The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1866-07-12
Disastrous Fire at Portland,
Me.-One-EKalf the City Des-
frOyed.

| Me.-One-hEalf the CITY DeS-
trOyed.
PORTLAND, Me-, July ga most
disastrous fire occurred here last even
ing, which completely swept through
the city from the foot of High street to
North street, destroying everything in
its track SO completely that the line of
the streets can hardly be traced, and a
space of ! miles long by quarter Of a
mile wide, appears like forest of CHM
neys with fragments Of walls attached to
them. The wind was blowing gale
from the south, and tremendous sheet
of flame swept along before it, devour-
ing everything in its progress.
Many buildings, perhaps fifty, were
blown up to check the flames. The
Custom House, being fre-proof. escaped,
though greatly damaged. The Court
records in the upper story are probably
| destroyed.
! The splendid city and county build
ing on Congress street, although nearly
| fire-proof, was swept away, with all its
contents. Half the city is destroyed,
and that half including nearly all the
business portion, excepting the heavy
business in Commercial street.
All the banks and newspaper offices
are burned, and but three printing off,
ces are left. The jewelry establish
ments are also burned
Captain Inman has telegraphed for
fifteen hundred tents to accommodate
the homeless inhabitants. It is almost
impossible totellwhere the people lived
the destruction is so complete. A.. 3.
The store of Messrs. Emery & Water
house, hardware dealers, on Middle
street, was sihgularly passed by the
sheet of fame and left unseathed
thong everything was swept on each
side.
The Portland Society of Natural His
tory lost their valuable collection.
1t is estimated that two thousand
buildings are burned, and the property
destroyed valued at 100000 900, proba,
bly, insured for about half the amount
The State valuation was $4,000, 900
and the real valuation must therefore
be over $30,000,000, full one-third Of
which must have been destroyed
Nothing can be done in the city to-day
except to take care of the homeless, and
, that is actively being done. The fire.
men from abroad worked nobly The
churches and many other edifces have
been thrown open for the homeless, and
committees have been appointed to re-
lieve the distressed.
For some hours communication was
cut off between the front and rear Of
the city except by over mile journey
around. The flames are still trouble
some In some quarters, and are working
down into the neighborhood of the Gus
: tom House badly. Almost all the hose
and engines in the city are used up.
Messrs. John B, Brown & Sons lose
at least million; insured for about
one-half.
The great fire at Portland, in Maine
of the 4th, by which two thousand bull
dings and s10,00O,000 worth of proper
ty were destroyed, out of an aggregate
of 100000 is one Of those fearfu
visitations which happily occur only al
very long intervals.
Portland is situated upon a peninsul:
on Casco Bay, which is some three mile:
long The breadth is less than one
third Of this distance. The haarbor il
good, and, being seldom INSTRUCTED by
ice, has been the winter port of the
Canadian steamers. The city had some
thirty churches. The city hall cost
$4,000. There were many other fine
buildings and eleven newspapers there
Five or six railroads enter the place.
Further Particulars.
The great fire at Portland. Me. il
: now appears, owed its origin to an In
dia cracker that exploded in a heap O.
, shavlngs behind cooper's shop.
When the flames had gained full
Roadway, the single aim of the owners
OF property was to remove all theil
available goods. Lewis, Rollins & Bond
} the heaviest clothicrs in the city, offer.
ed drayman a thousand dollars for the
use OF his team, and was refused. The
carriers were making from fifty to five
hundred dollars an hour, and even al
this rate there were few to be had.
One of the saddestfeatures of the fire
was that it swept over district which
was burned last fall, and had just been
rebuilt, many of the new houses being
costly and elegant. The fine elms
, which had given to Portland the name
of the ''Forest City," were all charrcd
and killed. Several stocks of goods Of
the value of from $4,000 to $4Oo ,OOC
were destroyed.
Nearly five thousand women and chill
, dren, without homes, many but half
clothed, took refuge in the Grand Trunk
depot. The spectacle of their distress
is said to have been heartrendine,-
Large numbers of persons also occupied
tents on Munjoy's Hill, with hoop-skirts
chairs, stoves, bedsteads, and all descrip
tlons of household paraphernalia bun.
died together promiscnously %
Charge Larceny.