The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-07-03
Great teConfiagration in San Francis,

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California is decidedly the country for
confagratiohs. We have often had occa-
sion 10 notice the frequent fires to which
San Francisco has been subjected. Lately
we had to record the nearly complete des-
tructi6al Of Nevada City 10 day we have
10 notice two terrible catastrophies, which
have reduced to ashes the richest parts of
San Francisco and Stockton. Our readers
relnemher, no doubt, that last year, on the
4th of May, San Francisco was in part con-
sumed Ivy a fire which destroyed the mer-
camille part of this newborn city on the
4th of May, in this year, as it were, in fatal
coinnemol alton, Of the ,nniversary,-for
the fifth time in two years, ,-three-f fourths
of the business portion o.. the city were a.
gain burnt to ashes. ~
Never, says the Alta California, has such
a terrible confagration occurred since the
burning of Moscow. The fire commenced
a little after IL o'clock, during the night Of
the Sd May, iu the second story Of the work
shop OF a hip-painter, on Clay street, on
the south side of Portsmouth Square, and
near the Grand Plaza. '' ''-f "'
When the fire was first discovered, the
devouring element had made but little pro-
gress, but all at once, the building where the
fire had originated, the American House,
and furniture store on each side Of it, were
enye!oped in flames. The wind, which
was al first blowing gently, soon acquired
the force of a hurricane !; the 6rc-engines
rushed tc the spot; but, their foreman and
first assistant being absent from the city,
their help was brought to bear with less ra-
pidry and effect.
As soon as the first three houses were en-
velopcd in flames. il became evidently inn
possible to subdue the FIRE, which ran in the
following course: On the west, it ascend
ed Clay street, near to Dupont stree, !; on
the south, il crossed Sacramento street, near
to California, passed Kearny street, and ex-
tended, on the south, crossing California,
as FAR as Pine street; on the east, along Pine
street, 1t reached Sansome street !; and, on
the north, il ran towards California, and,
turning east, destroyed all the houses on
Battery street, which forms the upper limit
of the contiagration, with the exception Of
the northeast point, where, crossing Bat
terry street, 1t consumed several buildings as
far as the waters Of the bay. -
In another direction, the fire, in the be-
ginning, ran down Clay street to Kearny
street; ii followed, towards the north, along
kearny as far as Jackson street; towards
the east, along Jackson 10 Montgomery, and
TO the north to Pacific street; on the east to
Broadway, and thence, diagonally, to Val
leJa street, and finally, crossing Battery
street, in an eastern direction, il extiDguish.
ed Itself on the borders of The bay. &c.,
In all this crcutous run, embracing a
mile in length by halia-mile in width, it did
not leave fifteen buildings unburned. There
are some whose walls are still erect, but all
their contents were consumed. Some vaults
and safes have Faithfully preserved their de-
IpositS in the midst Of the flames Nineteen
bloc ks of houses have been destroyed; the
number of buildings burnt is not easily as
certaineh; but they must number at least
fifteen hundred. The total loss has been
estimated at twenty millions of dollars; the
exact calculation must bring it to- fifteen
millions Of dollars. The fire completed its
destructive work in ten hours, the last build
ing was nothing but a heap Of ruins ON the
F4th, at 9 A. NJ.
The scene was affecting. Thousands of
men, women and children were running mad
abont the streets. The city was full. of in
habltants without shelter. But what made
the spectacle more horrible, was to see the
unfortunate beings, from time to time, rush
ing from the flames running into the streets;
and, after useless attempts to escape fall
ing, from weakness into the streets, before
hundreds OF spectators, unable to lend them
help. Two individuals were thus burnt a.
live in the streets; six Others perished in the
iron baidings of Messrs. Toaffe and Nc
Cahill. Eight persons are known to have
fallen victims; twenty others were more or
less wounded. Since the fire, two men
have been killed by the falling ruins. ,.,c
All the San Francisco papers, with the
exception of the Alta California, were
burnt. Two of them, the Herald and Pa
Fcific News, have already resumed their pub
lilcatIon; the others will soon appear. Ten
days have elapsed since the catastrophe, and
already $50 or 500 houses have been com
pletely rebuilt, or will be soon. 4 .'a,,. .,..
The energy Of the population has not
been affected by this fifth and cruel misfor-
tune. Take courage, says the Alta Califor-
mia land, in fact, business has hut slightly
been suspended. The commercial houses.
lin expectancy of the rebuilding of their
houses, have announced that their Offices
and stores have been transferred into other
parts of the city. .-,.s,a8r LA is,,.~.I
The goods which were so low before the
event. have ell at once risen, five times in
value; rents have increased in the same pro-
portion. San Francisco, in a word, was,
at the last dates. in most strange CONNER
cial situation. ,,f.,..' d; .r.,,.,l,
The, firm of Burgoyne s Co., found $l,-
SOC, 600 in their safe after the fire. ,d >,
/ The. officers Of the Custom House hare
saved the funds contained in the ,edi6ce, by
Throwing them into a well; million OF dol
lars were thus secured. ina ,ss ,ar Isdi
The following edifces have been destroy
cd The Custom House, the Union Ho-
tel, Parker House, Adelphi Theatre, ,Dra-
Imatc Museum, National Hotel, New w orld
Hotel, City Hotel, Delmonico Hotel Mer-
chants Exchange, Ross Building. Ameri-
can Hotel, Revere House, the offices OF, the
steamship Company, the ships Mantle and
the Gen. Harrison, &C., Sc: % snnr15l.la
The confiagration at Stockton, taking in.
to account the comparative importance Of
the city. has been, perhaps, quite as, disas-
trous as the one in San francisco, This
took place on the next day, the 9Th of May; I;
fthe fire began in a new aud splendid builI-
ling, known as the, Messhants'' Hotel |; it, is
supposed that it was. fred by some iii -doer
whe wished, hy the burning Of the prison.
which stands next to the Merchants, Hotel,