The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-01-29

= A"nS Jill. a-.. a+H. ~ "..
TIE GREAT CONFEDERATION
The'St. Elrarles Hotel was first discey-
Erred to 30 On 'Hre at III o'clock yesterday
forenoonk Slight chrls of smoEo issued
from the north OF left hand wing xf the
building, over tho ladies' departments, near
the portico, between the Front eayes of the
roof. Ihsa fcw minutes the smoke poured
from tho caves all atound the front ~dertico.
AS this was SO much in uavarte'hf The main
building, il ssas ;as first thought thaa the
,a%ou'ddesins fire & cdald se easily conquer
"A high wind, however, yes blowing from
the 'iofths'ess, helping to drive The fire into
inc Gbnlldlhg aud under tho portico root,
wher6 II Was difficult to reach III. The
TeHselpolhd1es of snsnke relied s6'heaviIy
over the narrow and much exposed space
where the fterhcnn Btooi on the root, that
they were barely able to breathe Or ,ce,
ehe fierce aanes burst firth all around them
beating them directly, into the hotel; and
they were finally forced to .rotredt. In a
moments the flames rushed up the lofty
dome and the light airy chpdla; the Upper
P~assages and rooms filed with dense stirling
smoke; the flames burst from the roof OF
the rhaih building on either side Of The
Postico aHdscaHne outof the upper windows;
hen all hope OF saving the magnificent edi-
flee was abanddhed6 and the immense
crowd IN the streets, in a short time, saw
the entire structure, five stories high, with
Dome and cupola dominecring high above
all compeers in The city, from front to rear,
on st. Charles, Gravicf and omtnons,reets.
enveloped in one broa,h glnriHg sheet of
fierce fame, rising from the very ground
Hoer, whilst the vast interior seemed one
raging, blazing furnace, the Whole grand
lofty structure looking like q very mcnniAir.
of fame. 1t was a magnificent spectacle,
absorbing tAc senses, fixing the spectators
gaze with a species of tcrrified sdtHHa-
tion. X X X ~
The great demo began to to,ter; all eyes
were fixed on il. A feeling Of deep regret
pervadcd the entire mass of gaAers. For a
moment there was n pause, M,d roihing was
,heara but tho roar of the cracking timber.
The next instant cupoIa and dome fell in,
,d'sappeatipgrln a great cloud Of s'noSe and
4ire that rushed mp, whilst a deafening Crash
stunned the ear. The doom of the St.
Charles was sealed. = X y
rs Despite the cxertions of the tircmen, Mr..
Clapp's Church was, in less than an hour
after it caught, completely gated, leaving
tho bare walls. The building was no,
.insused.
The len@s lows one.stvry bnick building
behind Mr.. Clspp's church, +anning from
'Gravier 10 Union Streets and principally
occupied by the rl'elican" coffee hnesc,
was burnt OUT leaving the walls. They
" wcre insured for SIEGE.
H.. r. Bcach's large catriagc establish.
,nent, directly in The rear Of tho ST. Charles
Hotel, narrowly escaped destruction.
In Common- street. The brick building,
No. III, next to the hotel. occupied by
Henderson g. Peale, was burnt oui. They
saved their books, papers &c.
We never saw a huihing burn so rapidly
AS tho large Methods, Churcl, at tae corner
of l,eydras and Caror.Aelet-sts. Tie roof
ard 3eiiy steePle were all wsN,l, not slated
arraasii ahGSt ra.a twelve minutes alter
she r9bf caassst, aaA n tfte smoke was first
seen, the tail slccplo was a huraing pie,
and the roef oa tire aud in a bright
tame The s~tecple soon fell bodily. oe The
ground aad in n uesRaent the estiee c6ificc
WAS in Aame5. No1sfss aew remain uf It
but the bare walls. Itoontsiped a valuable
nrgtnnnd other prcspcrly, pcne NJ wheel we
believe, was saved.
Tho flames soon communicated 10 the
9 adjacent tcncmcn,s in ~i'uydras aud Car
ondelct.sss- they were frame buildings
and burned capidly, despite the rtmos,
exertion.
The first builaing in poydras st, next To
the Church, between ST. Charles and Car
ondelet, was a double two story frame
tenement, occupied as a boarding house by
Mrs. Sale. 1t was burned down. Furniture
partly saved.
A Next to it, a nns story frame building,
mo. l33, was partly destroyed. Furniture
mostly saved.
In Carondelet street NEXT 10 the Church,
and between Poydras and llevia streets,
was n fine two story frame tenement, with
sPorches and pillars, occupied for offices, &c.
II was burned. Contents mostly saved. A
small wooden shanty next to ii was also
destroyed. The back buildings around the
rear of the Church was burned.
In Carondeiet street above Hpvia, and
opposite 'CarondeIet Row." n block Of three
two story frame buildings, Nos. I'll, l73
and ,ls5, with porchcs and pillars had
tho roofs burnt off, upper stories injured and
back buildings much burnt.
The Methodist Church was insured for
100000.
The ST. Charles Hotel building was
insured for $ l00.O
The l%essees, Messrs. Nudge & Wilson,
h d an insurance Of S52,5O0 on the furni.
iure stock. vines, liquors, SC.
1t is impossible to describe the scene of
confusion that took place in the Ilotcl when
the alarm was given. Imagine the
Immense building, filled with five hundred
S%trangers, besides as many more boardcrs,
servants. &c, each one running here and
there, working at the fire, packing trunks,
carrying out baggagc-few preserving any
presence OF mind-!adies sick, fainting or
frightened, whilst crowds hurried from
every direction to the spot; men shouted,
the engines clanked and bells rang clamor-
ously, and something ike a picture Of the
scene may be drawn.
The fire in The hotel is supposed 10 have
originated in a defective 1ue Of a chimney.
It must have snouldercd Tor hours before
discovered.
Very little furniture, stock. wines, &c.
was saved from the hotel. The silver plate
vas left in the f~ire-proof vault, which is
supposed to be somewhat crushed IN by the
immense weight on it. One Of the clerks
saved money deposited in the office. The