New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-02-11
BAYARD TAYL0R'S LETTERS. 10 XXXyn
SnB Francisco Revisited.
Special Correspondence Of The Tribune.


ought, and expected TO have been IN Mszatsu
by this time After mailing my last letter 10 you,
some two weeks since, went on board the IqUi
queha, trusting to the assurances OF her owners
that she was completely ready for sea. Her cap
tain and crew were Germans. and did nothing 10
lalsl the national reputation for hardness and de
lay. In our case the 81 oco hempo Of the Cha
grcs boatmea was outdonc. Seven days was J
doomed 70 spend on the bay before the almost hole
less conjunction Of wind. tide, crew, passengers
aud vessel started US from our anchorage. Duri 2
that time we were exposed for twenty four hours
10 the full force Of South easter which blew I'll.
all creation seemed 70 hum and vibrste if fair
stunned. 1t almost took the hair from ones head
We drilled into shallow water. and lay thumpii &
heavily on the mud, while a large bark, dragging
her three anchors threatened 10 stave in our bows
SIX or eight vessels were injured by coming mt
violent collision bc'oro the gale abated. When,
last W had passed out the Golden Gate, and Were
tossing upon the open Pacific, 1t was discovered
that the rudder broken aud the brig had
sprung a leak IN her bow. The captain decided t.
return much to our regret for the wind was ls-
for Mszatlan However, the sailors refused b Pc
mi their lives As they said, and the captain esrnos,
" described the dangers OF ee-shore, m our cril
plod condition. 50 We scqulesced aud were pe
TENT
No,wthstsndipg We had run but twenty mile,
from the entrance It took three days to get back g.
the anchorage IN the strait west Of Fort M0ntColl
ery The Louis Philippe from New ork, the bri-
Ocean from Panama the Patterson, from Oregoi
with Gen. p. r Smith and suite on board sne
twelve others vesbels, detained outside by the wno
entered at the same time. We were set ashore
IN the ships boat and made the best Of our wa,
over the hill, through a mile OF tough mud int
town Mr. Robinson, Agent of the PacIt, NJ
Steamship Co kindly furnished me wlth ticket
Mazaltan ON the Oregon 80 that shsl! not l.
delayed BY the accident .
Before 'everting to affairs here let me describe
20 YOU a scene | witnessed0 on Monday morning lat
as our i'll. iatcd brig making her way out Of th.
harbor
had gone on deck, in the misty dsybreak. r.
take q parting look at tho town and its ampthesu1,
hills As turned my face shoreward, little spsfl
appeared through the fog. Suddenly It shot up Int
a spiry flame and at the same instant heard tht
sound of gongs. bells and uumpe,s, and the shout
ing of human voices The calamity, predicted auc
dreaded 50 long in advance, that men ceased T.
thing of il, had come at last-San Francisco wa
on fire The blaze increased with fearful rapidly
la fifteen minutes, 1t had r.sen into broad flicker
ing column making all the shore, the misty Air a
the water ruddy as with another sunrise. The side,
of new frame houses scattered through the tow,
tents high up on the hills, and the huls and lstes.
sails of vessels in the bay, CLEANED and sparkle
through the thick atmosphere Meanwhile IL,
roar and tumult swelled, and above the clang G.
goncs aud the cries OF the populace ( could hes.
the cracking O. blazing tmbers. and the smother
cd sound OF falling roofs climbed into the r.
cling and watched the progress OF the contiagrdIo
As the flames lsaped upon new dwelling, Their
was a sudden whlrl OF their waving Volumes
embracing Of the frail walls in their RELENTLESS
casp-and second afterwards, from ROOT and raite
and foundation beam shot upward jet OF ire
steady aud intense at first but surging OIL into sl
raj folds aud streamers as the timbers were psrtr'
and fell
For more than an hour. while we were tackni.
in the channel between Yerba Buens Island AID
the anchorage. there was no apParen; check to Tn
danes Before passing Fort Montgomery, how
ever, W heard several explosions IN quick success
sion, and cOniectured that vigorous measures hRl
been taken 10 prevent further destruction. Whei
at last with a fair breeze and bright Say, we were
dashing past the rock OF AlcRtraz. the red column
had sum- away 10 a smouldering blaze, and moth
ing but heavy canopy OF smoke remained to tel
the extent OF the oonhagration.
On landing | fastened Immediately 10 Ports
mouth square the scene OF its ravages. All It,
eastern front with the exception OF the Delmomo'
Restaurant az the corner OF Clsy-st. was gone, T.
cether with the entire side Of the block on w ash
lncton st. The Eldorado, Parker House, Denlsons
Exchange and United States Coffee House-;orm
ing collectively the great rendezvous OF the cItl
where every body could he found az some time 81
the dav--were among the things that had been
Tho fronts of the Nersndah, Aguils dc Orc, am
other hels on w ashingtOn- St were blackened an
chsrred from the intense heat 10 which they Were
subjected and from many Of the buildings sta
hung the blankets by means of which they were
saved Three DAYS only had elapsed since the fire
vet in that time all the rubbish had been cleared
away and the frames of several houses were hal
raised All over the burnt space sounded one II
cessan tumut OF hammers, axes and saws. THIS
moruing--one week after the hre-the kldorado
and Denisons Exchange stand completely rooted
and weaiherbOarded. and viii soon be ready iOr
occupation The Parker House is to be rebuilt OF
brick, and the tmbers o. the basement floor are OIL
ready laid. The Exchange has been contracted
! Tor al $4,000 10 be finished IN two weeks under
penalty Of iorieitinc $3.50 for every additional day
la tllree weeks from this time, AL the buildings
bestowed viii be replaced by new ones, OF better
construction.
Notwithstandins there was no air stirring at the
time, the progress of the IRE described by those
who were ON this spot, has something terrlhc IN rs
character. The canvas partitions OF rooms shrl''
eled away like paper in the breath OF the names
and the dry vesinous wood OF the o0ter walls gave
cut heat SO intense that houses st some distance
were obliged to be Kept wet to prevent their Ign
ton. Nothing but the prompt measures Of tue ciiH
authorities and plentiful supply OF blankets Ia
the adjacent stores, saved al the lower part OF the
city nom being swept away. The houses IN The
path O. the flames were either blown up or ielcc
Ike trees by cutting OF the ground timbers witt
axes and pulling over the structure with ropes ias
tened to the NOT The Spanish merchants O..
Washing ton-st aud others living IN adobe houses IN
the rear were completely supplied by the danger,
and refused ~ have their buildings blown up. No
one listened to them. aud 1--WE minutes aiterwarc,
sHobes iimbers and merchandise went up into the
air together.
A verv few persons. out Of the thousands pre-
sent. did the work Of arresung the flames Al the
time Of the most extreme danger. hundreds Of Idle
spectators refused to lend bsndanless they we're
pA;a enormous wages. Mr.. Frank Ward, am
told. offered dollar bucket for water, and made
use of ten thousand buckets IN saving bis property
The amount is no doub. exaggerated. Al 'he
owners Of property worked necessarily, and were
aided by their friends, bu, at least 1000 Spectator
stood idle in the plaza hope their seinsn mon mon
terence is not necessary ofshoot OF society here
II is not to be disputed. however, that constant
similarity with the shifting Of Fortune oe'see
her .arthest extremes, blunis very muca ihe syn
pathies AZ the popular heart
The Ere at Stockton, though Of much smaller sx-