2008-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/31/2008
Autograph Letter Signed, “J.V. Squires” 4p. quarto, San Francisco, May 11, 1851, and reads in part: “...We have for the last week been laboring under rather an unusual amount of excitement, consequent upon the fact our beautiful & flourishing city has been transforemed into blackened mass of smoldering ruins...The fire broke out May 3rd at 11 o’clock at night in a paint store on Clay Street, south side of Portsmouth Square, & burned nearly to Dupont, leaving only 2 or 3 buildings near the corner. Thence south & east to Pine & Sansome, leaving a few buildings on Sansome. Thence almost to Clark’s Point, where it was finally stopped before it had destroyed quite all the buildings about that part of the town. One large store belonging to the firm DeWitt & Harrison was saved by the use of 80,000 gallons of vinegar upon it. It burned out all the bankes, merchants, auctioneers, lawyers & businessmen of almost every description with a few exceptions. Although upon the grounds that fire traveresed, there were a great many supposed to [be] fireproof brick buildings with iron shutters & even hugh cast iron, but even these could not withstand this fire. The iron shutters warped & snapped as if they [were] nothign mroe than glass...HUndreds of people moved their goods to one part of the city, but were soon overtaken by the fire. A great many goods were moved to Portsmouth. These were safe from the fire, but not from the thieves. A great amount of goods were stolen after they were saved from the fire. Quite a number of lives were lost in the fire...It is thought that 49 fiftieths of the business & wealth of the city is used up. The fire did not stop until about 3 o’clock on Sunday. Although this is a most dreadful blow, and almost enough to crush the brightest & most ambitious hopes, after having so many fires as this city has been cursed with, but instead of sitting down & brooding over this last great blow, they are up again & throwing together buildings with a haste only equaled or outdone by the fire itself...” VG.
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