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Submitted by Gary Carroll - [email protected]

Dodd Fire, Dec 29th 1830, and Fire Wardens, 1831

Royal Gazette Tues., 4 Jan., 1831

On the morning of Wednesday last, the house of Capt. Simon Dodd was discovered to be on fire. Part of the premises was occupied by Mr. Moore, the Under Sheriff, and part by Mr. Dodd's own family -- in all, eighteen in number.

They were awoke about three o'clock in the morning by a dense smoke which filled all the upper apartments, in which they had been sleeping. On descending, it was ascertained that a stick had fallen out of the fire-place on the parlour floor. Mrs. Dodd had taken this stick off the fire before going to bed, and set it on one end, and thrown some water on it. It had, however, continued to burn, and in the course of the night had fallen, and occasioned all the mischief which followed. It had burnt its way fairly through the parlour floor into the cellar beneath -- the brest-summer of the room, a foot in thickness, was nearly burnt through in two places, and two of the joists, and five or six feet of flooring, were quite consumed. A thick carpet covered the floor, by which the flames had been prevented from spreading, or inevitable destruction must have ensued. Fortunately, by dint of great exertion, and considerable personal risk, on the part of Mr. Moore, assisted by Mrs. Dodd, in the absence of her husband, the fire was got under, notwithstanding the alarming appearance it had assumed.

Royal Gazette 4 Jan., 1831

FIRE WARDENS FOR 1831:

Messrs. John McGill,
Daniel Brenan,
Thos. B. Tremain,
Isaac Smith.