The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-06-16


enterprise, had re.appeared. copy Of it contains
list Of sufferers, and the amount of their losses
That list must necessarily contain many errors.
and the compilation of it must have been a work |
Of some labor. Il
The Alta California, Of the 9Th ult., has this
graphic description Of the scene; -.
To one capable for little while Of divesting
bimself Of his sympathes the tornado of fire which
has travelled its devouring path over city fur
nishes scene of more beauty, grandeur, terror
and sublimity, probably, than any other event
which has transpired in our nation during the pres
ent century. And yet all ones sensibilties were
inevitably interested, and were necessary, in order
that this awful exhibition of nature, in her widest
and most pitess mood, should duly and, perhaps,
pro6tably affect man through his more kindly
qualities. = - -...
The commencement Of the fire like the fash
of gunpowder, almost instantaneous. was its
spread. For few moments hope, fear and dread.
-engfnes, dhd II
earnest wishes and well placed confidence in the
exertons of our gallant phanthropists, the fremen,
could have saved the city, she would now be stand
ing like bride in her lovellness, instead of the
blackened martyr at the stake as she now appears.
Many persons inhabting or owning buildings,
which appeared to be entirely out OF the possible
range of the destruction, looked upon its COM
mencement without a thought of themselves, only
actuated by their sympathies for others for some
time How suddenly were their dreams OF secu-
rity ended In a few hours perhaps in few min
utes, they too, were wanderers In the Streets
houseless, homeless, hopeless, stripped OF every
thng-in hundreds Of cases not saving a suit OF
clothes. .--. :,
As the first faint hope of stopping the flames at
the place of origin died out, the clty's terrible i'm
pending fate became more and more. manifest.
Yet no mans mind could anticipate in its full ex-
tent the scope and completeness of the ruin. The
wind, which was blowing fresh from the north
west when the fire commenced, soon increased
whirwinds around the flaming piles, the heated air,
loaded with smoke and cnders and flames, rushing
up towards heaven, cracking and roaring like
tornado while fresh gusts and gales came whirllAg
| in from every side to fill the melting vacuum with
/ new ministers of destruction. The view was sad,
| fflctive, awful. Great masses OF smoke ascended
| and rolled away loaded with the wealth OF men, the
| rewards Of toll and DANGER bearing far above the
city great focks and sheets Of burning cinders, and
| forming huge clouds touched with every tint from
clear white light to the darkness of night. Frame
houses faded away like frost work The beautiful
| Parker House was made heap Of Goals and ashes
| in a few moments. Brick houses became batteries
of flames, and poured forth immense jets from their
| windows and doors.
Iron and zinc curled up like scorched leaves, and
sent forth their brilliant flames of green, blue and
1 yellow tnts, minglng with and modifying the
great red tongues of fire which flashed upwards
from thousand burning houses. The hill sides
| were lighted if the sun were above the eastern
| mountains, and their trees, shrubs, heritage and
| houses, were disingnishable in the bright light
| as if it were noon. Darkness hung over a large
portion of the shipping, where the broad and heavy
| ocean Of smoke lay down in impeneuable gloom
over tie bay. People became paralyzed. Many
removed their stocks of goods, or portions Of them
four or five tines and had them overtaken and
destroyed by the flames at last. The streets were
| crammed with masses of human beings and brushing
teams, only giving way before the advance of ths
elements, a, the smoke and heat and crashing
| rushing headlong into the hames. Weeping womer
and prattling infancy were wandering amid ashes
| and destruction. Every few moments the eartf
and air trembled great buildings were torn int
fragments by explosions of gunpowder and the al
| mosphere was filled with shattered timbers, brick
and mortar. The multitude hung upon the Dor
ders of this " vast of fame )" few comparatively
knew, or could know, what were the dangers ano
eYertions Of those who were within the range O.
