CALIFORNIA.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 629, 13 August 1851, Page 4

CALIFORNIA.

FIRE AT SAN FRANCISCO. {From the Alta California, May 4.J The commencement of the fire was like the flash of gunpowder, so almost instantaneous was its spread. For a few moments hope, fear, and dread, balanced upon the brakes of the engines, and if earnest wishes and well placed confidence in the exertions of our gallant philanthropists, the firemen, could have saved the city, she would now be standing like a bride in all her loveliness instead of the blackened martyr at the stake, as she now appears. Many persons inhabiting or owning buildings which appeared to be out of the possible range of the destruction, looked upon its commencement without a thought of themselves, only actuated by their sympathies for others, for some time. How suddenly were their dreams of security ended ! In a few hours, perhaps in a few minutes, they too were houseless, homeless, hopeless, stripped of everything, in hundreds of cases not saving a suit of clothes. As. the first faint hope of stopping the flames at the place of origin died out, the city s terrible impending fate became more and more manifest. Yet no man’s mind could anticipate in its full extent the scope and completeness of the ruin. The wind, which was blowing fresh from the north-west when the fire commenced, soon increased to Whirlwinds around the flaming piles, the heated air, loaded with smoke and cinders and flames, rushing up towards Heaven crackling roaring like a tornado, while fresh gusts and gales came whirling in from every side to fill the melting vacuum with new ministers of destruction. The view was sad, afflictive, awful. Great masses of smoke ascended and rolled away with the wealth of men, the re-

wards of toil and danger, bearing far above the city great flocks and sheets of burning cinders, and forming huge clouds touched with every tint from clear white light to the darkness of night. Frame houses faded away like frost work. The beautiful Parker House was made a heap of coals and ashes in a few minutes. Brick houses became batteries of flame, and poured forth immense jets from their doors and windows. Iron and zinc curled up like scorched leaves, and sent forth their brilliant flames of green, blue, and yellow tints, mingling with and modifying the great red tongues of fire which lashed upwards from a thousand burning houses. The hill sides were lighted as if the sun were above the eastern mountains, and their trees, shrubs, herbage, and houses were as distinguishable in the bright light as if it were noon. Darkness hung over a large portion of the shipping, where the broad and heavy ocean of smoke laydown in impenetrable gloom over the Bay. People became paralyzed. Many removed their stock of goods, or portions of them, four or five times, and had them overtaken and destroyed by the flames after all. The streets were crammed with masses of human beings and rushing teams, only giving way before the advance of the elements, as the smoke and heat and crushing walls pushed them back. Men became mad; some rushed headlong into the flames, weeping women and prattling infancy were wandering amid ashes and destruction. Every few moments the earth and air trembled, as great buildings were torn into .fragments by explosions of gunpowder, and the atmosphere was filled with shattered timbers, bricks, and mortar. The multitude hung upon the borders of this “ vast sea of flamefew comparatively knew, or could know, what were the dangers and exertions of those who were within the range of the stifling smoke and scorching flame. In less than nine hours from the beginning, more than twenty squares existed only in memory and in the ascending columns of smoke and flame which covered the city’s site. The Union Hotel burned like a furnace until the woodwork was nearly destroyed, when the huge walls, five stories high, pitched headlong into the street and over the wrecks of neighbouring dwellings, long before they reached the earth completely lost in the flames and smoke which ascended from below. So intense was the heat, that jets of water poured from the hose became instantly converted into scorching steam or were licked up by the thirsty flames. Nothing less than a river of water seemed sufficient to quench them.

But the saddest sight of all was the destruction of brave but bewildered men, who, finding themselves suddenly surrounded with fire, rushed, staggered and uncertain, from flame to flame, in hopeless efforts to escape, until strangled and scorched they writhed and fell in full view of hundreds who were completely powerless to save them. Others, after battling inside of what they bad considered fire proofs, finding their efforts to save the buildings vain, endeavoured toescape, but too late. The doors and window blinds were ted hot and could not be opened in some instances, and their last chance of safety failed them. We cannot express our sensations of yesterday white looking upon the blackened remains of poor humanity, as they still lay burned to coals amid the fire which filled the cellar of a building on Montgomery-street, still beyond the reach of all who gazed upon them. May we never again see so horrible a spectacle. It is not a very pleasant subject to write or to speculate upon. It is a severe blow upon the prosperity and progress of the city. The destruction has been greater than all that of the previous fires combined. Immense amount of goods of all descriptions have been destroyed. The city will fee! for years the effects of this visitation. But so great is our confidence in the natural location and advantages of this place, and in the re-operating energies of our fellow-citizens, that we do not for a moment hesitate to say that San Francisco will rise again and occupy the position which naturejwideutly intended her to fill and adorn? Ilie effects of the conflagration will be many. One will undoubtedly be to bring down property to a reasonable estimate, which has not been the case heretofore. The valuation placed upon real estate, the rates of rent and similar charges, have all been fictitious, unproportioned, extortionate. Reason will proba..y rule prices hereafter generally. Our recovery will not be as rapid as heretofore, perhaps, but it will be. Of this fact neither hr T? Zen * D i° r ° Ur friends abroad need doubt. There is hope enough, energy and determination enough amongst us to do it. California possesses in her resources the inherent ?f n , Francisc o has in her position •hatwhich, aided by thelahourand indomitable P r everance of the American people, will tun? h T r t°will°t t hiS • inoBt cri PP lin 8 P • It will take time, and energy, bold

