Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

Another Fire in Baltimore.

BALTIMORE, June 20.

Another tremendous scene of destruction presented itself to the harassed citizens of this devoted place this morning. About 1 o'clock a frame shop occupied by a Mr. Guy, dyer, in Fish street, near the German Lutheran Church, was, from some cause or other, not yet ascertainable, discovered all on fire, and before the least alarm was given, was so completely buried in flames, that a young fellow by the name of Morton, who slept in it, had scarcely time to make his escape in his shirt ; and a horse in an adjoining stable which was consumed, was burnt to death. No exertions less than divine could save those houses; and a two story brick house in Fish street, occupied by Mr. John Barry, a three story do. occupied as a store by the same gentleman at the corner of Fish and Gay streets, and a three story do. in Gay street, occupied as a store and dwelling by Mr. Meermann, were soon reached by the element, but might in some measure have been preserved, had not the only engine then under way been unfortunately choaked with mud, thrown in with the water taken from a shallow part of the falls. Mr. Meermann's house having a high south gable wall, the morning at that time calm, and the exertions of the people very great, the further progress of the element was arrested; out had the wind arisen as high as it did two hours afterwards, every house on that side of Gay street, to the falls, must inevitably have been burnt.

The question here naturally suggests itself--Why, after having been so fortunate during a long and inclement winter, is our city almost nightly ravaged with fire now! Negligence is, no doubt, the cause in some instances, such perhaps in this ; but villainous incendiaries, it is to be feared, add to the calamity. A remedy against both, it is the province of our police to find out and apply; and we feel confident that if the objects be attainable, their zeal and wisdom will be adequate to the task.