Washington telegraph., 1851-10-29

AwsUk CALAMITE--Opeo OF those daead~j
tful calamities whick starsls by their sud-
! de aasess. aud excite our deepest symRa--
ihies, occnsEed in this eosaty os Eaesday
nigha hash We have the account from
/ a afellew.sowpssaaal, who was an eye-wH-
ness of :he terrible scene. The gin house
beloagiAg 60. Ma. IonathaA West. resief-
ing In Ptailie d. Ann, accidentally took
fire and was totally destroyed. Two
negroes wess bsasae TO- death in il. and
one SO badly injured that he eled few
days afterwards. Another was 50 badiy
baInt as TO repdeE hiaa valueless. There
were also consumed with the gin about
! ts bales Of cotton, goo bushels Of wheat,
a quantity of baiing and rope with num-
Der of stacks Of oats, stacked nearit. A
threshing machine and mill were attach
ed to the gin, which were likewise de-
stroyed.
The destruction was total, the flames
bursting out vita such sudden Volume
aud fury as to render all attempts for It's
preservasion useless.
I Our informant Tells us, and we can we'll
timagine the correctness Of his report
that the scene was truly terrible aud
heart-rending. The cries Of ahe burning
negroes foz help. aud the screams and
shrieks Of their mothers, who in their
wild anguish, aud desire TO- save theiz-
Eexp4ing children, could scarcely be pre-
vented from rushing into the midst of
the faJmes-the groans of soms>. who,
with their clothes oA FIRE, had barely
escaped fsom the death Of the raging ele-
mept-aIl, he says. formed scene of
destruction apd distress such as he has
never before witnessed, and whose memo
ry will long throw its dark shadow over
his imagination.
This awful acciden. occurred as follows;
The negroes Were al work in the lint
room of the gin, and while Mr.. Soloman
West, the owners brother. was holding
a lantern over 1t, for them to see by, 81
sudden puff Of wind ignited light paEti-
Gle of lint which adhered to the lantern.
Il fell, blazing, into the cotton below, and
in all instant the whole was in flames.
The owner has been for many years an
industrious, frugal and perseve1ing farmer,
and his loss is irrepaizable.
This should be terrible warning to
the owners of gins TO use additional care
III relation to fire. They, doubtless think
they are very careful; but Mr.. West is
one Of the most careful Of men, and ye.
he hss suddenly and unawares, been
surprised and overtaken by misfortune,
which, at his time Of life, he cannot hope
|. to repaiF.
b -OA-~~--~~o--~o-~
RAFT PRoposAL.-We are informed by
a gentleman, just from the Raft, that
hands are now at work clearing out the
Bayou from Shreveport into Soda Lake,
one thousand dollars having been COLI
tributed by Col. James Gilmer and one
thousand by the citizens Of Shreveport
to defray the expenses of the work.
Col. Gilsnez proposes that if the plan
ters above the Raft will lend their aid.
in the way Of labo.--money he asks
none-he will proceed during the present
low stage Of the river, to cut out aud
widen the channel from Red River above
the Raft through Dooley's Rayou to Soda
Lake. The channel is now about 8 feet
Deep and perfectly dry. He thinks one
hundred hands could complete the work
in twenty days, and he proposes. if the
hands be seq, him. to furnish the neces-
sary supplies himself, whilst they are en-
gagged at the work.
The Bayou. if properly cleared out,
would permit the timber to pass into Soda
Lake, where there would be space suffi-
cient TO hold i; for number of years to
come. Dooley's Bayou is considered by
many who aye acquainted with the Raft
region, to be the best route, and most
susceptible of improvement, aud the cost.
in this instance, would be but little.
Although it is contemplating time. the
importance of the object proposed to be
accomplished by Col, Gimer prompts us
TO call the attention of our planters to
the subject, aud to urge them to send to
possibly spare. We know that most of
them are still busy in their felds; but we
also know that the season has been un.