Herald Of The Times

[From the Richmond Compiler, August 8.]

Fire at Richmond. A little after 11 o'clock on Saturday night, the bell sounded, and the alarm of fire proclaimed in the streets. A block of brick buildings was entirely swept on the left side of that part of Cary street toward the Dock. This block of buildings comprehend six tenements—the first at the corner, was occupied by Mr. J. W. Beers, as a ware-house—the next to it by Messrs. Womble & Wilson—the third by Mr. Wm. J. Clarke. as a ware-house—the fourth by Mr. Wm. Trueman, as an umbrella and bellows manufactory—the 5th was occupied by Mr. Charles J. Maemurdo as Dock Master's office—and the 6th by James Hardy, as a tavern and boarding house. When the fire was first discovered it was seen in the tenement occupied by Mr. Clarke. There are strong reasons to suspect it to be the act of an incendiary, as the house was shut up—and it was the very same house which an attempt was made to fire on the night of the 4th of July, and Mr. Clarke, had offered a reward of two hundred dollars for detecting the incendiary. On Saturday night the fire was seen on the back part of the building—the cellar contained a good deal of oil and spirits—and the whole building was soon in a flame. From this, it spread with great rapidity to the other tenements, and also Mr. Beers's Livery Stable on the cross street leading to the Market house. The stable was consumed, but all the horses were saved. The flames spread also to all the small buildings between Cary st. and the small alley at Mr. Richard Armstrong's Porter House on the aforesaid cross street. Indeed, all the wooden buildings from the alley to Cary street, as well as the six brick tenements on Cary street, fell a prey to the devouring element.