Newspaper Page Text
From the Charleston Mercury. of April -28.
One O' deck, A. AT,
RUINOUS CONFLAGRATION!
We have to delay our paper to a lute hour
this morning, on account of a most disastrous
FIRE which has been sweeping resistlessly
all night through the very heart of our ill fated
city. The fire broke out at Sutcliff’s Bakery,
corner of Swinton’s Lane and King-st. on the
West side of the latter, at about half past 8 P.
M. and burnt only a few buildings to the south
and west of it, in which direction, owing to a
South West wind the progress of the flames
was arrested; but to the North, North-west,
North-east and East, the fire was sweeping
widely and furiously when we left the scene,
andthereis no saying how far it has extended
or where it will probably stop. Except one
or two Brick buildings immediately where the
fire commenced, it has swept every thing to
the North-east, as far as the corner of Meet
ing and Market streets. It has crossed Meet
ing street, and was raging down the South side
of Market street. It had burnt up to and cros
sed Market street on both sides of King street,
and is still spreading to the North. The beau
tiful new Theatre is partly destroyed. The
scaffolding and wood work of the new Mason,
ic Hall, at the Market was on fire when we
left the spot. The loss to individuals and the
insurance offices is immense. The firemen
and engineers have labored to exhaustion, but
it would be impossible for a hundred times their
force to encounter successfully such a fire
Buildings in great number have been blown
up during the night until the supply of powder
failed.
We have not time, nor room at this hour for
the distressing details, the miserable list of
which is rapidly lengthening while wowrite,
and God only knows where it will end. It is
already by much the most calamitous fire we
have had in our city for many years —and it
will be long before Charleston recovers from
the blow she has recived.
Tiro O'clock.
The fire is still raging, and that splendid
edifice, the new Hotel, with the range of new
stores on Pearl street, are all in flames. The
fire has also extended up King street as far as
Wentworth street, sweeping every thing be
fore it. Upwards of 400 houses have been
consumed —the loss of property is incalculable.
Half past tiro.
The fire is still raging on King street, and
all the region between King and Anson streets,
and in Market street it has crossed Church st.,
and has carried aw ay the market with the new
Masonic Hall. If stopped at all before it rea
ches the wharf it must be at State street.
Five O'clock.
We are compelled to close our distressing
details, and put our paper to press. The fire
.still continues to burn with little or no abate
ment, it has extended to the North-east as far
as Bennett’s Rice Mills, which have also been
consumed, and it is now spreading farther
north. Society street is one mass of flames
itom East Bay, to within a few doors of King
street, and we fear the conflagration to the
North-east will extend to Boundary street.
We have several reports of the loss of lives,;
but from the confusion which prevails, cannot I
obtain the particulars for this mornings paper.
From tho Charleston Courier. 30ih ult.
GREAT FIRE.
ON’E-THIKI) OF CHARLESTON IN RUINS.
About 9 o’clock on Friday evening last,
the citizens of Charleston were alarmed by
the .sound of the fire bells, and the cry given
that it was in King st. n part of the city which,
—fiom thu great quantity of wooden bail
dings with which it is literally lined, from
Tradd to Boundary-st. on each side, with here
and there a brick house, and occasonally one;
intended to be semi-fire-proof,—was always
considered to be the most dangerous place for
a conflagration to commence, and where, too,
was stored a large portion of the most valua
ble dry goods in the city
When we arrived at the place where the
fire commenced, the flames had just made
their appearance in the rear of a small shed
or building, adjoining the house, north-west i
corner of Beresford and King-st., and but a'
few minutes elapsed before the three or four
other houses, and the house on the south-west
corner of Beresford.st. were also in flames.
