The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-12
THE BURNING OF MADISON, GA.

The Georgia papers bring US the terrible de-
tails of the great FIRE in Madison, on Thurs
day night, already briefly noticed by tele-
graph:
Accounts as to its origin are conflicting;
some say that il was accidental. while others
tbluk that It was the work OF some deyilish
inccndlary. The fire originated in the furnl-
ture store OF Mr.. Albert Shaw, about o'clock
at night, and then ragged with the utmost fury
until half-past IL or o'clock, destroying by
this time some twenty-five or thirty stores and
two or three dwelling houses. The courthouse
and hotel escaped. Robinson's carriage repos-
itory, g. N. Dexter's livery stable and carriage
establishment, and the postotice arc the only
buildlngs left Oh the public square. The FOL-
lowing is q list OF houses destroyed By the
Are: Furniture store OF Albert Shaw; Mrs
Mustin's millinery establishment; Child's
book store dry goods store Of William Pea
cock; furniture store OF Sebastian Shaw; Rich
tor & Bros grocery; tho extensive dry goods
and grocery establishment OF j. A. BroughtOn;
bar aud billiard saloon OF L. j. Stallmg VIM.
A. Bennett's family grocery store; small shop
between Bennett and Huff & Camps establish
ment; R. A. Booths grocery; r. n Booths
grocery; the Town Hall was entirely co0sum-
ed: the building and the confectionery store of
C. L. Fielding; tue three stores OF g. Campbell,
the largest OF which was Ccc1pled by Messrs.
McHenrv g. Son; tue brick store OF E. FL. Cohen
& Co.: drug store occ ipied by Alessrs. G. IT,
Andrews & Co.; the brick store owned and oc-
cuplcd by J. II. High & Co.; dry goods and
grocery storo occupied by n1ossrs. Vason &
Hillsman; drug store occupied by Colonel Ma
poleon Atkinson; dry goods establishment OF
J. w. & w. II. Bcar,lip; dry goods store occu-
pied by Asher Levy; Masonic Hall building,
occupied by c. B. Atkinson as dry goods and
grocery store; Harmon Maltln's drinking
saloon; Milton Mustln's restaurant; DR.. Hitch
cocks drug store: p. II. Thomasou's dry goods,
grocery storo and dwelling, and 4. S. HutI's
TIN shop aud dwelling.
The business portion Of Madison, like nearly
ali the country towns " o similar size in the
State, is built in the shape of hollow square,
in the centre Of which stood the Courthouse,
and lining the four sides were nearly all the
stores which the town contained. Although
the first alarm given had tho effect of sum-
moning almost the entire male population OF
the place TO the scene Of danger, yet having no
ire department 10 aid them, and no other
facllItlcs for eXtnsuishiug the namcs their
excrtions, though dcscrlb d as almost super.
human, were without avail, and the fire steadi-
" aud with great rapidity advagccd on its
march of destruction. The scene &t this timc
IS described as fearful beyond description. The
souare was filled with a mass OF men, women
aud children, who. turned suddenly out OF
their homes, stood and witnessed the des-
tructlon of their property, and yet were
utterly powerless TO prevent It. The
breaking out of the fire was so sudden
that scarcely anything was saved firm The
houses, aud what was taken away was prlncl-
pally furniture, which was injured SD much III
the removal as to ienGer it OF but little SER