Union and then it was that our
Office caught, after we had removed from it all was
possible to save The house known the Louisiana"
was torn down. the doors OF the Bella u ion closed
and the latter left to take its chance At the same
time the flames were crossing from Dupont street to the
light frame buildings in the rear of the old adobe,
which soon caught and burned
Crossing IN the rear OF the Verandah the fire EXTEND
ed down Washington street 10 San some, taking both
sides of the street as far Montgomery street, stop
ping on the South side at Burgoyne's new building
On Montgomery street, the West side is burned en-.
trely from Pacific street to Washington, and the East
side with the exception OF the buildings of. B. del
man. J. Friedlander and ]. Wber near the corner of
Jackson street, Between Washington and Clay
Streets the only idng burned the West side
near the corner OF Merchant street, and occuped by
Messrs. Cronn q Markey From Washington street
the fire crossed over in the Of GEL Dorado" 10
the new theatre, which was enveloped in fames
and 10 the buildings in its rear, communicating into
Merchant and from there crossing into Clay street on
the North side, below the California Exchange The
building on Clay street, next to the Exchange, was
tom down. and the remainder of the buildings on The
North side, burned as tar the brick building occu-
pied by Tallant & Wilde, on the corner OF Montgo-
merry street Here the fire appeared, to be stayed, the
engines having been playing upon all the houses East
ofthe Plaza, and most vigorous efforts having been
made to save them.
The scene upon the Plaza was terrific and singular
Goods were moved to it from all paris 1.-THE city, and
after the buildings the Norh SIDE and the adobe
buildings had caught and were burning, many Of the
go6 ds on the Washington side OF the Plaza were soon
In flames. They were moved and removed and de-
posted on the lot vacated by the burning OF the City
Hotel at the last fire. The buildings on Pacific and
cipally occupied by French and Mexican popula-
ton.
The patients in the City Hospital numbering about
Ninety, removed into lot in the rear OF The hos.
pita and were afterwards taken TO a building at the
foot Of Dupont street on the North Beach, where tt ey
Were comfortably provided for.
The prisoners in the city prison were Immediately
remanded TO the county JAIL and all the books of record
n the Recorders and Marshal's office were saved
The buildings saved upon the Plaza are the Bella Uni
on, he Custom House. Varandah, Ell Dorado, Union,
and California Exchange together with the wooden
buildings between Union and California Exchange
The Union was saved only by The greatest exertons-
While the theatre was burning the Union smoking,
and only by the most constant application OF the engine
companies, and the fearless labor Of friends of
the propreors was the Union prevented from burning
The burned district extends down Broadway to
Kearny street. along Kearny taking both sides, to Pa
cihc street, down Pacific to Ohio and along Montgo-
merry street, taking in Jackson and Washington
streets small portion below Montgomery 10 Washing
ton, up Washington and Clay streets to Dupont along
Dupont to Washington up Washington 10 near Stock
ton and crossing over, along Stockton Pacific and
up faclhc to the house where the fire originated near
the corner of Powell street.
The house where the fire originated was situated on
Powell street, between Jackson and Pacific and own.
ed by Messrs. Kirby and Bennett. One of the owners
Mr.. Kirby, occupied The kitchen in company with Mr.
Lippencou. The parlor, front and attic were
occupied by Messrs Deesser L geron Il Co., bankers
Mr. Kirby states that no fire used about the house
tor any purpose whatever 1t is therefore concluded
that the fire was the work of an ncendiary
Charles 5. Lyons was burned to death on Jackson
street, between Dupont and Kearry. No particulars