Rambles about Portsmouth. Sketches of persons, localities, and incidents of two centuries: principally from tradition and unpublished documents. By Charles W. Brewster.

THE GREAT FIRE IN PORTSMOUTH. 203
sight. With the "panoramic view of the burning of
Moscow," most of our readers are familiar. The commencement of the fire in that panorama, and its gradual
extension until one half the horizon presented one continuous flame, gives an idea of a Portsmouth night scene
in 1813.
About half past seven, on that evening, flames were seen
bursting forth from the barn of Mrs. Woodward, on the corner of Church and Court streets, where the Stone Church
now stands. By the brightness of the light the citizens
were soon collected, but all their exertions were ineffectual
to subdue the fire, which before eight o'clock, had so spread
over every part of the house of HIon. Daniel Webster and
Thomas Haven in Pleasant street, between Court street and
State street, and to the house of Mrs. Woodward, at the
corner of State street and Church street, that it was with
difficulty any part of the property was preserved. From
the violence of the wind and flames, immense flakes were
driven through the air to a great distance, and fell in show —
ers upon the roofs in the direction of the wind. The next
building that took fire was Mr. Yeaton's barn at the corner
of Chapel street and State street, which was distant from
Mrs. Woodward's barn fifty-six rods, about one-sixth of a
mile. The fire soon spread from Yeaton's barn, passing
over thirteen rods and caught the house occupied by D.
Humnphreys,`'at the corner of Mulberry and Daniel streets.
This happened about half past eight. The flames then took
the shop of Miss Wentworth, the Union Bank and the store
at the corner of State and Pleasant streets. These were
scarcely on fire at half past nine o'clock, when the shop of
Mr. Moses the tailor, at the corner of Penhallow and
State streets, the house occupied by Mr. Wyatt in State
street opposite Mr. Moses the tailor, the house of the
widow Edwards in State street near the corner of Chapel
street, and several houses on the opposite side of it, and