Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1861-12-19
From the Charleston Mercuryof the 18th.
THE GREAT FIRE.


THE GREAT FIRE.
This morning dawned drearily upon 6
night Of terror and disaster. About 9 o.
clock last evening the alarm rang out, cal
ling the citizens to quell the beginning o1
fire. which, in the subsequent extent and
rapidity Of its ruinous sweep, will compare
with the most terrible conaagratiops which
have ever visited the American continent
The wild work of the flames, and the i'm.
mense destruction of property which has
thus far taken place, is chiefly attributable
to the Sudden and unfortunate change in
the weather, which occurred almost stimuli
taneously with the breaking out of the fire
The mild aud spring-like calmuess Of the
atmosphere during the last fortnight was
broken by heavy gusts. of wind, which
swept the dust and smoke and sparks hith
er and thither in binding clouds. Great
flaming bits Of wood we're borue in dense
showers for distance of nearly mile 10 a
South west direction, aud the whole city
was brightly lit up by the dreadful and wi
deuiDg glare,
Before 10 o clock, the ERE had begun ra-
ging 10 several different points 10 the lower
part of the city. The buildings in the
4 stricken neighborhoods were mostly OF
wood, old, closely built and surrounded by
small out buildings of an exceedingly To-
aammable character AS tenement after
tenement was first licked by and then en-
seloped in the fast spreading flames, the
panic became awful. The fierce aud roar
: ing march Of the IRE was indeed horrid
scene; but far more heart.rending was the
sight of hundreds--we ought, perhaps, to
say thousands-of poor and bewildered
families, driven suddenly from their homes,
destitute even Of their seanty effects. All
the available carts, drays, haudcarts and
wheelborrows, were Immediately brought
into requisition but these were altogether
inadequate to remove even tithe Of the
moveables beyond the reach of the devour-
ing element.
Towards midnight the FIRE had assumed
proportions Of appalling magnitude The
circumference which it embraced was such
as to render the most desperate efforts Of
our entire FIRE brigade of comparative In.
Significance The regiments from the Race
Course came down at double quick to the
burning Wards, aud co-operated most ear
nessly and indefatigably in the labors of our
uDdauured Gremen. But still the North
eastern gale famed the FIRE with its desc.
lating breath, and the people began almost
to despair of checking the progress Of the
disaster. From the precincts Of Market,
East Bay and State Streets, the conaagra.
ton had now reached Meeting and Queen
Streets. The terror of the families Gu
many cases without their usual protectors,
owing to the pihtsry exigeucies of the
times, was contagious, and much farther
up into the city the work of packing W
vaIuables and getting ready to desert their
homesteads became general.
To give anything like full account ot
the results, of what will hereafter be kuowr
as the Great Fire of 1861, in the confusion
and general CONSERVATION that prevails
while We write, is manifestly impossible
Many portions of the burned district are
quite uuapproachable, and it is exceeding
ly difficult, at this time, to CLEAN any accu
rate Information whatever IN regard to the
enormuus losses which have occurred. We
must content ourselves, therefore, with Civ
lug our scauty notes jotted down at voriou'
hours during the night.
Ten O'CLOCK. fire began in Rus
sell l. Co.'S Sash aud Blind Factory, at ths
foot of Hasell Street, and the report
though vague one-is, that it appeared
in three places at the same time. Crossing
to the other side of Hasel Street, it has
burned Cameron l. Co.'s immense Machine
Shops and, under the impulse acquired al
that point and the stiff breeze from the
Northeast, without sufficient supply o.
water-for it is dead low tide-it has be-
come totally uumauageable, and RACES with
out the hope of being able to arrest it, ex
cept st certain strategic points, upon which
extraordinary interests depend.
ELEVEN 0'CLocK.-The out, buildingI
iu the rear of destitute Hall have been SCI
on fire by the sparks The attention Of tht
fremen is directed thithes and they art
straiolng every nerve to save Meeting street
The frame buildings On Queen street art
smoking aud will presently blaze forth.
TWELVE O'CLock.--Meeting street
from Market to Queen, is one mass of fame
The Circular Church and Institute Hal
are burning. The Mills House is though,
in imminent danger, while the fire seem.
stretching its red arms around the Charles
ton Hotel. There has been general de-
ser,iou Of both hotels by the guests, unde,
the Impression that they capuot be saved
One O'CLocK.-The track of the con
fagratiun begins to be clearly defined -
Leapng Church street, Con which 90 bloc!
excepting that next to Market, has beeI
purned,) the FIRE is steadily pursuing it
Sout westerly course towards the corue
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