| From the Carolina Observer |
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| January 16, 1865 |
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| Terrible Conflagration -- About Ten
Millions of Dollars worth of Property Destroyed |
| On Saturday morning
last, a most destructive fire occurred in this town at the depots of
the N. C. & C. & S. C. Railroads {North
Carolina and Charlotte & South Carolina RRs}. About 1 1/2
o'clock fire broke out in a small building a few yards from the large
Passenger Shed, and near the Quartermaster's buildings. The wind
blowing very heavy at the time, it spread with great rapidity, and in
a few minutes the Shed and the two Quartermaster Ware-houses were in
flames. From these it caught to the building formerly used as a ticket
office by the C. & S. C. R. R., thence to the piles of Cotton on
the platforms around the main Depot buildings, and then to the N. C.
Depot. The Warehouses, sheds, and one-half of the N. C. Depot building
were consumed, destroying vast quantities of corn, flour, cotton,
sugar, &c. |
| The loss to the Confederate
Government is severe. We learn that there were stored under the shed
and in the warehouses over 23,000 sacks corn and oats, 1900 sacks
flour, 160 hogsheads sugar, besides blankets, soldiers' clothing,
leather, and various other articles. One of the warehouses was about
400 feet long, the other 200 feet, both filled with Government stores.
A few hogsheads of the sugar were saved before the fire reached it,
and some has since been gathered up from beneath the burning corn.
About 3000 sacks of corn were taken from the ruins on Saturday in a
damaged condition, besides a small quantity of cloth, flannel, &c.
Maj Echols, the Quartermaster, lost a portion of his books and papers.
The iron safe belonging to the office remained in the burning
building, and we learn that the money, &c., which was in it is not
damaged. The loss to the Government is estimated at from five to six
millions of dollars, at least. |
| Around the Depot buildings
about 200 bales Cotton were burned. The portion of the N. C. Depot
which was consumed was used by the C. & S. C. Railroad as a store
room, in which large quantities of freight belonging to individuals,
which was totally destroyed. Next to the Government, the C. & S.
C. Railroad is the heaviest loser -- the loss, probably, amounting to
one or two millions. The loss of cotton is sustained mostly by
individuals and the Columbia & Hamburg {South
Carolina} Railroad Co. The total loss by this fire is thought
to be over ten millions of dollars. Had it not been for the rain which
fell in the early part of the night and for a day or two previous, the
destruction of property would have been much greater. |
| The fire is supposed to have
originated from a defective stove pipe, but various opinions are
expressed on the subject -- some attributing it to negligence. |
| Charlotte Democrat |
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