New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-12-19
THE WAR FOR THE union.
THE GREAT FIRE IN CHARLESTON.
BALTINoRK, "Wednesday. Dec. 10, 1871

BALTIMORE Wednesday. Dec. 49, 1861.
We have The Norfolk Day Book of Tuesday,
which contains extracsfrom The Charleston Courier
and Mercury relative to the fire, but there is little
additional 70 what has already been teegraphed
w. p Russell & Co., owners of the factory where
HE fire commenced, say the establishment had been
closed, and the furnace Of the boiler covered with
water before the men left. The proprietor did not
leave for an hour and half or more after the work
men. When he LEFT, everything was IN order and
there were no signs Of fire. In about an hour and
half afterward, Mr.. Russell heard the alarm. From
the circumstances he infers that she fire was SET or
was the result Of csrelessnes on the part Of num-
Der Of country negroes, who had been qusrtered
under an old she'd adjoining his establishment in al
lowing their camp-lires 70 get the better of them.
After the breaking ont Of the fire the flames con-
tued to increase in violence and with the scarcity
of water, seemed TO defy all human efforts to arrest
them. Keeping n south-wesierly course, the roar
ing element rushed through like forked lightning.
The work Ct destruction in King and Queen streets
truly terrible. Roof after roof fell in, and the
fire rushed out of the windows and lapped around
the buildings in an awfnlly sublime manner.
The flames spread right and left making clean
sweep Of the fine residences in Logan, New, Savage
Mazyek and the lower end OF Broad streets, nor
could the work Of destruction and desoatiOn have
been stayed had it not been that the fire exhausted
itself for want of material In addition to the
churches already mentioned as destroyed, was the
Quaker Westinghouse in King street. The Savings
Instituton was also burned, and the large Southern
Express building is also gone. The Mills House WAS
only saved through almost superhuman exertiOns,
and its blackened walls attest severe trial.
n IN. al.
finest architectural ornaments Of the city. 1t was
constructed Of brown-stone in very massive and
costly manner The fine building of the Sisters OF
Mercy was saved The extensive foundery and ma
chine shops of Cameron 81 Co. were entirely de-
stroyed. They embraced eight buildings, an Office,
erecting-shOp, machine and iittng-shop, fouDdery,
blacksmith.shop, two boiler shops, pattern store
room and ironroOm. The stock OF material on hand,
including large quantity for Government purposes,
was valued at not less than 500 900. The insurance
is not stated
McCabe & Canckels State cotton press also
DESTROYED. The value of tue building and machinery
was $50 600. The building contained three hundred
thousand pounds of Sea Island cotton, belonging 10
Edisto and Johns Island planters. There was no In
surance ON the cotton The press was insured for
S23, Goo Fifty-two bales of upland cotton were al
so destroyed
Among the handsome residences destroyed were
those of Bishop Lynch, George NJ. Coffin, Mr. j. j.
Hayward Postmaster Huger, Miss Bowman, John
Laurens DIR. Hazyck, Capt. Rutiedge, John Bon
nell, Messrs. Middleton, McKag Gravely and
Williams.
The Courier says the most gratifying incident of
the fire was the zeal manifested by the slaves in
their efforts as fremen and laborers The entire
population male and female, worked most earnestly.
Subscriptions for the poor sufferers by the horrible
conHagation had been opened at the Bank of
Charleston, and q, 600 had been subscribed.
The Commissary General had posted a notice for
food and shelter for those deprived Of houses by the
sad calamity. Many were obtained On application 10
+. s. Holmes, at the Soldier Wayside Depot, corner
of Ann and Navy streets.
TIE Mercury of Friday says: yesterday was a
gloomy day for Charleston. Business was univer.
sally suspended and with one impulse our communi-
ty united in giving sympathy and aid to the victims
of the greaepublic calamity
The Courier says:
The fearful corhagration that has just passed
over our city will cauee The 18th and 18th of De-
cember 1861, hereafter to be remembered rs one OF
those dark and irving periods which for the moment
seem to parayzs all the long cherished hopes and
bright anticipations of the future.
We have been visited by one OF those mysterious
Sispensatons of Providence which we cannot at
tenpt TO solve. Our city has received terrible
blow, which will take the work Of years 10 repair.
Let us nerve ourselves, then, for another start
thankful we are left with the same bold spirit,
strong arms-make a new, and perhaps more sub
siantial prosperity for our beloved city.
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