The Western Georgian. (Rome, Floyd County, Georgia) 1838-18??, May 15, 1838, Image 2

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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.