The tire then commenced roaring and leaping
from different points, as well in a horizontal
direction as in the air, with a vigor and viru
lence, which was truly appalling, and it being
Itnown to all that there was unusual scarcity
of water, it was apparent lo any observer that
the apparatus of the engineer, blowing up of
houses, and the application of fire hooks,
■were the principal means to be depended on
for battling with the destructive and devour
ing clement. Fire hooks, we believe, were
used in but few if any instances, and wc arc
under the impression that there is not a suffi.
cient number of them, or that their usefulness,
particularly in pulling down small buildings is
undervalued. The principal engineer was ab.
sent, but his assistant, 31 r. Frederick Schnierle
was promptly on the ground, with the appara
tus, and, with a courage, coolness and efficien
cy, not to be surpassed, and seldom equalled,
commenced operations, and continued unre
mittingly employed, until his life became the
sacrifice.
The fire now rapidly extended up King st.
on both sides, and down Market-st. to Meet,
mg-st. with the most uncontrollable rapidity.
1 he engines were literally powerless, except
;n a few instances—that of saving the Thea
tre, perhaps, as prominent as any other. Af
li ter passing down Mprket-st. (both sides of
winch, as fur asCuurch-st., markets included,
were destroy cd A it took a north-easter, v di
ivction, the wind blow ng from the south-west,
but blowing only moderately, and extended in
that direction to the sugar refinery on Anson
st., thence down Anson to Hasell-st., thence
due east to the water, leaving but a few buil
dings between Hasell and Society sts., except
Mr. Stoney’s residence on Hasell st. and Mr.
Heyward’s house on the corner of East-Bay
and Society st. and the large steam mill of
Mr. Bennett. Libcrty-st. was the boundary
above King-st. on ti.e northern line, and St.
Philip to the west, a row of front buildings
being left on the west side of that and Arch
dale.st., including at least one-fourth of the
centre of our beautiful and flourishing city,
and destroying our very splendid new Hotel,
the pride of the citizens; and nearly ready
for the reception of boarders, the new Masonic
Hall, at the west end of the market, the brick
work-of which was nearly finished, and some
what injuring the new Theatre.
The loss of property is variously estimated,
but from what we can ascertain it will be in
the vicinity of THREE MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS, of which about one half is prob
ably insured.
We have made every exertion in our pow
er to obtain a correct list of the buildings de
stroyed, and names of the sufferers, having
had severl persons employed m that duty
throughout the whole of yesterday. A list
of such as could be ascertained, was comple
ted at a late hour last evening, and a part of
it placed in type, but it was found impossible
to get more than one half in this morning’s
paper, and we came to the conclusion to de
fer it until the whole appeared, which will be
in to-morrow’s Courier.
We are largely out of the way (in an ex
tra issued on Saturday afternoon last) in our
estimate that the insurance offices would pay
but 50 per cent of their losses. This estimate
was made at a lime of confusion, when it
was impossible to obtain correct information.
We now learn that the Charleston insurance
and trust company will pay in full, the union
insurance company nearly, if not quite all,
and the fire and Marino 75 per cent, if not
more. The two agencies of Georgia com
paniess in this city, are interested, as we un
derstand, to the amount of about eighty-five
thousand dollars; their losses of course, will
all be paid. An advertisement of the trust
company announces that claims will be paid
us soon as presented.
It affords us sincere gratification to state
that the hotel was insured to the amount of
one hundred thousand dollars, 20,000 each in
live different offices, and, therefore, this splen
did edifice will surely rise Phoenix-like from
its ashes, to ornament Charleston, or we mis
take tho spirit that animates our people.
During the course of the conflagration, a
building used as a store house, on Ker’s wharf,
foot of Lawren’s street, (formerly Norton’s
rice Mill) took fire from some cause not exact
ly known, and burnt to the ground—loss 85,-
000, no insurance. The steam packet Nep
tune, lying at that wharf, was in imminent
danger, but fortunately, was extricated from
her perilous situation, and anchored in safety
in the stream.
Great loss of life has been sustained, which
has plunged many of our mest worthy and re
spectable families in the deepest distress.
