Litchfield enquirer., 1853-09-01
Destruction of .the United States Mail Steam
 Ship Cherokee.

l Destruction of the United Stnees Mail Steam l Ship Cherokee.
 ] Friday evening, about half past seven, o'clock, a fire brake ouf on board of lhes 1 nitsd States MaII steA H,ship Cherokee,
 lying at pierZ9, foot of Warren st., N. R | and before it could be7subdued nearly half a million of dollars Eorilfof property was destroyed. About the above time, James Murphy, the night gate oyatchman, in the employ If the b. $. Mail Steamship Com, s pany, was returning to his post aIier have' tug hung up the lamps on the pier, he dis covered smOke issuing from one of the side port holes aft of tire main gangway. He -immediatelysgave the alarm, and in fewss moments thereafter several engines were: on the ground and took possession of the: wharf, Tie alarm was soon rung forth bys1 the City Hall and other be.s, and the re- ; maining force of the district promptly ar- rived on the ground. :;
 The flames fin d few minutes burs, i6rtIt; from the cabin stairway and soon spreads over the deck amidshps, communicating L" the cooks galley ard other houses between the wheel houses. The bright light which IlIumined the sky and the loud alarm by the bells, brought great numbers of people io ;he spot. Tbe wharves and vessels in the vicinity of the burning steamer, were filled with one dense mass of human beings, it being estimated that from 95 900 to so, ,O00 persons were present.
 The shipping lying at the wharves either side of the burning steamer and the Jersey shore opposite was brilliantly illuminated. presenting grand spectacle. Apprehen sions being entertained of an explosion ta> king place from Iiie powder iB the maga zine, several members of Engine Go. NO. 42 rushed on board the vessel and succeed ed iH bringing ashore large box contain ing tl,eedaagerous expiosive. The boilers being filled with water, it was also feared that they would explode. The flames con < iinued lo gain great head way and seemed to defy the efforts of the firemen. It was determined at length iO tow the steamer, and accordingly a hawser was made fast to the sieamboats Corning, P. Carey, and Caialiae, lying in the Stream. The haw- ser, however, parted, when il was conclu ded to scuiIe her in her berth. The fire men continued throwing great qua n,ties of water into the ship anu upon the flames, bu, despite rt,eir Siforis The steamer was burned nearly 10 lhe waters edge.
 The origin of the fire cannot be correct l ly ascertained. By some it is though, to have been the work of an incendary, while others are of opinion that il was caused by spontaneous combustion among some drugs in tie cargo.
 INhe Cherokee was built by Wm. H. Weljb, for Messrs. HuwlanGzSs Aspinwal, for lhe Transfer Line, 'hu, was subsequent ly purchased bs tie United States Mail Steamship Company, iGeoree Law, Esq, w. 0. Roberts. Esq and others, proprie tors. She was heavily laden, and ready for sailing 'o day for Havanns, via New Orleans. The cargo consisted of l,500 packages of merchandise, and 100 hrkms of butler, il.e whole value of which ma, be set down a: $25.O00. The iDvoicess showed that there were 800 shippers. I
 The steamer was valued al from @l75.. GOO to'$200. poo. ND insurance. The cargs is probably insured by iis respective
 owners.-.N. r. Tribune. i