The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-05-26
From the Cairo Delta Extra. 10 h ins.l
The CenAagrntIou nj ~. I.owts.

DR. ABOUT Ten D CLOCK last night, the steamer Viii
"a Cloud, lying near the head Of the levee was di
~ covered TO be on fire. At the time, there was
- sun breeze blowing from The northeast, whie
soon carried the flames across 10 the Edwar
Il Bates, The next boat below, the heat from thes
$ SET IRE TO The Endora, lying above them; The Bell
J. Isle next below the Bates, then caught ire h
, ms Time, one or two boats below were droppe
v down, leaving vacancy between those on fire
= and the boats below them.
= Al this time the Edward Bates being about hal
nurnt up, was cut loose, and went floating dow
the levee, setting fire 10 those boats still living
The leVee, as she approached them, in the foil y
ing ord r:-lhe Jdlia-but slightly injured; IA,
c Uncle Sam, also but slightly injured. The Bate
Dul barely touched these boats, being those iInme
: diately below her.
The following steamboats,, with large numbe
OF wood boats, barges, &c, were entirely consu
med The Martha, Sarah, Tsgliona, Montank, ST
refers, Red Wing, Alexander Hamilton, Bofea.
no.S $, Iimour, Mandan, Xii Carson, Maneluke
We do not presume that this comprises all The
boats destroyed, but these ale all the names we
are able TO get hold Of
The following boats were saved: Autocrat. Ds
WIN Linton, Danube, Embassy, South America
New Uncle Sam, Julia, Old Uncle Sam, Marshal
50 intense wss the heat arising from this srea,
conhsgration, which extended with short Intervals
rom the head Of the levee TO the head of Duncans
slaRd, that II set fire 10 the buildings al various
points along The ieyee, all OF which above Vine ST.
were exunguished, but a row of shanties extend.
ing from Locust up towards Vine street was de-
stIoycd, and now, while we writing o. clock
this morning, the entire block, bounded by the
leVee, Main, Locust, and Olive streets, is wrap
pea IN names, as are those houses in the square
fronting The leyee between Pine and Olive SITS.
And vsT-ous houses on the west side of Main At
nom Canters * Simons, at the corner Of Locust
and Main SITS. to Olive. Mr. Jno Mader's large
cooper shop al The south west corner OF the levee
1 a Inn II,
| house on The west side Of Main, below Elm Al
and The fumes are rapidly spreading aLG where
| lhey may De stayed man cannot tell. This il by
Tor the most awful catastrophe that has ever fallen
10 The lol 81 any city west Of the Allegheny noun
tains
In addition 10 the property enumerated. there
was vast amount Of grain in sacks, hemp, ba-
con, Nc, ON the levee, which caught BY the heat
sent OIL by the boats, and was DESTROYED and nm.
fortunately, on one pile OF hemp, which was COW
cred by tSiptulin, il is said, four persons were
sleeping, Gnd ali were DESTROYED. i've saw the
nOdy vi one oil them, boy, which was carried into
the fosl Uhice There were a number of kegs of
powder on boaTdthe various boats, and az The fire
reached them they caught and exploded with a
ieiiioie crash, scattering the burning fragments in
Wild confusion into the upper air.
by one of these explosions one man standing on
The levee was killed by being struck with a flag
ment blown from the burning wreck Of the M,tibs.
another was shockingly aceraled in different parts
OF ms BODY; Out how many poor wretehes have
inllen victims 10 these deyOuTng flames as they
have gone sweeping in wild grandeur from boat 70
boat, and from house 10 house. aud from street to
street, no man can eyeItell.
One OF the widest and most heart.rendins spec. |
lacles ever Witnessed in our city was exhibited |
last night. From Dnncan's Island, extending PEI
haps half or three-quaTiers OF a mile in a con
inuous line up the river, the burning wreck OF |
boat met boat, and rolled their united clouds of
deep black smoke, and luTid fame in wild confu. |
sion into upper ali; on the other hand the long
Lofty range OF stores fronting the river sent IN
cloud OF sparks and sheets OF dlzgling flames |
which threw red and glazing light away into the
darkness OF night which hung upon our western /
BORDERS. Here aud there were seen half frantic /
men, running in bewdemenl from point TO point, |
scarce knowing where, OF staggering from their /
burning homes under a load Of their pIecious |
property, followed By weeping wife and her ten
der babe.
