The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-02-21
From He Portland Ar.CI> II Heb b.
DESTRUCTIVE FIREIN PORTLAND.

FIREIN PORTLAND.
One of the most fierce and uncomfortable
fires, with which our city was ever visited
broke out last evening about 10 o'clock. in
the stables attached and in the rear of the A.
mCrlcan House, on Congress street. kept bv
Mr. Jose. The wind was BLOWN" very strong
" from the West, and the alarm was hardly
given before the flame spoutcd up to the sky,
with most appalling energy, from the great
mass Of inhammahlc material there gathered.
The two stables in the rear of that lar-c house
were soon an entire mass of flame Hing the
air with c"rrrscation> of burning cin,lcrs. As
magnificent to look upon as continuous
shower of falling stars.
The stables were soon destroyed. and in
them persisted some TWENTY-FIVE to thirty
horses many of them of much value In the
American House stable were about forty horS-
cs. thirty of which are supposed to have been
burnt. The beautiful horses belonging to
Lon@Icy's express A. Williams horse. Dr.
SWEETS, Richards the baker, and five belong
in. to .\mmi Ri pcy, Of Sout''. Abingdon. Ms
for one of which he had been offered 5000
hut the day before. lie also lost two >cinh>
and harnesses. The stable next west was DE-
cupicd by (iratlam. the miller. and from this
the horses We're GOT ont >ati.lv-thr stable east
wa occupied hy q. {. Frost hack man. and
his horses We're @ot out hy Elm street
The fire soon communicated, To the lmrr-
can House. an immense structure OF hri, H.
Il haI but Recently been fitted up and rctiu-
y, ,.. e.,
The hoa>r was full! of permanent hoarIrr>
alpl travellers, and contained much valuable
property. Considerable of the property wa
slvcd. Here the tirr Raced with tremendous
! trrori:v. For two hours il Ia! full SWAY. UNI
controlled. Human power could not cope
with il. 1t was a most sublime >lrctacr.-
Occasionally portions of the walls would fall
, with terrific crash
From the hotel. the old Burnham hou>,
. next t" it east. ON the corner OF Elm street
took fire. hut before fully i-nitcl Il portion of
. the hu.r wall Of the American house fell on
III r"'i aud crushed it nearly n This was
soon demolished hv fire and Tie iir,mrn. On
, the Western side, on Congress street. the five.
w"o''rn stores To corner Of prcblr street wvr,.
dc>tr"!"d-th thus sweeping the entire row,
from Elm To Frrllc street. on the. westerly
side. he corner one was occupird by Sam
Hrl H1"! or a. a grocery insured about Loo:
the nc> 10y Rufus Stanley a a Ectrc>hmcnt
room and Confectionery TIE nrAt we do not
, learn VIII" was Tia" tenant: the ncNt hv Nick
r">"n A. IN latin" horse. owned llagcrtr \
Allen. Tie last by Armstrong \ HUDSON
Their" was also a Barber, shop kept hy .Ioh,
y. Libby, and hurnril> Oyster Room in til,
la>rnHnt of the Hotel. Here the fire. atlvr
dangerous. II" cii'lcr> flew in sheets oven
tn" city. but 10 danger arose from them. rx
! rrp' l-mlln@ the cutters OF The CITY Hall OPP
p">l;c. which was soon rnt out.
The Hotel was owned bv the heirs of :
W hitter and James Drrring. and was in>rlr
cd for >.joo-.Ion0 at P"pc<. residue at 9th
CT offices. llr Jo>,'S furniture was insure,
for 500" at the two offices of which j. W
Munger Is agent. The Burnham house Wa
owned 10y Mr. Clapp. and occupied hv q. {
, fro>t-no Insurance on house or furniture
: Ih" furniture was mostly got out. The tcr
"t wooden stores westerly. were all but out
owned 10y the Drcring heirs.
II" loss OF property must come up to $40.
coo, and may considerably exceed that sum
Our estimates and other particulars must nee
= c>>arllr he imperfect this morning, cathcrc,
, as they are in great haste
Th" ori"in of the fire points strongly to in
cendlari>m. Alex. Stevenson. the hacknan
saws he was in his office. when he heard A MAJ
spring out Of a window and escape in haste
= and IN a minute the flames broke ont.
!, Amid all the confusion and danger. we ar
happy t" learn that but one or two cases .wer
persons injured. and but slightly. bv article
=. OF furniture thrown on them from the win
dows. When portions Of the wall fell acro>
:. the street. the immense crowd held thci
:. breath with terror. lest some of the DARN
- flrrmcn were buried beneath. But crash al
:, ter crash, of the tumbling ruins occurred
!! maxim" the night more hicons. but Harmless
AS TO human life. The fire was we'll CONTROL
ed. for at one time it looked frigItfll for tn
City Hall. and Gil,on'S stable. which was il
:, the direct range Of the fearful cloud of flam
:. that was swept by the wind ovcri it.