GREAT FIRE IN PANAMA.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 701, 23 August 1870, Page 3

GREAT FIRE IN PANAMA.

The " Panama Mail," of June 6th gives the following account of the great fire in that city on June sth : An alarm of fire was given about one o'clock yesterday morning, which was found to proceed from the Aspinwall Hotel, corner of main and Jiral-dot-streets The fire, strange as it may appear, originated in room No. 23, which was not occupied. At about eleven o'clock, a gentleman in the adjoining room " smelt something burning," but took no notice of it. In a short time after the alarm, the wing of the Hotel towards San Juan de "Dios street was in a mass of flames. Thence the fire extended to the residence of Mr M'Nider in Main street, adjoining the hotel, and shortly after the wing of the Aspinwall at the corner was in flames. The destructive element destroyed the whole of Jiraldot street as far down as the corner of San Juan de Dios street, along which it extended, destroying everything before it. The cathedral and the " Shades" saloon were both on fire the latter was entirely destroyed, and the residence of D. Goldsmith, Esq., and the office of the " Panama Mail " were for some hours in imminent danger. The balconies of the former were cut down, and every article of furniture that might have fed the flames was thrown into the street. The " Mail" office was saved through the energy and perseverance of the employes of the establishment, who were very active in the use of water, procured from a well in the yard of the premises. The labor and fatigue to which our compositors were exposed during the entire night necessitate our being brief in our notice of the sad disaster to-day. We shall have an occasion to refer to it again. The intelligence was telegraphed to Colon, and a special train, having on board a steam engine belonging to the Eailroad Company, came over in the unusual short time of one hour and forty minutes. The engine was as soon as possible brought into requisition. " Our own" engine, for which so much money has been paid, was of no account.