Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1851-06-21
Great Collaboration in California.

BY an arrival in New Orleans on the l4th
late intelligence has been received from Call'
fornia. The town OF San Francisco was again
visited BY a tremendous fire on the Sd OF May
destroying property to the amount OF $lo''
oCoo, 900, fifteen hundred houses having been
consumed, together with loss OF life Stock
ton likewise suffered on the 5th to the amount
| Of Sl,2oo,ooo. Both of these dreadful hres
were attributed to incendiaries.
The following eloquent extracts are taken
from the Alta Coltonia:
Iron and zinc curled up like scorched leaves,
and sent forth their brilliant flames or green,
blue and yellow tints, mingllng with ana moot
| fying the great red tongues of fire which flash
Cd rnwards from a thousand burning houses.
The hill sides were lighted as if the sun
we're above the eastern mountains, and their
trees, shrubs, heritage, and houses, were as dis
tincuishable 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 impenetrable gloom over
the bay. People became paralyzcd. Many re-
moved their stocks of goods, or portions Of
them, four or five times, and had them over
taken and destroyed by the flames at last. The
streets were cranmed with masses of human
beings and rushing teams, only giving way be-
fore the advance of the elements, as the smoke
and heat aud crashing walls pushed them back.
Men became mad some rushing headlong into
the flames. Weeping women and p~rattling in
fancy were wandering amid ashes and destruc-
ton. Every few moments the air trembled as
great buildings were torn into fragments, by
explosions of gunpowder, and the atmosphere
was filed with shattered timbers, brick and
mortar. The multitude hung upon the borders
of this svast sea Of fame !" few comparatively
knew, or could know, what were the dangers
and exertions of those who were within the
range of the sitting smoke and Searching fame.
In less than nine hours from the beginning
more than twenty squares existed only in mem
DRY and in the ascending columns of smoke and
fame which covered the eity's site.
The Union Hotel burned like a furnace un-
iii the woodwork was nearly destroyed, when
the huge walls, FIVE stories high, pitched head
long into the street and over the wrecks of
neighboring dwellings,, long before they reach
ed the earth completely lost in the flames and
smoke which assembled from below. So intense
was the heat, that jets of water poured from the
hose became instantly converted luto seorching
steam or were licked up by the thirsty flames.
Nothing less than a river of water seemed suffi-
cient to quench them.
But the saddest sight of ill was the destruc-
ton of brave, but bewildered men, who finding
themselves suddenly surrounded with fire,
rushed, staggered and uncertain, from flame to
fame in hopeless efforts to escape, until stran-
gled and scorched they writhed and fell in full
view Of hundreds who were completely pow
erless to save them. Others, after battling in
side of what they had considered fre-proofs,
finding their efforts to save the buildings vain,
e%ndeavored to escape, but too late. The doors
and window blinds were red hot and could not
be opened in some instances, and their last
chance ~ofssafety failed them. We cannot ex-
press our sensations of yesterday while looking
upon the blackened remains of poor humanity,
as they still lay burned to Goals amid the fire
which filled the cellar of a building on Mont
gomery street, still beyond the reach of all
who gazed upon them. May we never again
see SO horrible d spectacle.