The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-04-09
(From tho chllleo'hs Gazettel
TERRIFIC CONFLAGRAT TON ]
OhillloOthe in Ashesll
S5OO.OOO TO S7OO.OOO PROP
gary DESTROYED.
@25O,OO0 Insured!
TWo THOUSAND PEOPLE HoUsELEss

fire, scourged the ancient metropolis To de-
gree seldom suffered by business commanities.
Fully one-fourth Of the property extant within
her municipal limits yesterday morning, are
dust and ashes to-day. Nearly one-iourth Of
our whole population have been turned out Of
house and home, with such TITLES as they could
snatch from the greedy flames. Chillicothe has
received blow from which 1t will require years
Of energetic tell to recover,
We attempt below to relate such particulars
as occur TO US. ALI is confusion this morning
people removing, running 10 aud fro, and
none conceivlng the full extent Of the Calamity.
Our former beautiful town, the abode Of pros
perity hospitality, happiness and hope. presents
an extended scene Of desolation, as terrible as
the widest dream Of lunacy. Therefore, ia
what we state, it is scarcely possible we may
not commit some errors.
Alta little past noon, yesterday, a stove ID the
cabinet shop Of Me-. John Watt, in the vicinity
Of the Clinton House stables, bursted by having
been filled with shavings. la an instant the
shop, full with inflammable material, was ia
flames. The wind was 6i0Wing hurricane e.
N. f., towards the stables aud rear Of the Gin.
ton House, so that within fifteen minutes after
the first alarm, tle roof Of that large edifiee,
four stories high, was on fire, Thence the cin-
ders and spires Of flame were blown across
Walnut street, communicating at various points
among the warehouses, stores, and other build
ings along the line Of the Ohio canal, ia that
quarter where the latter extends Fast and West.
Within the next hour every building north Of
the alley between and parallel with the canal
and Second street, to Paint street, was on fire.
About this time, too the large block Of ware
houses, belonging to David Adams and Marfield
& Luckett, opposite the Clinton House, bursted
out in flames. They were nearly filled with
pork, bacon, wheat, &c. The wind continuing
to blow from W. S. W., for long time the fire
was kept north of the line of stables, on the
alley Just mentioned and, by strenuous exer-
tions the Athen@um block was saved. All the
little buildings, contiguous, belonging to Col
J. S. Swearingen, were consumed, Of course.
At2P. M, the fire communicated to the
" May Corner" at the canal end of Paint street.
Thence it spread eastward and southwark, lick
ing up every thing before it. Meantime, all
the stores on the west side Of Paint street, most
ly large brick buildings, and the g Ross Block,@
on Second street, we're burning. Huge piles Of
goods were thrown into the street and carried
off to places of security.
Going back to Walnut street, the buildings on
Second, opposite Thatcher's block were saved.
The fine brick dwelling Of Il. P. Kendrick Esq,
looming up in the eye Of the fire, caught in the
roof, and was soon abandoned to the devourer.
We might hare mtatiOAed that there Was not
a drOp of aoater in the canal, and the seanty
supplies afforded BY wells and cisterns were all
that was to be had. Early in the fire, by the
sudden bursting Of Adams warehouse, the Re
lance engine, by far the most powerful in town,
and entirely new, was abandoned aud burned as
she stood. Another of tae engines was obliged
to be suddenly backed into the SeiOtO to save it,
o. H. Luckett's, H. Holcombs, the old NJ
E. church, and DIR. D. Wills office and house
are the only buildings standing intact between
Mr.. Hendricks and Mulberry street, on the
north side Of Second street. These were saved
by the most tireless and heroic exertions. So
also with the Woodbridge and Waddle blocks,
which for more than two hours we're in the
most imminent dsnger-kept constantly wet
led in every possible way, by many who stood
up to the work like heroic salamanders. Where
all seemed to vie in exertions 10 save property,
| it would be invidious to single out individuals
whom we happened to notice. Both Of those
large blocks on the safety Of which depended
the salvation of fully One-fourth Of the town,
were fairly snatChed from the forked fingers Of
the fire.
Our sad and incoheFent story is not half told /
The MADEIRA House" corner caught from
Ross Block" directly opposite. At this mo
ment, every building, on the east side Of Paint
street, going northward, to the canal, was eth
er burned or burning. Thence, eastward, the
Devourer singled out buildings, dwellings. &C.;
for destruction in advance, following up with
the rest at his leisure. by 4o'cloek, there was
not building left unconsumed, on the large
and valuable square bounded west by Paint
street, north by the canal, east by Mulberry
and south by Second street.
The flames tlIrted across the space occupied
| by he canal, and burned the fouDdery Of Shaw
& West, Rlper's Hotel, the old Phillips House,
ana every edifice of every kind adjacent. Har-
mons steam tannery is the only building Of
much value left standing in that quarter.
The covered bridge over the canal, on Null
berry street, caught early--in fact, before the
fire had extended from the Clinton House,
1 There is difference, as to whether the bridge
was fired by waited cinders, or by local cause
From it however, the dwellings Of J. May, Mrs.
Baker Thos. M'Dougall, and others, whose
names do not occur to us, as we write, were one
after another consumed. The most eastern
limit Of the confsgration was the slaughter-
house Of the Messrs. Bakers, on Water street
east Of Bridge street, two-thirds Of mile from
the western limit.
10 return over the burned district, to review
the instances Of destruction is the task Of q
committee--one cannot perform It. Suffice It
here to say,
The principal hotels Of the plaee--Madeira
House, Clinton House, and several smaller cs-
tablishments, are In ashes.
Marfield's, Adams, d. Fullerton's, HOl-
comb & Co.'s, ]. Clarke g. Sons, Allston g.
Peitsmeyers, Fraser Bros, ]. r. Allston's, G..
i o. Jollines Collectors Office,) warehouses,
with all the intervening and neighboring build
ings, and their contents, are destroyed. Stocks
Of groceries, bacon, pork, &c., which had been
rolled into the canal ditch, in expectation Of
safety. we're burned rs they lay. Messrs. Mar
field g. Luekett had the proceeds Of Z, 900 hogs,
with large quantity Of lard, damaged in their
warehouse. The Messrs. Frazer had Just CART
ed 90, 1000 hams, from their Paint Greek sstab-
leshment, and canvassed them, il time for the
Devourer. They were nearly ali destroyed.
The following dry-goods stores we're burned
---wename them as they occur to our unasssted
memory, following the course Of the fire, viz:
Marfield & Luckett, A. g. j. II. Roads, d. ADJ
ANS, NJ. Davis, o. I. Reeves. W. Carson, J :.
McClintick, Jr.. 7. Carson, t. Ghormley, w.
H. Douglas & Son, Douglas, Wadde & Shulli
Bennett g. Bro. w. Miller g. Sou, G. ]. Mill
Ter & Co., /. Woodrow, Jr.. S. smart g. Nc
Farland, Msule & Shaeffer, r. & s. ID. Camp
bell.
R.W. Dsnnipg & Co., D. A. Schultz, Allen
& Evans hardware.
i Post Office and Advertiser printing-Oific
Ringson' and Fairbank's tailor shops.
4 John +. Waddsl, grocer, aud every establish.
ment in Adams block. May, McVey's and
other grocep.
a. ID. Sproat' Z ana ]. ". Morris drug stores.