Alexandria Gazette & Daily Advertiser

DREADFUL CONFLAGRATION.

The following distressing intelligence has reached us in a handbill, issued from the Savannah Gazette office on Tuesday evening, January 11.

It is in a state of utter distraction that we attempt to describe the horrors of the late conflagration. One half of Savannah is in ruins! We know not, and cannot undertake to enumerate the sufferers, or the extent of our loss. The fire originated in the stables back of Mrs. Platt's boarding house, and soon reached Baptist square. The fire proof houses of Mr. Mungin, and the open square, stopped its progress in that direction. The fire reached the Bay on the corner of Barnard street sweeping the house on the west corner, occupied by col. Broom, and from thence extending down the Bay, taking the brick building occupied by us, with our printing establishment, the large brick auction store of George Schely, U. S. Branch Bank, the new brick auction stores on the corner of Bull-street, Pouyat's corner, Lottery office, Dickson & Co's store, Hunter's brick store, and Jones' wooden buildings on the corner of Harbersham-street, where its progress will probably be arrested. From the bay it extended as far back as Broughton-street, sweeping almost every thing. Both the Planters' and State Banks caught several times and were with difficulty saved. Andrew Low & Co's brick store, col. Shad's Brick stores, Gibbons' buildings, the block of brick buildings, belonging to the Presbyterian church, judge M'Allister's brick house the market, Wallen's range, Butler and White's range, and in fact, every thing between Broughton-street and the Bay was destroyed. Many lives, it is said, were lost, but we cannot yet ascertain their names. It is supposed 400 houses were burned; many of them were partly cleared of their contents -but the property was generally burned in the streets. It is presumed the loss cannot be much, if any less, than 2,000,000 of dollars. Many hundreds of families are literally naked in the streets; not even clothing was saved. Every printing office was burnt down. For ourselves, with the blessing of God, and the assistance of our friends, we saved a considerable portion of our type, and our most valuable press. The auction stores in the city shared a similar fate. The city is still in flames, and when it will be got under no one knows. We have every reason to believe that its progress will extend no farther. It commenced this morning between 1 and 2 o'clock.