Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-12-22
California Correspondence of the Sentinel.
Ihe Fire at Sacram entO City.
SACRAMENTO, Nov. Is,

| SACRAMENTO, Nov Is, 1852
| FRIEND PoRT4GE:-In stratching these few
lines to you in haste, before the mail closes to-
day, must record terrible calamity, the burn
ing of our city.
| Nearly two hundred acres of Buildings were de-
stroyed, comprising the business portion of our
city. In fact, all, all is swept away. The night
of Tuesday, November End, will not soon be for
gotten by those who were in the City of Sacra-
mento at that time. About l J O'Clock in the eve
ming, the alarm of fire was rung through the
city, and almost at the same moment, blaze
was gleamingup from between Sd and 4th streets
on J, sufficiently high to illumine the whole
city.
| 1t is not my intention-it would be presump-
ton in me to attempt description of the scene
| from that hour until o'clock Of the next morn
ing Efforts were made to stay the fire, but no
one acquainted with the state of things, will Won
der at their poor success high wind from the
Northwest was blowing at the time. The fire
commenced near the northwest corner of the city,
and nearly all the buildings around the place of
its commencement were wood. do not remem-
Der that there has been, for one hour since No
vember, year ago. such fierce wind from that
quarter as blew for two days, commencing twelve
hours before the fire. The fire is supposed by
some to have been the act of incendiarism, as it
was on the night of the election, when during
the day and evening there was great deal of
excitement, as there were heavy bets on the re-
suits of the city. From the commencement, it
seemed to mock all endeavors to limit the extent
of its desolations. While companies were at
work by pulling down building, or throwing
ter, to mark a boundary for its increasing rage,
brand or coal carried by the wind to the distance
of a hundred feet high, perhaps would alight and
kinde upon the roof one whole block to the lee
ward, or by some transient shift of the wind the
fire would catch as far in the opposite direction.
Men, women, children and carriages crowded the
streets In the midst of the confusion, and re-
sistless rawlings of the fire, nothing perhaps, was
more calculated to thrill the heart with mingled
horror and.sympathy, than to meet, hurrying from
the fire, and driven by the shower of burning
Goals, and approaching heat, women and chill
dren, screaming and calling the names of men,
bers of their families, of whom they had lost
sight in the hurry of escape, frantic with fear
that they had fallen victims to the flames.
Perhaps no fire, for one century has left so
small proportion of the town or city, when its
fury spent, to shelter the houseless and desti-
tute. Over two hundred acres are embraced with
in the utmost limits reached by the fire, and not
one tenth of Sacramento remained the next MORN
ing. .<p-sE
Strange to relate, amid the devouring elements
while the flames Kissed and flashed around it's
form, the Democratic pole, reared for Pierce and
King. sent from the golden hills of the Nevadas,
by the hardy miners, to the Democracy of the
city, escaped the ravages of the fire. All night
long its proud banner was lit up by the flashing
lights of the flames, and yet it stood in the heart
of the city. Isend you our steamer papers; there
you will learn more clearly the particulars of the
fire, and also the election returns of our good and
glorious young State, which has has resulted most
gloriously for Pierce and King by an overwhelm-
ing majority. Every couEty in the whole mining
region was Democratic. The hardy and daring
miner from Sierra's golden quzches and ravines
sprang to the rescue. Hurra How is it with
Ohio and our old County, Portage; and with
that little township hail from, DEERFIELD =
Are they Democratic still !! Send me SENTI-
MEL and at the earliest opportunity will subscribe.
Yours in haste,
T. GIBBONS.