We commence with that of Col. Charles
John Stcedmun, naval officer of the port, a
gentleman long known as one of our most ac
tive and public spirited citizens, and who, on
this calamitous occasion distinguished himself,
previous to his death, by his cool, energetic
and fearless conduct—having assisted in blow,
ing up a number of buildings, and making
himself prominently useful in numerous instan
ces. The powder, in cassoons, prepared for
use, gave out early in the night, and after that
powder in kegs was employed, which is always
a dangerous process, Cob Steedman entered a
house on the cast side of East Bay, near Ha
sell street, in company with Mr. M> F. Tur
ley, a mulatto boy, and several other persons,
with two kegs of powder, for the purpose of
blowing it up. Placing one in each room,
one of them exploded and blew up the buil
ding while the three above mentioned persons
were within. Mr. Turley was immediately
picked up, very much injured, but it is believed
will eventually recover though probably much
cripled. Persons immediately ran to the
wreck to extricate Col. S. and the boy; while
so engaged, Capt. Duff, of the ship Herald,
reported in the evening as killed, being on the
roof: the second cask exploded and lifted the
roof up several feet, but fortunately without
any injury to Capt I)., who is at this moment
standing near us in good health. Col. S.
was then taken out, but life was extinct. It
is believed that he was killed by the second
explosion, as some say he was heard to make
an exclamation after the house fell. The
body of the boy was not obtained, but con
sumed in the building.
Mr. Schnierle lost his life in the blowing up
the house at the corner of Liberty and King
street, he also employed a keg of powder, in
the same manner as Col. Steedman. After
the house fell, the most strenuous exertions
were made to get him out, and it was effected
in a short lime, and while he was alive, but
most terribly burred and mutilated. He
spoke collectedly to those who took hold of
him, was carried home, and lived some half
hour after he reached there; his afflicted fami
ly having the melancholy consolation of hear
ing him converse before he breathed his last.
He died in his perfect senses,conscious from the
first moment that his life could not be preser
ved. His loss will be severely felt, and deep
ly regretted. At the same explosion thst de
prived Mr. S. of life, Mr. John S. Peart, was
also struck dead, probably by being thrown
against something, and inwardly injured, as
there di 1 not appear to be any wounds exter
nally that would have proved fa’al. He
breathed but a few momea’s after filing taken
up. A colored man was also killed at the
same time.
Mr. Robert Munroe who kept a seed-store,
in King-street, was found dead, on Saturday
morning; having either been burned up in
his store, or some part of the ruins falling on
him. He was most dreadfully lacerated and
dismembered.
One white man, we learn, fell down, and
was taken up and carried into a house in
Market-street, died, having it is believed, died
from mere fright, or perhaps from apoplexy.
We did not learn his name.
Mr- John: D. Brown was so severely hurt,
at the corner of Market and Church-streets,
that his life is despaired of; we could not as
certain how the accident occurred.
These are all the fatal, or probably fatal
cases, that have yet come to our knowledge.
Several persons have received wounds, some
of them pretty severe, and there may possibly
be some other lives lost, not yet ascertained,
but we hope not.
Capt. Southwick, of the schr. Empire, ar
rived on Saturday evening, states that he saw
the light of the fire at three o’clock that mor
ning, when twenty-five miles south of Savan
nah, being in a direct line, about eighty miles
from this city. We have in our possession,
a cinder, apparently the remains of a piece of
burnt linen or silk, which was picked up on
the morning of the fire, by a planter, 15 miles
distant from Charleston, where the light was
distinctly seen, and the noise of blowing up of
(houses heard.
1 We omitted to mention injhe proper place,
that the new stores, on the old burnt district,
escaped with hardly any damage, and in the
course of a very short period will, without
doubt, be completed and occupied. The
splendid store of Messrs Ripley, Miller & Co.
at the corner of King and Society-st. will also
again be re-built, and that with the utmost ex
pedition.
From the Charleston Mercury.
THE LATE FIRE.