hearts and willing hands, patience to do it, but it will be don. When we went to press yesterd. ing, the fire was still y a °k. Clarke’s Point. It crossed" Br3l lQWa,d ‘ ing everything on the north side of »?’ tery, except two buildings on th P Bau Vallego-street. and on the south*'’ o^et two or three buildings, beside7“coi , *i eMia < built over the Bay. Here was the 1L» *’• gle. The building was saved, the (roni* I ’’* much burnt off. The boundaries of was nearly as followscommencing 2 west side of Portsmouth-square it k , down Clay-street; then to the east south side of side of Kearney to J a J* ,ie down the west side of Jackson to hf”* mery, along the south side of Montoom?? 0, Pacific; down Pacific to Sansome. ?’ 0 Sansome to Broadway; thence diam? over the high ground to Clarke’s Point y to Vallejo; thence eastward, across Batt'’' to the bay, thence following the shore the bay to Battery, leaving the twd c * on the north side of Battery and pjg thence westward along the north side of fi!’ tery, across Jackson, Washington, andfl.?' streets, to Long Wharf; down that. kZ the Whiteball-house, about Front-street; from the place of begi, the boundary runs up Clay nearly toDepoJ. thence west to Sacramento ; down the west side of Sacramento to Kearney; westward south side of Kearney, to down that to Montgomery; west, aloni Montgomery to Pine ; down Pine, to San°some ; east along Sansome to sparing a corner on each side of Sansomethence down California to Battery; eastwar] along Battery to Long Wharf. Nearly every building within this line, a distance of over a mile north-east and south-west, by half a mile from north-west to south-east, was de. stroyed. Eighteen large squares, excepting a few buildings, and large portions of five or six others, have been completely destroyed. The plank streets are ruined, and in many places entirely impassable, except on foot Such is the anniversary of the great fire of May 4, 1850. The officers of the Custom-house saved tin specie of the office by casting it in a well; 1,000,000 dollars were thus saved. The Alta California of May sth, gives a list of 250 sufferers, whose united losses amounted to between 3 and 4,000,000 of dollars.

FIRE AT STOCKTON. The Alta California, of the Bth of May, has the following :— We are indebted to Captain Whitney, of the steamer C. M. Weber, for a journal ex. tract, giving account of a most destructive fire at Stockton, on Wednesday night. The lateness of the hour prevents us from furnishing full particulars. The following extract gives an idea of the extent of this sad calamity:— The fire originated in a new and beautiful house just opened, under the name of the Merchant’s Hotel, formerly known as the Branch, and, beyond a doubt, was th# work of an incendiary. It is supposed that some miscreant intended by this diabolical means to succeed in releasing the prisoners now confined in the county gaol, but the purpose failed in the accomplishment, as th# wind proved unpropitious, and turned tbc course of the devastating element upon more precious and costly fuel to satisfy its H slumbering rage. From the point at it originated the fire swept up Levee-street, prostrating Montgomery’s stately auction establishment, the large and magnificent El Placer building, the El Dorado, Hotels Meglico, ' Drs. Clements and Reines M store, Dickenson House, and all the build* ings on those two central squares. thence it spread across to the Central House, and in three-quarters of an hour from th® alarm, our large three-story building ws# eo ' vcloped in flames. By the most strenousei* ertions, we succeeded in saving our press ■ printing materials, though in a very condition. The occupants of the Stotek ® Club Room succeeded in saving their bui ing ; though they were in imminent Every mercantile bouse on ’ except six ; all on Main-street; all * ter-street; all on El Dorado-street, ex 4 two, and all on Hunter-street, except compose the victims of this incendiary tempt.