Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1861-12-19

half hour ago, q light drizzling rain bega'
falling, which may, perhaps, be beneficial
in keeping damp the tops Of wooden house
exposed to danger from the sparks. Th'
people now understand that the FIRE has un
checked sway, and furniture is being re
moved as far up as Masyck street
Two O'CLoCk.-At this hour the fire il
still raging with violence scarcely abated
A splendid effort was made BY the fire com
panies to save the house of L. W. Spratt
Esq, on East Bay street, which was sue
cessful and With il vas saved the fine line
of buildings on Hassell street, the fate Of
which depended upon the result. Passing
to the South, Westward, the fire has swep,
the entire tract to the rear of the Charles
ton Hotel, and to the end of Hayue stree,
ranges. There are no buildings North OF
Market street, and East of the Hayue street
stores, still standing, except, perhaps, those
of Henry Gertds aud the Misses Piuckney.
Crossing Market street, the FIRE has extend
ed down East Bay to Cumberland street,
and thence across to the Mills House, ia
king, in its way, the Circular Church, In.
stitute Hall, the Charleston Theatre, all
the buildings upon King street, from Cliff
ford street up to within few doors of Broad
street Crossing King street, the flames
are approaching the rear Of the Cathedral,
the Unitarian and the English Lutheran
Churches. Whether it will cross the area
covered by these churches, or pass the Mills
House down Meeting street, is still uncer
tain. The fire department is making in-
credible exertions. The men are 10 the
last stages of exhaustion, spriuging to
each occasion with renewed vigor, and such
exhibitions of courage and endurance have
been rarely witnessed.
THREE O'CLocK.-The steeple of the
Circular Church has just toppled and fal.
len, with heavy crash. Gen. Ripley,
who is moving to and fro, experimenting
the movements of the troops with charac
teristic energy, gave orders, several hours
ago, to blow up certain buildings in the
track of the flames The execution of this
order, delayed at first, has as length BEEN
accomplished. Ever and anon, during the
past hour, the explosions have rent the air.
In the lower part of the city, the fire has
done its work in thorough style. I,s path
is now burned cut, and nothing now re-
mains to mark where it has passed, save
smouldering piles Of cinders and gauut and
smoking walls and chimueys. The Charles
ton Hotel is safe, and Hayne street, too.-
The wind has swept the danger of, further
to the South Although the fire RACES on
three sides Of the Mills House, that 6ue
structure has not caught. The Theatre.
Lloyd's Coach Factory, opposite, the Ex
press Office, the old Executive building.
aud all the houses between that point and
Queen street have been burned. The fire
seems making straight towards the Jail
Companies of the Reserves have been or
dered out to repress any possible disturb
ance among the prisoners con6ued il that
building. The wind has somewhat abatsd
Four O'CLocK.-A change in the wind
bas bent the course of the FIRE towards Broad
Street The Lutheran and Uuitarain
Churches are now considered safe. The
Cathedral seems now 10 exceeding danger.
The buildings on the West side of Friend
Street, near the corner of Queen, are burn.
ing fercely. St. Andrews Hall is on FIRE,
and the spire Of St. Fiubar's glitters with
splendor Of porteutious import. The oc
cupaats Of houses on Broad Street, beyond
King, are moving their effects.
QUARrER.PAsT FIVE o'cLooK.-As the
clock of St. Michae's tolls the quarter, the
Catheral steeple has fallen, with a tremeud.
.ous crash. The Cathedral is burning fu.
riously; likewise, St. Andrews Hall. In
fact, the whole Of Broad Street is ca FIRE
from Mr.. Gadsden's to Masyck Street -
The residences of Messss. Geo. NJ. Cofiu,
James L. Petigru, aud others near by, are
consumed. The flames have now crossed
Broad Street, and, as the wind has not lull-
ed, it is impossible to say where they will
stop-short Of the river.
There does not appear to be any i1nmi-
neut danger Of the fire again making head.
way either to the right or to the left of the
furrow which it has cloven through our fair
city from East Bay to King STREET. But
the head Of the couhagration is still fearful
to look upon and is pushing forward With
giant strides as We 60 to press.
Great, indeed, has been the calamity
which has fallen upon our noble noble old
city. But let US, with unfailing hope aud
courage, bestir ourselves at once to amend
the losses we have sustained, and to relieve,
each Que according to his reauG, the great
spferings which the fire must entail upon
It's poor victims.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
Yesterday was gloomy day for Charles
ton. Business was universally suspended,
and, with one impulse, our community uni
ted in giving sympathy and aid to the vic.
tins Of the great public calamity
Our report, in our last issue, Of the pro
gress Of the fire, closed at quarter past dve
o'clock on yesterday morning, when the
majestic spire Of the Cathedral had just
tottered and crashed heavily through the
burning roof. From that time the disas-
ter may be said to have assumed a new