The Virginian

GREAT FIRE IN MAINE

We were shown yesterday (says the Boston Patriot of Tuesday last) a letter from a gentleman from Alna, Maine, to his friends in this city, containing a brief account of a destructive fire with which parts of the towns of Woolwich, Wiscasset and Alna have been ravaged. The fire began in the first mentioned town, on the 3d inst. and owing to the extreme drought spread very fast. On the morning of the 4th, the wind commenced blowing almost a gale and by 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the fire had run through the back lots, sweeping with its course, houses, barns, cattle, &c. At five o'clock, the fire was on the hill just back of Sheepscot Bridge, and the inhabitants in that vicinity were employed in removing their effects from their houses over the Bridge, having but little hope of saving the buildings. About 40 houses and barns are stated to have been burned in Alna. Among the sufferers are mentioned Mr. West, Mr. Hodges, and R. & J. Cheney; the former lost a barn, the others a house and barn each. The fire had levelled everything back of Wiscasset to the hill. So rapid and extensive was the conflagration, that the women and children had fled in confusion; and it is feared that the loss of human lives will yet add to the gloom and sufferings occasioned by the destruction of buildings, cattle, crops, &c. At the time of closing this letter, the writer says the fires are now burning in four places—should there be rains and no wind, they may be extinguished within a week. The fire has probably ravaged over an extent of at least six or eight miles of cultivated farms and woodlands.

Extract of a letter to the Editors of the Palladium, dated at Wiscasset, Saturday morning, Sept. 5, 1823.

"I write a few lines, to acquaint you with a most distressing calamity, which rages in this town and vicinity. On Thursday morning a severe gale of wind commenced from W. to W. N. W. which continued with great violence during the day; when fires, which had been previously set in the woods, spread in many directions towards the place, consuming everything of a combustible nature in their course. At from 4 to 10 o'clock, P. M. this village bore a gloomy aspect. The fires within a mile of us in various directions, and smoke so thick as almost to suffocate those who went to try to stop their progress. By the merciful interposition of a kind Providence, the wind abated and the alarm, (in a great measure) for the safety of the village, ceased. Almost all our citizens have been engaged the two last days in helping their distressed neighbors. Should the present dry weather continue, and heavier winds be experienced, we have further calamities to fear."

"Last night we had returns of between 70 and 80 buildings, of various descriptions burnt; most of which were on what we call the back and front roads from this town to Alna, and the old and new road from this to Dresden belonging principally to Wiscasset and Alna; one saw mill and tannery are included in the number: the rest are houses and barns belonging to poor industrious farmers, who have now lost their all. One person, a female, has perished. I have not time to give you a list of the sufferers. It will be collected for our paper next week; and I expect an appeal will be made to the generosity of your city and other towns in Massachusetts and elsewhere for relief. The most the sufferers will stand in need of at present will be provisions; although many of their clothes have been burnt. The fire spread 4 or 5 miles in as many hours."

"We hear that it, and other places are suffering together with us."