JAMES WELSHJames Welsh - May 4, 1851 (#1)
Monumental Engine Co. No. 6 - Brenham Place

5TH GREAT FIRE AT THE TAFFLE & McCAHILL BUILDING

James Welsh was trapped with four civilians in an iron-shuttered building
Source: S.F.F.D. Historian Battalion Chief Frederick Bowlen

TERRIBLE CONFLAGRATION!
SAN FRANCISCO AGAIN IN RUINS!
LOSS ABOUT $5,000,000.

1851 Sunday morning, May 4
In part
It is our melancholy duty to announce this morning the most awful Anniversary of the terrible conflagration one year ago in this place.
San Francisco is again in ashes. The smoke and flames are ascending from several squares of our city, as if the God of Destruction had seated himself in our midst, and was gorging himself and all his ministers of devastation upon the ruin of our doomed city and its people.
Source: Daily Alta California, Volume 2, Number 146, 4 May 1851 — SUNDAY MORNING, MAY 4 TERRIBLE CONFLAGRATION! [ARTICLE]

INFORMATION WANTED

1851 May 5
Of Capt. James Welsh, of ship Silas Richards, who, when last seen was in the warehouse of Taffle & McCahill during the fire. Any information concerning him, if living, or that may lead to the discovery of his remains if dead, will be gratefully acknowledge by
BARLING & McKEE
Front st, near Jackson. 
Source: Daily Alta California, Volume 2, Number 147, 5 May 1851 — Page 2 Advertisements Column 2 [ADVERTISEMENT] 

INCIDENTS OF THE FIRE

1851 May 6
In part
The following persons are missing since the fire. They were supposed to be in the iron store occupied by Messrs. Taaffe and McCahill at the time of the fire:— Messrs. Greenbaum, Baker, E. McCahill, Capt. James Welsh, Ship Lewis Richland.

Yesterday several bodies were observed still burning in the ruins of the store of Taaffe and McCahill. The bodies of Capt. Welsh and Edward McCahill were recovered, and will be buried to-day.
Source: Daily Alta California, Volume 2, Number 148, 6 May 1851 — Incidents the Fire. [ARTICLE]

THE DEAD AND MISSING

1851 May 7
Yesterday Captain Welsh who perished in the flames at M Cahill's building, was buried in the City Cemetery, and his funeral was attended by the Fire Companies and a large procession of citizens, preceded with banners hung with crape, and solemn music. The remains of Mr. Edward M. Cahill who is supposed to have been consumed in the same building with Captain Welsh, have not yet been found. Captain Vincent and Mr. Holmes, Jeweler, in Clay street have not been seen since the fire, and are concluded among the dead in this sad calamity.
Source: Daily Alta California, Volume 2, Number 149, 7 May 1851 — Preservation of the City. [ARTICLE]

EXHUMED BODIES.

1851 May 11
Yesterday a number of persons were engaged in recovering from the ruins of the iron storehouse of Messrs. Taaffe & McCahill, the remains of the persons who were there burned to death. The bones were mostly burned to a cinder and were in such a condition as not to indicate names. It was however evident that the remains belonged to several different persons. It seems from the position in which they were discovered that those who met with death in this building had all rushed to the same part when the flames overtook them, and there all died together.
Source: Daily Alta California, Volume 2, Number 153, 11 May 1851 — CITY INTELLIGENCE [ARTICLE]

Extracted from original sources with grammar and spelling as published.

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