The fire broke out about 9 o’clock on Fri
day evening, and was first discovered issuing
from a small old frame building next to the
corner of Berresford and King streets, occu
pied by colored persons as a fruit’store; the
buildings were wrapped in flames before the
alarm became general. 'Pho number of
stores, dwellings, &c. destroyed in King-st.
were as follows: west side, from within three
doors of Clifford street to Liberty street, 66;
on the east side, from near Horlbeck’s alley
to Shelton’s (late Myott’s) hotel, corner of
Society street, which building was fortunately
saved, 46. Total in King street, 112.
On Market street, south side, from near
corner of Archdale to State street, 47; north
side Archdale to Meeting street, 27. Total
in Market street, 74.
On Church street, west side, 10; extending
from Market street to one door of the corner
of Cumberland street.
On Meeting street, east side, from the Mar
ket street ice house to corner of society street,
21; west side, and one house beyond, 30.
Total on Meeting street, 51.
On Society street, north side, from Meeting
street io East Bay, 27; south side, from King
street to near East Bay, 40. Total 67.
On Hasel street, south side, from King st.
to Maiden lane, including Trinity church, 24;
north side, from King street to East Bay, in
cluding the Jewish synagogue, 21. Total
on Hasel street, 35.
On Pinckney street, 4.
On Anson st., east side, from Laurens to
Pinckney streets, 27; west side, form Pinck
ney to near George streets, 17. Total 44.
On Wentworth street, north side, from King
st. to East Bay, except one dwelling, 42; south
side, from King street to East Bay, including
the Methodist Protestant church, 55. Total
97.
On East Bay, west side, 6; east side 18.
Total 24.
On Beresford street, both sides, 20.
On Swinton’s lane, 20.
Total number of dwellings and stores de
stroyed, including Norton’s old rice mills,
Kerr’s wharf, set on fire by flakes falling on
a pile of light wood, and burnt to the ground,
560. The number of outbuildings destroyed,
estimated at about 598. Total number of
buildings destroyed, 1158.
Deaths by blowing up, Fred. Schnierle,
John Peart, Col. Steadman, and Robert Mun
roe.
Messrs. Brown and Tarley badly injured,
several negroes killed.
Such is the mere arithmetic of this fright
ful calamity. Who shall count the mental
suffering, the loss of hope, of society, of com
fort? Upon the best estimates which have
been made to us, up to the latest hour, we set
down the loss of property at over §3,000,000.
The whole amount covered by insurance, is
not far from §1,500,000. Os this, §75,000
falls upon the Georgia offices, at Augusta.
The new hotel was insured in this city for §60,-
000, and §40,000 in Augusta. It is believed
now, that the offices will pay all. or very near
ly all, of their liabilities.
A false impression prevails, and may do
harm bv going abroad, that the insurance offi
ces in our city will not be able to meet their
liabilities under the losses by the late fire.
W e have the pleasure of stating, on what wc
believe good authority, that they will be fully
competent to pay every dollar for which they
are liable.
Singular Circumstance. — Iwo persons, a
husband and a wife, the one aged 90 years,
the other 82, both inhabitants of the com
mune of Beaumont, after an union cl 64
years, passed with most perfect understanding
and go d feeling, have terminated their ca-
a short illness, which afflicted each
at the sa me time, and which terminated
ly, (although the maladies wore of different
characters,) at almost the same instant.
Borne at the same time to the church, where
their marriage was solemnized, one and the
same funeral service was performed for both,
after which they were again united in one
tomb.
FOREIGN Ml W S .
New York, April 22.
Important from New York—Six days
Later. —Early this morning we received our
letters and papers from Liverpool by the pack
et ship Geo. Washington, Capt. Holdrcdge, to
whom we beg to express our warm acknowl
edgements for his civility in forwarding them
to us, and also for commercial intelligence,and
the latest Liverpool paper. The George
Washington left that port on the 26th ult., and
brings Liverpool dates of that day, and the
London Sunday papers of the 25th.
The commercial news is interesting; it ap
pears thatcoltonhas fallen a trifle in Liverpool.
The specie continues to arrive in great a
bundance. About 81,000,000 at least, by
this packet.
Mr. King is also a passenger. The reac
tion in England towards the United States is
greater than ever known. It is believed that
the trade, government, and institutions of Eng
land depend on the commerce with the United
States. Our extracts on these points are high
ly interesting.— Herald.
