, 1866-11-19
Loss NEARLY HALF a MILLION.


Fire On North Wells Street.
Ono OF those Devastating tres taatfron time 10
time starte the community occurred yesterday
morning between four and ave o'clock. The
scsnc IVES South Wafer street, locality which has
become famous Of late years as place which |
would almo.t seem TO be - marked, quoted. and !
etgned by the hand Of destiny for calAultica Of !
This nature. Being great bualncss centre, and |
contaipIpe a. It does 4 vast number Of large |
wtolcsa,e warehouses. the flaming element, when |
II duer break loose, has alch rich ne1d 10 work
upon that II 10 dceult to bring 1t under control;
20 that when the alarm indicates 4
fire IN that dtet.ict, It IL generally undestood
oidiasfy dimensions. Therc L scarcely 4 Build
Ing IN the whole street which has not al sonno time
s uttered, und suffered severely, from fire. Some
inc aoud ID hs1ay &c N
hon 10 say that South Water Etreet has been seye-
ral umca demolished and rebuilt.
destsuciive over Witnessed IN this ci,y-e1ended
It's ravaees 10 Lake street. destroying eonsidcta.
bic portion Of one Of the handsomest business
etS 70 6s smosot eaa nea en. Iii p1SR
entire centre Of the block extending on Lake from
Wells q franklin STREET, and. extending back to
Cenaicting statements were promulgated re-
ga1dIng the origin Of the fire. The geuetal In
Tie most Ieisslie secoani was ttst Il oTistnatsd
in The cellar Of D. Bunker Jr. & Co.'S wholesale
,obseeo wateAouse, which f1onts on South Water
street. A young man who occupies room over
Cha1ies J. !. Meyers sash and blind establish
,ncnt wa a" alened BY smoke and beat. md on
assa'F asme ' eses ee snsS'
asaa: esses 4: l. sssPsa .ad = 4nasS's.s5s
In q few minutes the engines were Fastening from
each ataiion to The scene Of the d!.asteF, and 4
ctovl Of early 'tcIa and late siters were gather.
making much moro .apid progress than the en-
eincs, and BY The time they arrived there was what
might be termed very Esspes'ae!s t n.ze IA,
long time .scr the. aycnen arrived, and
Tie flames were allowed to glide from
ow,l swcer will: VERY nearly % hour clspsed b..
tore st:can Of any considerable force could be
brought t9 hea. on The building Oh south Watc:
val uas oecupled By The deyouring aames. When
m at iaat plentiful suPpiy Of xases was obtained
1ois;ns cons siop, ~ Wneh bsa " low at'sined 'es
eastward and southwark with amazing velocity
the burning buildings rolled in large coIling vol
l umes along tie adjacent streets, conveying ttt
impression 10 the tn1aatea far and uea- thai the
whole centre Of the city was on f.e. Fo1tunaiel,
there wns lttt1e or no wind. Had II been other
wtEe the lack Of water and that united would hAre
sonls:bnled % @ % plsce the corhasration almost be
~ = sssas y sosil Water street Va. h,rhlz e1
citing. Frequent explosions were heard, and b,
and BY & ths VAL: AL began 10 fals .n one after th'
capcs were made by the hrcn,en who as ususl wer
% Be seen in The very !hietcs, and hottest Of n
and very soon after the fames made thcis appear
pnee ,a asose !he roof gndeseHeas j1n;e howsye,
o. NC oat aa1Se@ a to wnaeh ..,,l5 ins5 WET
Woftea u xn1sD), ahonrb y" Il ,eaE eome saa 6sn1
s5sep,1is desIse TEE Tsis : Us s. oE.ss y q nos ] q q
ysy f1 I1s - q
+ moi . vestise oi he entire block woal
stately II " marble % edinees were 1s'e crnmb,in
! and topping down At au alarming rate. and IL
fa.iy by he del faliin: i1ssmsnts. Over eishI hou1
and Ii aa not till dusk yesterday thai Inc engine
DUNG he ssfy a stages az oi 'hs ' dre very @ title
. crowd had collected, bnt as the morning wos
on .Le humber increases until # swelled Into
a spectacle, and such aisht had not l,ccn psessn
long a ~ pe,iod. - ii il Usual usual on ~ enca oeca.ion
the crowd seemed determined to Inspect Il
interior Of the ruined buildings, thereby impedit
| strioue3y the work Of the department, and neec
fsne of tbc most remsrkable ob{ects In this c,oV
: uas poor Indian, pAlnlad up ~ Il
! the wa.palh. who apparently had Iu
! | entered HE city, The stpltd inaiGerept
4 | Of the saysce a. he stood regarding Il
show Vas In singular eout{ast with the excited
| meanpr Of ihe Iale faces around him. Thouean
4 OF people visited the scene during the lorenzo
= md gathered in mighty crowds aronnd the stca
e e1t, which were working with that cehsele.a act
n iIy that never wearies tic admiration, The iii
d | walks were thyonccd with people and the Btrc
!, had to be frequently cleared bY the patient poll
T. mep J0pc lines or hose coiled along the str
: = like rirant{c black tn.Ees and thc uccns,o
l. hnrnt t5f anne rotten noftton Of IT. Eood
,s fhc kncctstoya in their Sunday jlfees u
= ccDIous shower of river water
" ! pure as It could be obtained near L,
= street bridge. ThIs occasioncd great merlin
:" 10 the more fortunate ones who had escaped
=, p d,cnctlns, but their sport would b. si,dde
[u checke0 6y a >tOreak'' in their itnnedtate vic
r liz. With wonld canse a. sudden a stsmnetc =
II. the emaIipox lad been au1pupced
A rrotn Of owue,e and recent occupants
- the burnt distinct gathered on Wstez strcct,
hy ! pasted Jokes about their Losses with ~ m
,st !cyiiy as II lhey were all original Mark Taplt
h. | Some one Wis sotlcitors 10 know II any lives
~. been lost, and one Of the gentlemen wss heart
"a reniy thnt he only knew QR oue-ap IRON Mig
=" VI nlss WnlCn ut *a1utu a. S1o1' SHln 1cs!S
tSt | H1hae VIII e1c NeH1anCe AIeHt1s ooAut VI VI
%, | quite failed 10 fcc whtIc the Laugh came
Ia THE Losses.
~ The following IL statement Of the losses
re | saiccd By the vasfous firms by the fire, With
ner 1ususupcct, go far as could be nsecstaincd
NJ | teruay.
ory SOUTH wATra srnEEr.
Al No. 249 was occupied by McMutphy. Doyl
;tv | CLARK, Commission merchants. At Ihfs time