Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-06-27
Details of the Great .rireat Newberry.


Correspondence of the South Carolinian.
NEwBERRy, June l9.-The saddest aflic-
ton that ever visited quiet town has come
upon us, of Newberry. But Yfew hours ago
We were looking forward with high hopes to>
prosperous future, to renewed enterprise,
and abundant reward for the labors that have
been so earnestly put forth since the close Of
the war. Now, our homes and places of bus
iness are but mass of smoking ruins, among
which men wander disconsolate at their loss,
and we'll nigh stupe6ed by the weight Of mis-
fortune so suddenly thrust upon them.
We scarcely know when or how the terri
BILE inhiction commenced.
The cry Of fire broke the silence of the
hours, between two and three o'clock on Mon
day morning. Men, women and children
hurried from their beds to discover flames
bursting from the premises known as Thespi-
an Hall, occupied as warehouse by Gen.
Kinard. Here were stored, it is said, some
thirty or forty bales Of cotton. No person
slept on the place, no light had been allowed
in the vicinity, and the general impression is
that the torch of the incendiary commenced
the work of destruction here.
Notwithstanding the most strenuous efforts,
the fire now spread to adjoining huts occupi-
ed by negroes, then crossed the street and
ignitcd the rear of the store Of Messrs. Mar
Shall & Bro, which with its contents was en-.
tirely consumed then wrapped around the
establishment of Messrs. Rutledge & Bro,
over which was the shooting gallery and gun.
smith shop of Mr.. lack. White; then involv.
ed the store Pratt, Wilson, and James, part
of whose stock was fortunately saved; and
sweeping along caught i'll succession Duncan's
warehouse, the residence ofMr. Field Mont.
gomery and the store and residence of DR..
Gouin, who lost all but the clothing on his
back. Hero the volume of flame appeared to
part, one portion travelling Gercely up Main
street, on the left hand side, destroying the
stores Of Messrs. Boyce, John Nesley, (ba-
ker), DR.. Dapray, dentist, and the boarding
house of Mrs. Thompson. This wing of the
coufagratioa now stopped. The other had
meanwhile crossed the street i'll front of DR..
Gouin's residence, and attacked home of
Capt. j. Davis, the store of Jacobs, the jew
elry store of Mr.. Field Montgomery, the store
of Mr.. Charles Montgomery, the millinery es-
tablishment of Mrs. Whaley and the residence
of DR.. Whsley, where, as if satiatcd in its flu
ry, this flank Of the fire also ceased. The
premises last above named are on the right
hand side Of Main street, so that broad
swath of destruction is all that is left of that
once prosperous portion of our town.
The same burst of flame that crossed frou,
DR.. Gouin's Tapped around the cffice of the
N,wberry Herald, and in short time this
e>tablis hmept together with the store below,
occupied by Lovelace & Wheeler, was but d
pile of smoking ruins. The next sufferers in
this direction were Messrs. Charles Buist &
Ward, A. Wicker, Il. B. Holman & Co., DR..
w. G. McKeler and DR.. Thos. Moore.
The building occupied by the three gentle
men last above named, adjoined the hotel,
where the first time the flames were got un-
der control, and finally extinguished. But
before cxpending their force, they had destroy.
ed property to the amount, us now estimated,
| of one hundred thousand dollars.
The number of families rendered homeless
BY this sad event, is not far from thirty, some
of whom barely escaped with their lives.
Among the most unfortunate is DR.. Gouin
and family, who lost in money alone $4,000,
besides every article Of valle and every stitch
of clothing save that which was on their
persons.
Aessrs. Grenneker, the public spirited
Propretors and Editors Of the Herald, were
likewise most unhappy sufferers. Nothing
remains OF their establishment but the melted
types and broken panes; and Of their house.
nold goods nothing but ashes.
The conhagration ragged from two until
about seven o'clock in the morning-fve ter
rible hours; the like of which we hope never
to see again.
In the absence Of fire apparatus, human
hands and human energy acc 'mplished all
| that was done. The ladies with one accord
worked as bravely and faithfully as the stur-
dy men around them, laboring at the pumps,
carrying water, we!ting blankets, and assist
ing in the rescue of property.
To many of the negres also no small need
of praise is due for their industry on the occa-
sion, although there was another crowd like
scavengers cleaning all they dared to seize.
Patrols are now in the country endeavorirg
torecover these stolen goods and arrest the
thieves.
During the night several persons were mere
or less injured by exposing themselves too
boldly to the flames Among those thus burn.
ed learn the names of Mr.. Bangle, and Nlr.
Peter McGregor, formerly Of Columbia.
Steps are being taken to relieve The neces-
sites of the most needy, and with commenda-
BILE enterprise some of the citizeus have set
about the work of reestablishmg our ever vel
como newspaper. We are "bent, but not
broken
B.G.B.