Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-06-28
LATE CONFEDERATION AT SAN FRANCISCO.


II San FRAscIsco, Mar IA, 1851.
Another startling occurrence in the history Of calamity ha
visited with ravage and enshoudcd ia gloom this giant
of the Pacific The most formidable Of the elemental
oed has again been let loose in midst and over amos
the entire site of the business portion of San Francisco are
scattered PROSTATE and blackened walls chared beams and
heaps Of extraordinarily vesges marking the tornado
| track of fame.
and difficult to be conceived the appalling character
of the event where every phase Of terrible
the alterations Of hope and fear and the reality Of
fce struggled confictngy for the mastery Of the sgated
mind Perhaps the chronicle Of the century produce but
solitary nsance where fire has expended its fury amid the
urban habaons Of scale Of correspondent magni-
udean occasion sacred to patriotic DEVOTION when the torch
was made the means OF national preservation, and
giant enemy, fatered by prospective security and ease in
fallen capital Knocked with cindsrs for bread and the
smoulderiDg ruins of palaces for shelter
About hour before midnight of the third of MAY, the
wind blowing freshly from the northwest wooden building
fronting on Portsmouth square, and occupied paint shop
discovered on fire. The alarm was promptly sounded
an alarm which thrills with peculiar import hee-and in
few minutes emen and citizens in large numbers were upon
ground The brakes were enthusiastically Manned and
the flames seemed likely soon to yield weected effort
The wind slightly increased and the fire made some head
way Still no one for moment dreamed of the tremendous
| casualty which impended.
The service Of the hook and ladder companies was impress
cd for the demolition Of buildings and the huge grapnels
were fastened upon the roofs of the wooden ames and thew
yielded to the vigorous exeons Of the men at the ropes and
toPple crashing upon the panked caaeway CLEAN of en-
couagemen such precurses conquest lighted up the coun
tenaRces of the immense assembsge. Alas the seeming
was delusve. Tiers of small tenements wholly Of wood
were densey crowded behind hebudngs rs consumed and
dienty accessible These abaze and here the
IRE assumed its strength here gathered its energies for an
invading progress which made all efforts to subdue il mpo
tent until, from lack of food, It should suoounab. .
And now, In all the ruthless majesty of fseby disputed
power ragged the conaagradon. "sea Of fame swept on
ward toward the bay An immense body Of heated air rose
with violent motion from the burning piles feghted with
myriads Of sparks the wealth of trade riches
taking unto themselves wngs Great gusts and eddes from
the harbor hung mighty pail of smoke The hundreds of
ships, their spars pad in the unnatural light looked like
frightened things Of life. Men paced their decks watchfu
and anxious The engines Of steamers put in notion
and they were prepared to start at moments warning The
glare enveoped the surrounding hills and brought out in &C
cuate outline shrubs and rocks and inequalities Par out
at the light visible The wondering lookout behed
it streaming over the long full swsls Of the Pacific. They
saw it hanging in the northern sky at Monterey.
The sound Of the burning like the roaring Of strong
wind through the forest steady and mpeuous as the tramp
Of charging squadrons At short intervals explosion fol-
lowed upon the heel Of explosion, successive packages
powder were gnted Then the crash Of falling walls
on floors strained under loads Of merchandise the rumble
Of innumerabe and the shouting Of the drivers
the fierce rush Of the reeang crowd the measured thump
ing OF the brakes the cries of excited men the sh
quick warning; the frantic enreaty the drunken impre-
cation.
Houses empted Of their contents as if by magic.
he streets piled with the costly goods which the
Unsuitable flames seized and swallowed in their greed In
many instances property several times removed overtaken
and burnt at last Men, devong themselves to the
Of their friends, surprised by the intelligence Of their
ruin Others calmly awaited in their warehouses the ap.
proach of the destroyer without an effort to avert their fate
The paralysis of panic had seized upon them.
large amount of valuable furniture and costly nater;n
rescued from the fire Otherwise destroyed magnicen
mirrors that would grace the halls of Venice pianos otto
MANS hundred articles exquisey fabricated in rich woods
and marble, were shivered and trodden under foot
The force Of the calamity reserved to be expended
where would be severely felt In it's destructive career
the lire at length fastened upon the substantial and extensive
structures upon Montgomery street. stored with every variety
of merchandise Many of these were of brick others Of
iron and zinc and deemed fire but such impetus had
the re acquired and intense the heat that few OBJ
staces could successfully oppose it In incredibly short
time after reaching this quarter the long lines Of
were sinking simultaneously beneath the all pervadnp bill
lows The plates Of iron and zinc heated to ncsnde
scence, and rolled like SCROLLS The pine plankng Of the
burnt necey behind the retiring multitude The
wooden sewers became subteranean ore Whayes
Julng many hundreds OF feet into the harbo and lined with
valuable buildings were entirely consumed to the waters
edge Much merchandise was thrown into the DOCKS
But the worst not yet There the stunning an
nouncemen that the reservoirs were emped and the an.
gnes anguished through lack Of water The tide was out
and the docks Dry In this wells were suck
ed up in winklng At one point the fire combated
with thousands Of gallons of vinegar In many directions
the fronts Of houses hung with saturated drapery
bankes and carpets in others plates Of sheetron were
placed against them.
As the fiery whir approached the harbo the exerons to
arrest Its progress edoubled The shipping was in i'm.
mnent danger and crowded the of vessels that
the destruction OF at many have ensured that
Of the entire feet Several isolated stoeshps indeed were
devoured. Piles of lumber thrown into the bay
Great chasms hewn in the wharves In some
gunpowder employed Innumerabe were freight
ed with the po Of s.orehouses the produce of every cline
Costly Indian fabrics, tropical fruits the manufactures Of
European woksheps-some were burnt and others sunk
But not alone the destruction Of property to be epored
There was fearful sacrifice Of human life Many doubtless
peIished Of whose fate ignorant Some were seen
fall who unrecognsed One after marked acts of he
ro, fell exhausted the street. in the presence of hum
deds Of spectators There was desperate attempt at rescue
it failed and he perished Afeward was found few frsg
mens Of calcined bones beside the iron Of grapne SIEVE
raj who had been conending with the enemy n an iron
warehouse discovered, to their horror their intercept
ed The window shutters red hot Within the atmo-
sphere was sitting In sheer desperation, left bis com.
rades hudded together in the middle Of the room momena-
ceeded in forcing open window the rear He was almost
Immediately by the smoke and heat but in that
dreadful instant be behed ow-suere fall from the roof
Of peighbong building into the devourng element beneath
In one building tour persons were consumed no vesge re-
NAMED to indicate identity, save in instance pocket
knife In cases. individuals surprised upon roofs Of
houses which bad escaped unscahed by the sudden popn
guilty Of the FIRE. compelled to loose their holds or bur
red from insecure footnss, precpated to the ground
and seriously injured
Three resoluc and con6dng entrenched themselves
within their warehouse. prepared abide hazard the
act The blast was soon upon Them huggipg the building in
its ardent embrace orousy seeking crevce whereby to en-
ter Once or twice penetrated the interior and was poby
hoafa hail nipr,ot