The buildings were brick, except a long one story frame in the rear of the Regulator. The entire length of Babcock’s building was occupied by the Regulator, and the rear of the other was occupied by Mr. Blackadore as his harness manufactory. In the second stories were numerous offices, as follows: Over Regulator, occupied by C. W. Wills, Deputy U. S. Assessor; G. V. Coe, collector of taxes for Canton township; S. N. Breed, Insurance agent and Dr. Cooper. Over Blackadore’s store was occupied by S. A. Gee, law office; Joel Dewey, Justice of Peace and insurance agent.

Etna Company 5,000 1,000

Home, N. Y., 7,500

Home, New Haven 1,000

North America, Phila., 2,500

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S. N. Breed lost a quantity of papers, notes of Breed, Kline & Co., & c., but actual value small.

Dr. Cooper lost office furniture, a lot of medical works, surgical instruments, & c. Damage about $400.

Esq. Dewey lost office furniture, dockets, papers, & c.

S. A. Gee lost his law library, office furniture, a number of papers, & c. Value probably about $500. A safe lined with wood, and belonging to him, contained his most valuable papers, and books and papers belonging to Esq. Dewey; but when the safe was rescued from the ruins the contents were badly damaged, and of but little value.

Mr. Blackadore’s loss is probably from $6,000 to $7,000, mostly on building—no insurance. By the time people reached the scene of the fire, the flames were under such headway that it was impossible to save anything from Babcock’s building. The first on the ground burst open the front doors, but the flames being thus given air, redoubled their fury, and none could enter. Accordingly attention was given to Blackadore’s building, which was not yet on fire, and all his harness and large portion of his tools, his safe, & c., were saved. In the cellar were a large quantity of hides, oils, & c., which were consumed, together with a part of his tools. Loss on these probably $600 or $700. In the Assessor’s office were the old Jacksonville & Savanna railroad books; day books, ledgers, journals, cash books, & c. of the firms of A. Babcock, Wm. & A. C. Babcock, Wm. Babcock & Co., C. E. Lamport & Co., E. Werner & Co., Jos. Nux & Co., Farwell & Babcock, Fulton County Agricultural Society, Driving Park Association, Canton Gas Light Co., & c., running back many years. Many of them of no real value.

Up stairs was a large safe, containing the deeds and valuable papers of Capt. Amos and Wm. Babcock. As soon as possible this was taken from the ruins and opened, and everything found in a good state of preservation.

In a large and small safe in the lower story were patent deeds, titles, notes, accounts, & c., of Col. A. C. Babcock, to the value of many thousands of dollars. As these stood near a door on the east side of the building, opening into an ally, an effort was made to hook onto them and drag them out, but the heat was so intense that it was impossible to do this. After the floor fell in, a line was formed and a steady stream of water thrown on to the safes, to cool them off and save their contents. As soon as it could be done they were hauled out and opened. In the small safe the books and papers were somewhat charred but were all intelligible. In the large safe they were all in pretty good order. Had these been destroyed, the loss would have been very great, and in many cases irreparable.

The total loss by the fire, above the insurance, is probably about $20,000.

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The Register printing office, in the third story of Bell’s building, was also somewhat damaged, mostly from water. Loss from $25 to $50. Some of their material was carried out in fear of the building burning.

Bell’s warehouse, north of his store, and a frame building in the rear of Landauer’s store, were saved by hard work.

The "bucket brigade" worked nobly. Many of them standing in the very jaws of the fire. We might mention the names of many, but will not do so here. Suffice to say the faces and hands of a number were badly burned, and their clothes scorched so as to be rendered worthless.

The origin of the fire is unknown, and there is much speculation as to its cause. It doubtless commenced in the Assessor’s office, and probably had been burning a long time before it was discovered, as when the alarm was first given it had gained such headway that nothing could be saved. The fire had burned through the floor and ceiling, and the store below was so full of smoke, that two young men named Stiles and Cooper, who slept in the rear of the Regulator, on awaking were obliged to leave precipitately to prevent suffocation.

This fire has caused greater loss of property than any fire we have ever known in our little city.

P. S.—We neglected to state in the above that the Canton Chess Club, which met once a week in the Assessor’s office, lost several sets of chess men, boards, rules and regulations, & c.

_____________________

Fulton Count Ledger, Friday, March 20, 1868

Ed. Ledger:—Allow us a small space in your columns for the purpose of returning our thanks to our fellow citizens, through whose unparalleled exertion our safes were rescued from the late fire, thereby restoring to us many valuable papers which were, at one stage of the conflagration, in such jeopardy that we considered them beyond rescue; and as a slight token of our appreciation of their efforts in our behalf, we have deposited with C. T. Heald, Mayor of the city, the sum of $500, to be appropriated in the purchase of Hooks and Ladders or toward the purchase of a Fire Engine, by a public meeting, to be called at such time as said Heald may elect, for the purpose of organizing a Hook and Ladder or Fire Company. In case such company should not be organized, then said sum to be appropriated for the benefit of the poor of our city by a committee appointed at such meeting, or at a subsequent one called by the Mayor.

Again returning our thanks to our fellow citizens, we subscribe ourselves,

Amos Babcock,

Wm. Babcock,

A. C. Babcock.