Since writing the above, we have tax en- smother
walk through the burning district, which now, al
a quarter before O'Clock, alIeady extends from
the leyee west TO Second street, and from Locust
south OF Elm street This entire space 10 not
burned over, but much OF II Is, and much more
will be, before the flames are e1tnguished.
We cannot pretend TO paTIicularize the buildings
burnt, but we will mention the Telegraph Office
the United States Hotel, the Reveille Office, the
Republican Office, the Organ Office, and the New
Era Office. These comprise all the English daily
papers IN the city. except our own; we being on
The north side of Locust above Main street, have
fortunately escaped. We can form no estimate off
he loss by thisahre--iI may probably be put down
II five millions ofdOllars.
The FIRE started on the shore at the corner Of LO-
,usi ST. and the Leyee-lhe corner house aud three
buildings above II, fronting the leyee, were de-
iiroyed, the flames then crossed Locust, and
swept every house, with one exception, on the
blocks fronting the levee and Main street, and ex.
lending from Locust street southwark TO Chestnut
street, distance OF three squares. Al Chestnut
street IL turned up and crossed over TO the next
block south, at the junction Of Commercial Alley
with this si:eei, and from the Alley TO Main, and
Town TO Marx, I, burning all except two buildings
II the cOTneTOl Market ard Com. Alley. At the
JUNCTION of Market and Main. the flames crossed
iiagOnllly 10 the Market House, and followed
both sides Of Market up TO Second street. Then
crossing Main, the flames again swept every bull
ling from Locust 10 Market, except a row of four
story fire proof brick buildings, Just below Locust
Passing up Pine, Chestnut and Market, the de-
touring element consumed every house in the two
blocks intervening between the streets mention
I'd, and Main and Second sts., and those on nearly
iaf Of The block North of Olive. Here it's rava-
yes were stayed in this part of the city. Before
he progress Of the flames could be arrested, il
was found necessary 10 blow up one OF two hous-
rs near The corner OF Market and Second sts., and
N doing so al least three persons were kiiIed.-l
The fragments OF one OF the bodies were found on
he opposite side of the street, one near Walnut,
On Second street, and the thigh bone and the foot
10 another, near the foot Of Walnut,
some two or three squares fTom where the houses
we're blown up. These, with the body Of boy
1urnt on the levee, make four that are al TIE
police Office.
We will now 60 further South to the foot Of Elm
street, where the fire made another lodgment, and
spreading diagonslly through the block, il swept
~ Main and down 10 Spruce, a distance north !
md south OF two squares, and crossing Main, il
'aried nearly everything before it, up very near
y TO Third street, three squares 10 the west OF
Is starting point
At Main the flames crossed Elm, and consumed {
me fourth of the block North of Elm and West of
Main From the foot of Elm, up its southern side {
o second street, distance oftwo squares, not 8
ouse is standing BY this DIRE calamity, hun
reds OF ismilies are made homeless, and many
Who were in 6flluence are reduced 10 poverty.
South Market and the town hall were ON FIRE :
nee, but by great exeTtions Of the few persons
resent, they were saved.
Nearly every pane of glass in the windows for
alf square distant from the corner of MARI ct and
econd streets, were broken by the conclusion al
he time of the blowing up Of the building at that
oint.
The police arrested and confined in the Jail and
alaboose nearly fifty persons for stealing al the
re.
There are various TurnoTs ahoat relative 10 the =
PISS of different persons. Two or three of our old
nd valued citizens we believe 10 have lost their
YES And no doubt many are lost who will never
g inquired after, or thought of--strangsrs, OF
7hom there were many on the boats and in our
ity. y
The extent of the conhagration, from its begin q
ing TO IFS terminaiion takes in almost the whole
two blocks, which would be abont one mile in u
ength by two in width. The streets OF VI city, o
Tiginally laid out very morrow are literally ehoked
D with fallen walls Of houses, and destroyed pro-
eTty of various kinds. We did not see either ~ b
= .lt..a A.