Gazette Of The United States

Sunday morning last between three and four o'clock a very alarming fire broke out in the buildings back of Mr. Kennedy's house, in Second Street, between High and Chestnut-Streets, which was soon communicated to Mr. Dobson's Printing-Office and other buildings contiguous—The confined situation of the fire rendered the exertions of the citizens unavailing, till great destruction of property had taken place all the back buildings of Mr. Kennedy, and several others and their contents being entirely consumed. Mr. Dobson's Office nearly in the same situation. The citizens displayed their usual spirit and alacrity on this occasion. The officers and men from the French frigate La Meduse, and the Indiaman La Ville de L'Orient, merit very particular acknowledgments for their intrepidity and essential services on this occasion—They brought their engines with them and by means of the hose, conveyed the water through smoke and flames to the very spot where the fire raged; Mr. Dobson is peculiarly indebted to these intrepid sons of Neptune for the preservation of his dwelling house—as it was extremely difficult and entirely impossible in some directions to bring the large city engines in immediate contact with the fire.—Two persons were killed at the time of the fire, by the sudden falling of a brick wall, and some others wounded.—The loss of the sufferers, Mr. Kennedy in particular, is very great—and that of Mr. Dobson is heavy, as he had a very large amount in types, &c. exposed and destroyed.

The sufferers by the above fire, and others, who were in imminent danger, have publicly, and personally acknowledged their obligations to their fellow-citizens, and particularly to the French seamen, for their benevolent and spirited exertions whereby the flames were arrested in their course, and great property preserved.