The Anglo American House. Notwith
standing the stagnation of almost every kind of
business which has existed in the U. States,
the debts of the suspended American firms in
London have been working off well; and we
believe we may say that one of these estab
lishments, whose affairs our contemporary re
garded as hopeless and forlorn, has reduced its
liabilities to about 150 Z, to nothing, in fact, as
compared with its position at the period the
firm was compelled to yield to the pressure of
the times. The Americans have strained ev
ery nerve to pay off their debts. They have
refrained from entering into new engagements,
and sacrificed every thing to the one grand
point, that of maintaining their credit. In
discussing these matters it should never be for
gotten how completely the two countries are
now identified in interest; and it is as much for
the benefit of the English trade that assistance
should be rendered to the merchants of New
York, as to the merchants of London, Liver
pool Leeds. It is a saying in Lancashire
that New York is Liverpool, and Liverpool is
New York.
The Bank of England and the Exportation of
Gold. 'Pho Bank of the Directors of England,
it appears, have determined to export Gold to
the United States; whether as an operation for
profit, orenc of policy, we will not stop to in
quire, but rather take a cursory view of some
of the effects of the measure. As one of poli
cy it is, perhaps, amongst the wisest ever adop
ted by the directors of that bank. That it is
one of mercantile character is very evident
Wc should not complain of the directors for be
ing dealers in coin; the pursuit is legitimate.
Hitherto it has not always been practised as
extensively as circumstances required, when
the transactions resulted in loss so as to touch
upon their rest. One of the consequences of
this measure, on the part of the bank, is jvery
obvious. Their wholesale dealing must, afford
advantages with which the merchant will not
be able to compete. Their gold may as well
be in a course of transmission to the States, so
far as it will be affected by an accumulation of
interest, as for it to remain locked up in their
vaults. The trifling expense of freight and in
surance will attach to their operations; where
as, the merchant exporting becomes subject to
interest from the day of his purchase.
The Bank of England has commenced ex
porting, and will, no doubt, conirnuc. It is
said halfa million of gold has been shipped by
the Bank to the States within the last three
weeks. We arc induced to believe, that ten
times this amount will be sent if thought desir
able, and even more can be despatched under
the immediate direction of the bank, putting
down so effectually as it can, the transactions
of merchants. The latter, by teazing repeti
tions, and for large quantities of gold for ship
ment, would, unquestionably have excited such
apprehensions, on the part of the bank, as to
have involved the commercial world in a par
tial panic; but of this there is now no danger.
Merchants we think, will not venture to act
with gold operations under the disadvantages
not only of a loss of interest, but the probabili
ty of the course ofthe exchange being turned
in the States, through the interference of the
bank, and thus subject them to increased loss.
Our opinion of the unsoundness of the Bank
of England as a great Banking Institution re
mains unchanged. That bank will never be
more sound, as a grand monetary machine, un
til the adoption of a system in accordance with ,
the views entertained in the pamphlet of Mr.
John Hall or that of Mr. Jones Loyd. The
charter ofthe bank expires, we think, in 1844;
so that we have to progress, it is to be feared,
to that time, with all the uncertainty to which
the action ofthe bank shall make every man’s
property liable —up, as it were, to-day, and
down to-morrow —as we have seen of late,
ruining some and elevating others. Ihe con
templation of such power, vested in twenty
four heads in the bank parlor, is frightful, see
ing as we have, the revolutions in property
which have been effected hitherto by the mal
administration of such a body of people; revo
lutions more extensive ir» their effects on prop,
ertv thana hundred reforms of Parliament.
The House of Commons has not a thousandth
part of the power over the property of individ
uals to that which rests in the administration
of twenty four Directors ofthe Bank of Eng.
land!