| the Sitting smoke and scorching flame. In es
| than nine hours from the beginning, more thar
twenty squares existed only in memory, and in tn,
| ascending columns oil smoke anu hame winch GOV
| | cred the clty's site. -
The Union Hotel burned like furnace until tn,
wood work was nearly destroyed, when the hug
walls, five stories high, pitched headlong into th
street, and over the wrecks OF neIghboring dwell
lings long before they reached the earth complee
lost in the flames and smoke which ascended from
below. So intense was the heat, that jels of waite
poured from the hose became instantly converie
. into seorching steam, or were licked up by tn
I thirsty flames Nothing less than river Of waite
| seemed sufficient to quench them. r..
|. But the saddest sight of all was the destrucho
y of brave, but bewildered men, who, finding then
selves suddenly surrounded with fire, rushed, slal
: gered and uncertain, from flame 10 flame, in hope
# less efforts to escape until strangled and scorchet
: they wrilhed and fell in full view of hundreds " h
i | were completely poweress to save them Other
|, after battling inside of what they had consdere
It fire-proois, finding their efforts TO the bull,
ings vain, endeavOred to escape, but too late 1T
: doors and wndow-blinds were red hot, and cou
IS not be opened in some instances, and their la
d chance of safety failed them. We cannot EXPIRE
our sensations of yesterday while looking upon Il
IA | blackened remains OF poor humanity, as they 81
,s lay burned to Goals amid the fire which filled Il
10 cellar of a building on Montgomery street, still
II yond the reach oi all who gazed upon them. Nj
,e we never again see so horrible spectacle.
Il Another Sketch Of tile Fne.-The followir
I'd extract of letter. in relation to subject
10 ing which every thing is ofinterest, has been kind
NJ furnished to the Picayune by gentleman of Il
he city. The letter is dated May 1lh:
se Rumors will reach you ere this meets your e
to Of the terrible calamity which has recently spre
"a ruin and desoation this city. 1t would
ID idle in me to attempt to give you any account sui
DIS ciently ample to approach the sad reality of t
scenes through which we passed on Saturday mig
w last The papers will give as detailed accounts
,ts can be made up, and shall only attempt to pl;
before you the outline OF facts as they came bef,
re, my own observation.
N At "a quarter before eleven, on Saturday mig
on on Sd May, the alarm of fire was given, and fou
oh upon going out that it proceeded from build
- on the south side of Portsmouth Square.
Us: wind was blowing from the west, and the fan
pm soon communicated to the Bryant House,
e,' thence to the roof Of the adobe building known
'ei' the City Hotel 1t was supposed that the
'f- would have been checked here but az the W
IN increased the flames were borne across Keal
street, pursuing their ravages thence towards
Oh water, from Clay to Sacramento streets
'as- Montgomery street three squares built
on brick and being deemed ire-proof, no one suppo
anu that they would be touched. The flames sw
Ter on however, with increased fury, until it beca
evident that the greater portion of the city must
'me destroyed Brick and iron could not resist
the heat. 1t was an awful sight to behold THE
ler- were loading themselves with plunder, and in 4
the eagerness were caughtin in the flames and sunk a
u the falling ruins. Others who battled with the
us'- in hopes Of saving their property, were when b
20 there was egress. The streets being PLAN
S in were like sea of fire. Ttwas supposed our br
oe- ing would stand-the wallis were solid brick, e
teen inches thick, with iron shutters still the
was so intense that the latter became red hot,
na' 1t took fire inside being the last brick buidin
ness burn. The hre continued to rage until 81
O'Clock on Sunday morning, destroying all
business portion Of the city, with the exceptit
lsco halt dozen establishments. :.
y The Custom house and all the bonded v
H., houses, except one, We're swept away. The
'ney Assay tffice and works are also gone. Arpe
ouse building was al one time abandoned, but was
aere served by the greatest wonder. Notwithstan
was this awful destruction, the work of rebuilding
on Monday morning commenced, and now,
1T to one week having elapsed, two hundred Vo
L h,ill n how, hoo :