The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-05


Brown & Sons lose from 100000 to 800, 900;
insured for 100000. Staples Sons machine
shop and n. P. Richardson & Co.'s stove foundry
are completely destroyed.
Latest Accounts.
. PORTLAND, July 5.-The fire has completely
swept through the city from the foot of High
street to North street on Mountjoy, destroying
everything in it's track so completely that the
lines OF the streets can hardly be traced and
space of one and-a-half miles long by quarter
of mile wide appear like forest of chimneys
with fragments of walls attached to them.
The wind was blowing gale from the south,
and tremendous sheet of flame swept along
before it, devouring everything in its passage,
and the utmost exertions of the firemen, aided
by a steamer and hand enqines from several
other places, could only succeed in preventing
it from spreading in new directions. Many
buildings, perhaps fifty, were blown up, to check
the flames, but the inhabitants could scarcely
do more than flee with their families to the
upper part of the city, saving such goods as
they could carry with them, though every vehi-
Gle in the city was employed with exc client
effect in moving goods. The Custom House, being
fire proof escaped though greatly damaged.
The court records, in the upper story, are pro-
badly destroyed.
The splendid city and county building on
Congress street, which was nearly fre-proof,
was considered safe, and it was piled full of fur
niture by the neighboring residents, and then it
was swept away with all its contents. Half the
city is destroyed, and that half including all the
business portion, excepting the heavy business
houses in Commercial street. The fire COM
menced "a little below the foot of High street,
in a boot shop.
1t next burned Upham's Touring MILL and
Browns sugar house, with all its surroundings,
then Staples & Sons and Richardson's foundries,
and nothing else on Commercial street of conse
quence. 1t next swept what is called Graham's
corner, composed of smaller wooden buildings,
clean. 1t then burned up as far as the old
Barnum House, on Pleasant street, one third
the way up Centre street, and half the way up
| Cotton street.
| 1t also completely burned up Cross street,
| Union street. Temple street, and Exchange
| street. 1t swept lower on the northerly side
OF Fore street to Linden street 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
| Church: then down Chestnut street it moved a
| clean sweep on the southerly side of Cumber-
| land street, and the same was the case with
Congress street, and everything else to Fore
street as far east as Linden street.
All the banks are gone, and all the newspaper
offices, only three printing offices being left.
Also all the jewelry establishments, all the
wholesale dry goods stores, several churches,
the telegraph offices, nearly all the stationery
stores, and the majority of the business places
are destroyed.
The fire is still raging below Cumberland
street, making back to the westward, the wind
having changed.
Captain Inman has telegraphed for 1900 tents
to accommodate the homeless inhabitants. 1t
is almost impossible to tell where the people
lived, the ruin and destruction are so complete.