The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1852-04-09


Psoperiy desiroysd 25O.0oO Insured
1000 PeepIs Hoiistlcss
Yesterday April ], 1852, was a day Of
doom for our boosted city. The devouring
element, Fire, scourged the Ancient Metrop.
oils 10 degree seldom suffered By business
communities. Fully one fourth Of the
property, extant within her municipal lin.
lis, Yesterday morning, are dust and ashes
to-day. Nearly onr-lourth OF our whole
population. have bsen turned out Of loust
and home, with such ,riAes as they could
snatch from the greedy flames. Chilicothe
has receiyeda blow, from whiclit will re-
-Qvlrs yearsof energetic Toll 10 recover.
we attempt, below, 10 relate such partic-
ulars as occur 10 US. All d confusion, this
morning people removing, running 10 and
fro, anu none cont Giving the full extent ol
tie calamity. Our 10 mer beautiful town,
the abode Of prosperity, hospitality, happi-
ness an hope, presents an extended scene
OF desolation, as terrible as the widest
dream of lunacy. Therefore, in what we
state, il is scarcely possible We may not
commit SOME errors.
s, Alta little past noon, yesterday, stove
in The cabinet shop OF Mr.. John Watt, in
the vicinity Of The Clinton House stables,
busted, by having been filled with shavings.
In an instant the shop, lull of infammdO ole
material, was in flames. The mind lOds
bloicing a hurricane T. N. E., towards the
stables and lear OF The Clinton House, SO
that, within 10 minutes alter The first alarm,
the luoi OF that large edifice. four stories
high, was on fire. Thence the cinders and
spires of flame Were blown across Walnut
! street, communi, ating various points,
Qalnung the wan houses, stores aud other bull :
Adings along the line of the Ohio canal in
tha! quOrler where the hitter extends cast
and wes.. Within the next hour every
building north OF the alley between und
parallel with the canal aud Second streets,
TO Paint street was on lire.
About this time, Toe. the large block ol
warehouses, belonging 10 David Adams and
Mrfeld & Luckstt, opposite the Clinton
House, burs!ed ont in hamts. They were
nearly filed with pork, bacon, wheat, &C.
Tie wind continuing to blow from w. S.
w lora long time The fire was kept north
oil lhe line 0l stablrs, on the Alley just
mentioned-und, by strenuous exerilonS, the
AlhpnBum block wus saved. Ali the little
buildings, contiguous, belonging 10 Col. J.
>. Swearlngen, wrre consumed, OF course.
At2P. M, the fire communicated TO the
"Mly Corivr," al the Canal end of Paint
street. Thence it spread eastward and
southward, licking ap everything before it,
Meantime, all tie stores on the west side OF
Faint street, mostly large brick buildings,
and the Ross Block" on Second street,
were burning. Huge piles oil gooIs were
thrown into The street, and carried off 10
places of security.
Going back 10 Walnut street, the build
ings, on Second, opposite the Thatcher's
block, were saved. The fine brick dwell
ing OF L. P. Kendrick, Esq, looming up in
the eye Of the fire, caught in the roof, and
was soon abandoned to The De,ourer.
We might have mentioned that there was
not drop oi water in the Canal, and The
scSnty supplies afforded by wells and cis-
terms were ull that was TO be had. Early in
the fire, by the sudden bursting OF Adams
Warehouse, the Reliance engine, by far the
must powerful in town, aud entirely new,
was abandoned and burned as ,he slood,-
Another OF the engines was Obliged 10 be
suddenly backed inl0 the Scioto, to save il.
o. II. Luckett's. H. Holcomb's, the old M.
L. church, DR.. ID. Willss office and house,
are the only buildings, standing intact between
MIR. kendrick's and Mulberry street, on the
north side Of Second street. These were sa-
we'd by the most lireless and heroic exerlions.
So also, with the Woodbridge and Waddle
Blocks, which for more than Two hours were
IN the mosl eminent danger-kept constant
ly wetted in every possible way, BY many who
stood up to the work like heroic salamanders. |
Where all seemed 10 vie in the exertions to
save property in would be invidous 10 sim
gle out individuals whom we happen
ed 10 notice. Both those large Blocks on The |
safety oil which depended the salvation of
fully ne-tourlh OF the town, were fairly |
snatched from the forked finger Of the Fire.
Our sad and incoherenl story is not half
told
"The "Maderia House" corner caught from
"Rosss Block" directly opposite. AT this
moment, every building, on The east side OF
Paint street, going norlhward, TO The canal,
was ell er burned or burning. Thence, east.
ward, the Devourer singled out buildings
dwellings &c, for destruction in advance, fol |
lowing up with the rest al hls leisure. By 4
O'Clock, there was not building left uncon
sumed, on The large and valuable square boun-
ded west BY Pant street, north by the canal.
east by Mulberry and south by Second
street.
The flames firted across the space occupied
by he canal, and burned the Ioundery Shaw
& West. Rapeis Hotel, the old Phillips
houst, and every ediIice OF every kind ada.
cent. Harmonds steam tannery is the only
building OF much value lett standing in that
quar- er.
Tn covered bridge over the canal, on Mul-
berry st. caught early-in tacl before tn, fire
lad extended from The Clinton House. There /
. difference. as Ia whether the bridge was
1red By waited cinders, or by local cause. = I
From 1t however the dwellings OF J. NAV. s
Mrs. Baker, Thos. M'Dougaii, and others, /
whose names do not occur 10 us, as we " rite |
were, one alter another consumed. The most d
EASTERN limit OF the connagra,ion. was The
OF Messrs Boxers; on Water
street east OF Bridge street, two.lhirds of a
mile from the western limit.
To rrlurn over the burnt district IN review
The instances of destruction is the task Of a
nommttee-one cannot perform it. Suffice
il bere 10 say,
The principal Hotels Of the place-Madei-
ra House, Clinton House, and several smaller
are in ashes.
la "A Il. A 4. Ty ~