“Fire”
Date
1-14-1812
Newspaper
Lexington American Statesman
Page and Column
Page 3, Column 4
Newspaper Location
Lexington, Kentucky
Serial Number
217
Abstract
Article notes rash of fires in Lexington, details buildings burned and notes two arrests of slaves for the crime. Fires may be earthquake related.
Transcript
FIRE!!! This place has been lately visited by fire, at four different times, in rapid succession. Not long since, the hemp factory of Mr. James Weir was chiefly consumed. On Tuesday last, between 3 and 4 in the morning, the alarm of fire was raised, which discovered itself in a smoak-house belonging to Mr. Huston, and was extinguished before it had made much progress.-On the morning following, about the same hour, Mr. John W. Hunt's bagging factory was discovered to be on fire, and was completely laid in ashes, except the hackling house, weaving house, and machinery-seventy or eighty tons of hemp was distroyed; and the loss sustained was estimated at about 10,000 or 20,000 dollars! The citizens of this place were again aroused on Saturday night last, between the hours of 11 and 12 o'clock, by an alarming fire which made its appearance in Mr. Tibbatts' soap and candle manufactory. The progress made by the flames seemed at first to menace the whole square, but was prevented from consuming any other house but that in which it was first discovered, together with one of two adjoining buildings-the property of Mr.Tibbats' Great praise is due to some of our citizens above the rest, in consequence of the distinguished efforts which they made on those occasions. Two Negro boys are now in confinement who acknowledged themselves the inciniaries that communicated the fire to the factory of Mr. Hunt and we understand that a Negro man belonging to Mr. Tibbats, has confessed that he set fire to his master's building. These circumstances, together with the frequency of those fires, should impose unusual caution and circumspection on the citizens of Lexington, and evinces the great necessity of either incorporating the place or vesting the Trustees with powers much superior to those they already possess.
Recommended Citation
"“Fire”" (1812). New Madrid Compendium Far-Field Database. 210.
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/cas-ceri-new-madrid-compendium/210
