Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1866-07-13
Portland in Ashes:
FIRST DESPATCH.

house, and is sweeping through the city
before a strong southerly wind.
SECOND DEspArcu-
PORTLAND, July 4, 8 p. M.--The fire
caught in the building above the sugar
house on CommerciafSlf rect, and has swept
northerly through Gore street into the
wooden buildings between Centre and
Cross streets. consuming every thing as il
goes. J. b. Brown d Sons from $60o.OoO
to 100000. Insured $500, 900. Staples &
Son. machine shop. and r. Z. Richardson
Il Co.'S stove foundry are completely dcs-
troyei. Ono steam engine has come from
Saco.
THIRD DESPATCH
PORTLAND July, 5.-'rhe fire has swept
completely through the city from the foot
of High street to North street on Munioy
Hill, destroying everything in its track 50
completely that the lines of streets can
hardly be traced, and space one and a
halt miles long by quarter OF a mile wide
appears Hike forest of chmneys with
fragments of walls attached to them.
The wind was blowing a gale from the
south and tremendous sheet of Time
swept along before it. dcvouring everything
in its pas sage, and uttermost eNertions OF
iiremen. aidel by steamers and hand EN-
gincs from several other places. c0:....A only
succeed in preventing it from spreading i'll
new directions. Many buildings, perhaps
lifty. were blown up, to check the flames.
The inhabitants gould scarcely do more
than flee with their families to the upper
part of the city, saving such goods AS they
could carry, though every vehical i'll the
city was employed with excellent effect in
moving goods. The Custom House being
fireproof, escaped. though greatly dam
agnd, and the court records in the upper
story were probably destroyed. The splen-
did city and country buildings OH Congress
street. which was nearly fire proof. was
considered safe and it was piled full Of
furniture by the neighboring residents. and
thea swept away with all its contents.
Half the city is destroyed, and that half
includes nearly all the business portion.
except the heavy business houses Oh Com
mercial street.
The fire commenced little below the
foot of High street. in boat shop. Up
hams Touring mill was next burnt, then
Browns sugar house with all its surround
ings, then Staples & Sons and Richardson's
foundries, and nothing else on Commercial
street Of consequence,
Ituext swept what Is called Gorham's
corner. composed Of small wooden build
iugs, up as far as the old Farnum House
on Pleasant street, one third the way up
Center street, half way up Cotton str. It
completely ~ Cross street, Union stree.
Temple street. Pleasant street, and Ia
change street.
1t swept down on the northerly side Of
Forest street, to India on the east. While on
the west it moved along diagonally across
Middle street, and down to Cumberland.
taking the Elm House, but sparing the
First Parish. Then from Chestnut to North
10 ala f,p1t 10 h.
erly side of Cumberland to Congress street
and everything else to Forest street as far
east as India street.
All the banks are gone, all the new>pap-
ers. all but three printing offices. all the
jewellers, all the wholesale dry goods store
several churches. the telegraph offices.
nearly all stationers and the majority OF
nearly all the business places. The fire is
still raging below Commercial street, make
ing back to the westward the wind having
changed.
Davis, Baxton, Il Co.. in Free street
block, wholesale fancy articles, loss SO 900
fully insured at the Etna OF Hartford, and
Hampden Of Springfield.
Capt. Inman has telegraph for 1900 tents
to accommodate the homeless inhabitants.
FOURTH DESPATCH.
PORTLAND. July 5.-The upper side of
Fore street is swept clean to India, except
ing two buildings on the corner of India
street.
A. Woods Marble Hotel. the Freeman
House, the American House. and Kings
bury's Hotel are al, destroyed.
Congress street from Chestnut street to
the observatory is cleaned IN both sides.
Not building Is standing on Exchange
street.
Federal street is entirely destroyed; also
Cumberland street from Pearl street to tho
HILL on both sides: Union. Plum. Temple.
Lime and Silver streets entire. and Frank
lin, from Fore to Oxford. All OF the
Wholesale and most Of the retail shoe stores
are DESTROYED A steam and hand engine
came in from Biddeford. and hand engines
from Gardener, Halloweil, and Brunswick
Chas. Staples g. Son, niachinists. lose $40
900; insured $4,000 in Home. New York
and Boston offices; Upham'' FIGURING Mill
lose 30. 600; insured 5000; j. w
Munger's agency n. =. Richardson &
Co stove founders, S50.H00; insured S25
900 The Press office lose $500. Ma
sonic Hall with sill its contents was dcs-
troyed; partially insured. Judge Clifford %
the U. 5 Circuit Court lost part of hi
library aud District Judge Fox all of his
Brown & Thurston's job office lose $50
900; insured $500 in the Dirigo e. Ma
riue Mutual Co. and Relief aud Republi,
Of New York.
Eight churches are burned, the Second
Parish, the Third Parish Pearl street
Universalist, First Baptist. ST. Stephens
Episcopal, Bethel, Swedenborsian ant
Catholic Chapel; also, Bishop Racsn's res
idcnce and convent school attached
The Ocean Marine Insurance Co. lost
$1,000; insured SIS 900 in the Howard
and Loriliard Co. Chas. +. Lhrase
NCo. lose $4,000; insured $4,000 il
metropolitan aud Niagria Companies
Judge F"x's library $1,000; Judge Ci'ft
ord's $I2.000-no insurance. Merrill q
Small, VIII. ,salc clothing and trimming
lose $4,000; fully insured i'll Lorrillart
and Hartford Companies. Churchill
Brown and Manson lose $4,000; wei
insured.
Among the fine dwelling houses destroyed
were MrslWoods on Middle street Mr.
Ramsey's and Mr.. Donnell's IN Cansres
street, Bacon's on do, l.. Billings ant
others.
The store Of Emery g. wa,eThonse
hardware. on Middle street. slngu'afly
was passed by the SEA Of flames. unscather
though everything was swept on each side
The Portland Society Of Natural HIST
ory for a second time has lost lis raluable'
collection misfortune which will appea
To the generosity Of other sucieitys through
cut the country. o. go.
It is estimatedt that about 200'.building
,v,rc hecn hurned. and DrOpertv destrOyc