The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-05-30
THE GREAT FIRE IN KEY WEST
Correspondence Of the journal Of Commerce.
KEY WEST Nav 81 lS5q

Correspondence Of the journal Of Commerce..
KEY WEST, May 2l, 1859.
We have just passed through one of those terrible
attictOns-a hre-which periodically visit our
Southern cities whose misfortune it is to be wholly
constructed of pitch pine, the most inhammabe Of
all woods. On the morning'of the 10th the work of
destruction commenced in the store of l.. VI. Shat
Ter, and raging for eight hours in every direction
reduced full one half of the best built portion Of
the city, in that short space of time to smOuldering
ruins. The devouring element never found build
ings in filter condition for its voracious appette
Tor many days rain had fallen, the broilinr sun
bad absorbed every particle of moisture from the
wood and left it dry and tinder-like After the fire
had commenced, there were no means of stopping
its progress but by removing the houses from beyond
its reach. This effected after several trials and
by burning three one-hundred pound barrels of
gunpowder. There no means at hand of
throwing water but by buckets the city being un-
provided with fire engines; and the flames once
under headway, all efforts to quench them were
futile. Besides the buildings burned, large num-
Der of cocoanut trees were destroyed. These trees
IN one or two instances, were the means of saving
the buildings which they shaded. The loss of these
beautiful trees will be seriously felt for year to
come. Some of them were 40 years old, and had
attained great height and beauty. The fire burned
over an area OF nearly twenty acres, and destroyed
property to the value of S275, 900.
great many goods were removed from the
stores, only to be burned up in the streets and
alleys. Had it not been for the presence of Capt
Brannair and his company of soldiers it is impossi-
BILE to say when the fire would have stopped. Can't
b. took charge of large amount of goods and sta
toned sentinels to guard them He also, with the
assistance of Lieut. Eddey, blew up five or six
buildings which would have otherwise gone with
the rest and assisted in destroying half the city be-
sides. The store ship, Relief, was fortunately in
port when the fire broke out. Lieut. Perry, the
officer in command sent his men ashore to assist
the Mayor and the city authorities. Their first act
was to save the Custom House, which done bv
battling for an hour with the flames. They assisted
in huildinnS nd
erty already saved.
The burned district extends on the Harbor front
from Browns stone warehouse to Sits fire proof
buildings, and Front street, west side from and
including Campbels store to the Naval Depot; on
the east side, from and including the Kew West
House to Clinton Square fronting the Custom
House. On Duval street the fire extended from the
Harbor on the North side as far as Aliens drug
shop, leaving two small buildings uniniured except
by explosion and on the North side from the Har-
Dor to Davis Windmill. The number of buildings
of all kinds destroyed by this fire is 1l6 of which
- were stores, warehouses, offices and dwelling
houses. The number of occupants was upwards of
300 Very great distress will prevail among the
small prOprietors, none of whom were insured, and
who are left entre destitute by this calamity
! The Insurance Companies of New York will lose
nearly $780, 900 by this fire. This insurance is dis
trbuted among those best able to bear their losses
! as is usually the case.
| We annex correct list of the firms, owners of
! property who have suffered, together with the
amount known to have been insured. The losses
are in most instances much below the actual mo-
neyed value We give the sums as named to us by
| the different losers:
NAMES THE SUFFERERs.-O' Hara and Wells
Estate, buildings loss So, 900. insurance $40 900;
William H. Wall & Co., buildings, loss S28 500
insurance Sl5, 500; merchandise $50 100 insurance
Sl5,OOO Packer Clark, buildings, loss $4,000,
insurance 81 900; merchandise Sl2 900, insuranc
$4,000; James Flor, buildings, loss $4,000 in
surance 4,500 merchandise So 900: Peter Kaudo-
pho, 10 buildings, loss Sl5,O00 insurance. Uni
ted States naval stores loss $4,000; cement shed
loss $500; Court House furniture $500; c. 4 Z.
Howe, merchandise Sl4 900, insurance Sll-
600; furniture $3.50, no insurance; Capt. r. w.
| Welch, agent n. Y. Underwriters office fur
niture $500, no insurance; l.. NJ. Shaffer. house
81 500, insurance $780, merchandise SIS 00O insur-
SS, 900; }. G. Clapp, lumber and pictures $500
no insurance; R. P. Campbell, merchandise $40 900,
insurance 81 500; Judge Bethel, law library and
office furniture $50, no insurance. H. Mullaven, 4
buildings loss S4 900, insurance So 3O0 merchau-
disc $4,000, insurance 81, ,7OO N Underwriters
steam pump 5000; cargo British bark Buenos
Ayrian S4,75O, no insurance; F. J. Moreno, U. S.
Marshal, office furniture, library, &c, $500, no
| insurance; Bonne Curry buildings S. 800
insurance 81 900; Ware & Carey 3 buildings So 600
notinsured stock 81 800, insurance. Cornelius Cur
tis buildings loss 81 500, mo insurance merchandise
$4,000 no insurance VIM. A. Pitcher, houses, loss
81 900, insured 500, merchandise 900; W. A Rus
SELL houses, S3,000 furniture of hotel and goods in
store, $4,000, no insurance. Fred. Clark building,
$780, no insurance. merchandise S2,700, no insur-
rance; E. o. Guynne, houses, loss 81 200 merchan-
dlZe, $500, no insurance; w oote Branin, houses
loss 81 800; Farna, house, 81, ,5OO stock 5000, no
insurance. Henry Benners, 2 buildings, 81, 500, no
insurance; Hicks and Solomons merchandise, So 00O
insurance 81 900; Wm Demtt, sail loft, loss 500,
no insurance; G. ID. Allen, Druggist, stock injured
by explosion $500; Pedro Alberti, Hair saloon loss
$780, Reynolds 2houses, loss S7OO, stock 500, in
surance; Mr.. Owen, stock $3.50 no insurance; Mrs.
Benz. Sawyer, 2 buildings, $4,000, insurance;
Mr. Perez, stock 81 900, no insurance; j. Conway,
l house, 5000, no insurance; City Hall and market
1000, no insurance; John Molena, house, 81 ,OOO
no insurance, stock $1,000, no insurance; Passy
H. Geyer, buildings, S2,5OO no insurance; Ara F
Tiff, houses and stock, 81, 500, no insurance. C