Alexandria Daily Advertiser

FREDERICKSBURG, OCT. 21.

Melancholy and Distressing!

On Monday at twelve o'clock, the house lately belonging to Mrs. Carter in this town, the residence of the recent proprietor, Mr. Wm. Sanford, when he was discovered to be on fire.

His family, consisting of a sick and infirm wife, with the remains of a promising family, were driven by the flames from the solitude of their home, to seek shelter under the neighboring roof, over their complicated misfortunes.

A strong wind from the northwest blew the flames. The house was on an eminence and adjoined the body of the town. In the course of a few hours, three of the best improved squares with parts of two others, were stripped of all their improvements.

The rapidity of the scene to the horrors of its devastation through houses highly combustible from the operation of late drought, the consternation that prevailed destroying concert and presence of mind in most of those who were laboriously active, the incompetency of the engines to perform their task with full effect, prevented many of the sufferers from saving a great proportion of their moveable property. The Upper Tobacco Warehouse, with all the tobacco stored, was consumed. A flake of burning matter was thrown on the roof of the Bank house, which stood at the distance of 100 yards from the general conflagration and so furious was the progress of the flame that all the books papers and money in the vaults were of necessity, exposed during the whole of the fire to its action. but have since been recovered entire. Happily no human life was lost.

This truly afflicting event has bereft many families, some in disease at the entrance of winter, of their only shelters and of their all. The wants of the comfortless and of the suffering which pervades a great part of Fredericksburg calls aloud for contribution from the opulent. The inhabitants of this town, were lately liberal in their relief to the wretched of Norfolk.

A plan has been organized to furnish the benevolent of the sister towns in Virginia. and of the neighboring country with an opportunity of enjoying that luxury which a pure bosom feels in giving charity where merit and distress combine to claim it.

At a meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Fredericksburg, on the 20th Oct. 1807, agreeable to previous notice; for the purpose of taking into consideration the measures most advisable for procuring relief for the sufferers by fire on yesterday.

Doctor Charles L. Carter, was called to the chair.

Robert Hening was appointed secretary.

Resolved, That subscriptions be immediately opened for the relief of the sufferers by the fire of yesterday.

Resolved, That nine persons, viz. Benjamin Butts, George French, Charles L. Carter, Hugh Mercer, John Minor, Benjamin Day, William Smock, James Smock, Robert Patton, be a standing general committee to superintend the said subscriptions receive the contributions, to enquire into the nature & extent of such sufferers as may require aid, and to distribute the means to be acquired by the subscriptions, in such manner and in such proportions as majority of any meeting of the said committee may determine to.

Resolved, That the following special Committees be appointed to procure subscriptions in the places respectively assigned to them,

Wm. C. Williams and Edward Rootes, in the city of Richmond.

James Dykes and George Murray, in the borough of Norfolk.

James Patton and Wm. Fitzhugh in the town of Alexandria.

Doct. Short John McCreery, and Geo. Green in Petersburg.

H. Peyton, and James Reid, in Dumfries and Prince William.

Hugh Holmes and Henry Tucker, in Winchester.

Chapman Johnston and John Coulter, in Staunton.

John T. Woodford and Richard Hawes, Caroline.

L. B. Dade and John Taliaferro, in George Moncure and John T. Brooke, in Lord M. Daniel and Wm. Richards in south, Richard Herndon, and David C. Ker, in Wivania.

Taylor, and James Barbour in John Shackleford and P Slaughter, in Culpepper.

Richard E. Parker, col. Alexander Parker and Samuel Lewis, Westmoreland,

Vincent Brougham John. Taylor and mayor P Rush, Richmond County

Griffin Edwards, Doctor M. Ball Joseph Jones Monroe, Northumberland,

Col. Wm. Gibson, col. Wm. Yeatby & Martin Sherman, Lancaster.

John H. Smith and Richard Corbin King and Queen.

Taliaferro Hunter Laurence Muse, & Thomas Brockenbrough, Essex,

Doct. G. B. Horner. Thomas Hunton, and John Scott. Fauquier.

Hugh Nelson, Edward C. Stanard, and Dabney Carr, Albemarle.

William G. Poindexter, David Watson and G Anderson, for Louisa-

John Gray and Gilchrist Robb, in Port Royal:

John Mason and Daniel Brent. Washington and Georgetown.

Resolved, That the thanks of this meeting are gratefully tendered to those citizens not inhabitants of this town, whose activity on yesterday was so beneficially exerted. and whose benevolence has so warmly sympathized in our distresses,

Resolved, That it shall be the duty of the general committee to transmit a copy of these resolutions to each of the persons appointed on the special committees and to appoint other persons in their places if it shall become necessary.

Resolved, That when the general committee shall be prepared to close their accounts, it shall be their duty to exhibit the same to the court of the corporation of Frederick-burg, in order that the same may be examined and published if that court shall think it expedient.