The contingencies to which any renewal of
the charter ofthe Bank of England are liable,
are, in fact, the best guarantee now for the
public, that the decisions of the directors will
be of a protective nature for the commercial
and manufacturing interests of the kingdom,
even at a considerable sacrifice, were any ne
cessary, in order to keep on good terms with
the community; the owner of property, may,
therefore, indulge the hope, that its value will
be in the ratio the bank conciliates the public
in order to achieve the renewal of their char
ter.
GEORGIAN
Rome, iHay 15, 1838.
The following named gentlemen will act as
Agents for the Western Georgian:
Howell Cobb, Esq., of Athens, Georgia.
E. M. Johnson, Esq., of Gainesville, do.
S. Ripley, Esq., of Jefferson, do.
A. Erwin, Esq., of Cumming, do.
John S. Bell, Esq., of Spring Place, do.
R. M. Aycock, Esq., of La Fayette, do.
Turman Walthall, Esq., of Ckidar Town,
Paulding County, do.
Leroy Pattillo, P. M. Monroe, do.
Charles Murphey, of Decatur, do.
Dr. Hugh Quin, Chattooga, Floyd coun
ty, Georgia.
John Woods, E'sq. Woods Station, Walker
County, Georgia.
The Western Georgian, in future, will be
published on Tuesday instead ofSaturday morn
ings. The change has been made in order
that our papers may be mailed and leave by
the different routes on the day of publication.
This arrangement we intend as permanent,
unless the arrival and departure of the mails
undergo another alteration; in the event of
which, we of course must follow suit.
I71&1O31 CoiivciJliois.
Through the politeness of Jesse Lamberth,
Esq., a member of the Convention from this
county, we are enabled to lay before our rca
ders, the following list of names presented to
the committee of thirty, under a resolution of
the convention, and submitted to that body on
Tuesday morning, the Bth inst. In our next
we will endeavor to give the proceedings in
full. Those marked thus (*) compose our
Congressional ticket.
■“ROBERT W. POOLER, of Chatham.
*Gen. B. GRAVES, of Newton.
Col. NATHAN L. HUTCHINS, ofGuinnett.
♦Col. J. S. PATTERSON, of Early.
*D. C. CAMPBELL, Esq. of Bibb.
♦JUNIUS HILLYER, Esq. ofClark.
Gen. GUSTAVUS HENDRICKS, of Butts.
♦Hon. HIRAM WARNER, of Meriwether.
Col. JOHN H. LUMPKIN, of Cherokee.
Col. 11. 11. TARVER, of Twiggs.
J. P. 11. CAMPBELL, of Muscogee.
JOSEPH DAY, Esq. of Jones.
ALFRED WELLBORN, of Meriwether.
*llon. ALFRED IVERSON, of Muscogee.
Dr. N. B. POWELL, of Talbot.
Gen. JOHN W. BURNEY, of Jasper.
Col. A. H. KENAN, of Baldwin.
WM. G. SPRINGER, of Carroll.
*Dr. J. G. McWHORTER, of Richmond.
*Gen. CHARLES 11. NELSON, of Cherokee.
WM. TURNER, Esq., of Putnam.
Gen. W. B. WOFFORD, of Lumpkin.
The Cherokees.
In our county, tho Indians are as yet peace
able, and from what we can learn, are still in
hopes that John Ross will effect something in
their favor at Washington, although given
distinctly to understand by the Commissioners
at Calhoun, that the stipulations of the treaty
will be strictly enforced, immediately after the
24th inst., without any regard to the views or
feelings of Mr. Ross on the subject. We have
just conversed with a gentleman who has re
cently visited Gilmer and Union counties, and
learn from him that the Indians in that section
of the country, bad been seen by different per
sons and at different times, transporting corn
in sacks and otherwise, to the mountains,where
it was supposed they intended to retreat,when
ever the treaty was attempted to be enforced.
It is thought that the Cherokees on the N. C.
line will pursue the same course. In the
neighborhood of Cedar-town, Paulding county,
the inhabitants have become somewhat alarm
'ed from some slight indications of hostility on
the part of the Indians. Nothing of a very
serious nature has transpired, as far as we
( have been able to ascertain.