Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1865-03-16

failen surely, tue Srea6 puiiinot oon0'
must rattle in impotent rage at the over
throw of his heathen philosophy.
-..e.---yy---. .E
From Charleston,
I The Charleston Courier of the morning
of the 2Oth-iss last (Gonfederate) issue
thus describes the horrors of the evacuation
of the city: .s..-
!, The terrible scenes through which this
commapity has passed since our last issue
can only be conceived by those who witness
ed the dreadful reality The saddest part
of all is the loss of life which occurred be.
tween 8 and o'clock Saturday morning,
from an accidental. explosion Of powder and
the blowing up of the Northeastern railroad
depot About one hundred and fifty per-
sons-iuoluding men, women and children
were either instantly killed or perished in
the flames, and about two hundred wounded.
OF the immense destruction of property no
estimate cap be formed, but itswillsamount
to several millions, 20.
Early Saturday morning, before the re-
tiremeut of General Hardee's troops, every
building, warehouse or she'd, stored with
cotton, vas fred BY a guard detailed for the
purpose. The engines were brought out
but With the small force at the disposal Of
the Fire Department, very little else could
be done than to keep the surrounding build
ings from igDiting. On the western side of
the city the conAagration ragged with great
fury, On the wharf of the Savannah rail-
road depot several hundred bales of. cotton
we're awaiting shipment on the blockade
runners also, several thousand bushels of
rough rice. On Lucas Street, leading to
the depot, was a shed containing twelve
hundred bales of cotton, which, together
with several other sheds and buildings filed
with cotton, belonging to private parties, fell
"a prey to the.asmes. Lucas mill, contain
tanning some thirty thousand bushels ofrice,
and MI. R. 7. Walkers warehouse, at the
foot Of Broad street, filled with commissary
stores, were also destroyed.
/. Shortly after 8 o'clock occurred the terri
Bile explosion at the Northeastern railroad.
The explosion was tremendous, and shook
the whole city. It appears, from ell &C.
counts, that this dreadful catastrophe was
csusea from the careless handling of pow
der By some boys, taking hapdfulls and
throwing it into the cotton fire at the depot.
In doing this they pnwittingly laid a train
to the apartment in which it was stored
The spectacle which followed was horrible.
In al instant the whole building was enVel-
oped in smoke and flames. The cries Of
tie wounded, the inability of the spectators
to render assistance to those rolling and
rerishing IN tho fire, all rendered it'a scene
Of indesSriSabie terror. The flames spread
with great rapidity, communicating to The
adjoining buildings, including the fne large
residence CT Dr.. Seaman Deas, ON the north
east corner of Chapel and Alexander streets
all Of which were destroyed. The build
ings on the opposite side Of the street were
soon enveloped in flames, and the fire now
became unmanageable. All the buildings
embraced in the area of. four squares on
Chapel, Alexander, Washington and Char
lotte streets to Calhoun street, with few ex-
ceptions, we're destroyed. About leo'clock
fire broke out in the large four-story brick
building of Madame DuRee at the north.
east corner of East Bay aud Laurens street
This, with the adjoining building on north.
east corner of Minority street, were all
burned. Another fire broke out about IL
o'clock in range of buildings on the west
side of Meeting street, next to the court
house: Five buildings were burned; the
walls only we're left standing. The alarm
of fire Saturday night, in Ward four, was
caused by the burning of the inside Of a
millinery establishment on Kingstreet
In addition to the above fires, the new
bridge from the city to James island was
set on FIRE, and was still burning on Sun
day night.
The burning and blowing up of the iron
clads, Palmetto State, Chicora and Charles
ton was magnificent spectacle. The Pal
metro State was the FIRST to explode, and
was followed by the Cbicora about 9 o'clock,
and the Charleston about IL A, NJ. The
latter, it is stated, had twenty tons of gun
powder on board. Pieces of the iron plate
red Lot, fell on the wharVes and set them
on fire. By the active exertions of Super
intendent Thomas Turner, the gas works
were saved. The explosions were terrific.
Tremendous clouds of smoke went up, form
ing beautiful wreaths. A full Palmetto
tree, with its leaves and stems, was noticed
by many observers. As the last wreath of
smoke disappeared, the full form of the rat
tlesnake in the certre was remarked by
many as it gradually faded away.
DUTCH GAp.-Like the "Multicaulis
hunbug." the Dutch Gap ditch has prov