The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-06-21
From the Daily Alta California, May 4th.
Account Of the Tremendous Fire.

1t is our melancholy duty to announce this
rnornng the most awful anniversary of the ter
rble conhagration 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 if the God of of destruction had
seated himself in our midst, and was gorging
himself and all his ministers of devastation upon
the ruin of our doomed city and its people
About eleven 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 side of Portsmouth square, adjoining
the Bryant house, formerly called, but more re-
Gently the American. 1t was but slight blaze
when first seen, but in five minutes the whole
upper story was full of flame. 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 a furnishing es-
adjustment, were all in flames
The buildings in the vicinity being all of wood,
and extremely combustible the fire spread up
Clay street, back towards Sacramento, and down
Clay street towards Kearny, with frightful ra-
pidity IL soon had full command, and the fire
department could only work upon the borders,
and endeavor to check its progress by anticipat-
ing it, In this they succeeded on the north side
before 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 moveabes--for ere they were
aware of their danger in most cases, the flames
were wrapping them in destruction.
To the south it spread to Bush street, and to
the east, at the time Of writing this, 3 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
utr rfD d. Al
Bush street. three in number, are in ashes. Be.
tween Bush and 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
man on Washington street fell dead from over
exertion. He was so completely surrounded by
the fire, he could not be relieved by those who
saw him fall
James King Of VIM, was badly burned, but
escaped with life
Beyond Sansome, towards the shipping, we
do notknow how great is the destruction for the
smoke is so Dense and the fire intervening. il is
impossible to tell. Besides these thirteen blocks,
almost every building of which is DESTROYED,
there are many Others tits impossible 20 even
guess at the number of buildings or the amount
of property Destroyed A thousand buildings
is within the bounds Of truth we jud pe, and
ten millions Of dollars could not repla ace the
terrible destruction Some place it twice or
three times as high. II is sufficient to say that
more than three fourths of the bushes part Of
the city is nothing but smoudering cirders 1t
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 Nauto and General Harrison. Every
newspaper Office in town, except the Ann Cai;-
fornio. Nearly or quite all the bankers are in
the list
Burgoyue g. Co, Wells a. Co, James King
of VIM, Delmonico, American hotel, Revere
house, Pacific Mail Steamship Company, all arc
down.
All the buildings about Jones' hotel had been
consumed when we went 10 press, and il is
thought the hotel itself will burn, although the
firemen were making extraordinary exertions
to save IT,
Not a house was left on LiedesdorT street
and every thing on both sides of Long wharf TO
beyond Whitehall is consumed
Here and there brick building stands like
tomb among nation of graves, yet even they