Destructive fire.
--About half-past 11 o'clock yesterday morning a fire occurred on the premises of
Mr. William Taylor, living on Grace street, between 21st and 22d,
Church Hill, which resulted in the entire destruction of his new and splendid
brick residence, kitchen, smoke-house, and stable.
The fire originated in the kitchen, and the weather being very dry, not only that, but the dwelling and other buildings were enveloped in flames in an incredible short space of time.
Through the exertions of the servants and neighbors, a part of the furniture in the first and second stories was saved, in a damaged condition, but all the chamber furniture, contents of the kitchen, smoke house, and forage in the stable, were lapped up by the devouring element.
In addition to this loss, a large lot of growing vegetables and valuable fencing surrounding the place was destroyed, and we understand that the same fate overtook two hogs and a calf that were confined in a pen in the rear of the kitchen.
Mr. Taylor's loss, including furniture, groceries, &c, is estimated at between seventy-five and one hundred thousand dollars. Fortunately for him he is the owner of a fine farm in
Hanover, (at which place he was temporarily sojourning,) or else, in the present crowded state of the city, it would be almost impossible to calculate the loss and inconvenience be has sustained.
The fire broke out in the kitchen, and is said to have originated from a spark which fell from the pipe of an old negro woman in her
feather bed.
On the west of
Mr. T.'s residence, the two
brick tenements belonging to
Franklin Stearns, and occupied respectively by
Mr. John W. McKiel and
Richard D. Sanxay, were several times on fire, and but for the great efforts which were made by several citizens, who, at the risk of their lives, ascended to the roofs and cut away the shingles, spread wet blankets down, and threw, buckets of water on the crackling flames, they would undoubtedly have been destroyed.
The whole of the furniture in these tenements was removed into the street, but owing to the hurry in doing so and the intense heat prevailing much of it was broken up and scorched.
Mr. Stearns's loss will probably reach three thousand dollars, white
Messrs. McKiel's and
Sanxay's may safely be estimated at one thousand each.
The roof of the large brick kitchen belonging to
Mr. Loitin N. Ellett, on the opposite side of the street, was on fire once or twice, but was extinguished each time without much loss.
At the time of the breaking out of this fire both of the officers stationed at the upper and lower cages were necessarily absent from their posts, and it was therefore at least a half an hour before any alarm was given in the western end of the city.--On account of this delay, and the fire being on the brink of the highest hill in the city, (thus rendering it very difficult to get to it,) as well as the extreme low state of the water in the river, the
fire engines were not able to render much assistance.
In the direction in which the wind was blowing there are no other houses for several hundred yards, or else the destruction of property would have been much greater.
