Lynchburg Virginian

DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE.

AWFUL FIRE IN CHARLESTON!!

Office of the Chronicle and Sentinel,

AUGUSTA, Georgia, Saturday, 6 o'clock, P. M. April 28.

We learn with the deepest regret, by passengers from Charleston, who arrived here this evening by the Charleston Rail Road, that the city of Charleston has been visited by one of the most awful and destructive fires that has ever visited any city in the United States. ONE THIRD OF THE CITY WAS LAID IN ASHES at the departure of the cars this morning at 6 o'clock, the fire was raging as if it would consume at least one third more.

The fire broke out last night at a quarter past 8 o'clock in a Paint store, on the western side of King st. corner of Beresford st. The wind blowing strongly from the South West, blew the flames diagonally across King st. and at the time of the departure of the cars the section of the city above Beresford street, up to Society street to the Bay, was burnt down or burning. From Beresford to Society, are four streets—King street to the Bay about as many or perhaps more. The fire had also extended four or five blocks West of King street, and was still progressing with terrific rapidity up that street in the direction of Boundary street, when the Cars left. Our informant believes it impossible to calculate what will be the ultimate extent of the fire, as it seemed in no way checked at 6 o'clock this morning.

Among the buildings consumed are a number of Churches—the New Theatre, the splendid new Hotel erected, and the whole market, except the Fish market—Nearly all the large merchants in the centre of business on King street, were burnt out—among them Parish, Wiley and Co., C. and G. H. Kelsey and Co. Bomen and Co., all in that neighborhood, and the large store house of Miller, Riple and Co. on the corner of King and Society streets was catching the flames when our informant left. The Merchants' Hotel, formerly Miot's, had not caught, but it was believed to be impossible to save it. At Norris's Hotel, still higher up King street and on the West side, they had removed all the furniture and bedding, in almost certain anticipation of being burnt out.

A large number of houses had been blown up, to no purpose. All the powder in this city was exhausted, and all the water in the pumps, and the people wearied with a whole night's incessant and unavailing toil, found themselves, this morning, able to make but a feeble resistance to the still raging and devouring flames. A number of persons had been killed by the blowing up of houses and throwing furniture into the streets.

The Steam Boat Neptune, lying in the Bay caught on fire, but it was fortunately extinguished.

The trunks directed to this office, and the Constitutionalist office, from the Newspaper office in Charleston, failed to come this evening, as we presume no papers were printed there last night; and as the regular mail was closed last night before the fire broke out, no other information has been received here, than that from passengers, which is necessarily limited as to particulars.

This is indeed a mournful catastrophe! A flourishing city laid in ashes—her people burnt out of home and substance, and millions of property destroyed in a single night! The Insurance Companies of Charleston, we learn, are of small capitals, and will every one no doubt be ruined, and still be unable to make good but a small portion of the losses. Hundreds of families must be utterly ruined by this general calamity—Years cannot make Charleston what she was.

P. S. Since the above was written, we have been shown a letter from Charleston, closed a little before 4 o'clock this morning, and brought up by a passenger, which confirms all the important facts stated above. It also states that the rigging of many of the vessels lying at the wharves had been burnt.

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

Courier's Office, Sunday, 5 P. M.

The melancholy accident of last night and this morning, is of so extensive a character, as entirely to preclude the possibility of entering into details at this time. We have just returned from the scene of destruction, and will endeavor, as far as possible, to give the boundaries of the burnt district. The fire, as above stated, commenced at the corner of Beresford and King streets, and Beresford street, on both sides, until within a few doors of Archdale street, running thence, North, as far as Beaufain st. leaving a row of front buildings on Archdale st. then passing Beaufain, Northwardly, leaving the row on St. Philip, up by Liberty st., and about half way down the South side.

The large hotel of Mr. Shelton, at the corner of Society and King streets, arrested the progress of the flames, in that quarter, although one or two houses in the rear of it were burnt. Society st. down to the residence of Mr. N. Heyward, on the Bay, was the boundaries, the whole South side being burnt and several houses on the North, near the Bay, making an inroad near to Laurens st. the Universalist Church, and a new house of Mr. A. Taft, being saved by the greatest exertions. St. Stephen's Chapel, on Anson st. stopped the conflagration in that direction. With the exception of Mr. Heywood's house, and Bennett's steam mill, were all that were left standing, every thing being destroyed to the river side, and the large store house on Ker's wharf, formerly Norton's Rice mill, being also destroyed—one or two brick buildings on the Bay, opposite Hasell street, checked it there; but the west side of Anson street, were consumed. The market was then the boundary, about one half of which, the western portion, being destroyed, and all the South side of Market street, west of Church st. up to Archdale st.

The new brick stores, we are pleased to say, are injured but triflingly. The theatre, too, is not much injured. The ice house is saved, but the stables in the rear are burnt. The whole area, with the exception of a few houses, from St. Philip st. to the waters of Cooper River, bound by Hasell and Society st. is swept through, as by an avalanche, leaving nothing but a fresh of bare and blackened chimneys.

We regret to perform the melancholy task of announcing the loss of a number of lives. Among others, those of Col. J. Steedman, Naval Officer of this port, Frederick Schnierle, an assistant engineer of the Fire Department, Mr. J. S. Peart, one colored boy, named Mitchell, and certainly one other colored fellow. These were employed in blowing up houses, the match taking too quick to allow them to escape. Col. Steedman, and Mitchell in a house on the Bay, and Mr. Schnierle, Mr. Peart, and a negro, in the house at the corner of Liberty st.; and a number of other lives are lost, but we have not the particulars.

We have no doubt that about one thousand houses have been destroyed. An estimate of the losses is out of the question, but the general opinion is that the Insurance Offices will not pay 50 per cent.