Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1851-01-25

f|Affie4Yf iishf the poftieo. between tho front
etfves of the roof. III Il few minutes the
stuolse poured from the eageH all around
the front pottieo. A this was 40 much
III advance OF the main building. il was
ut first thought THAT tho atloulderiltg fire
could be cnaily eotl1ttared. 10 this p1fpose,
the Iitenien being speedily on the ground
hose were drawn by mems Of ropes d.
fectly from the street mp to the topof the
p%oftlcp, ladders raised, holes knocked IN
the roof. water poured in, whilst other
ho7e were taken mp tie largo central stair.
case Running eEaar to the topsef the hotel,
aud every oSertioft made toe&tinguish the
fire. A high wind, however, was blowing
from the northwest, helping 10 drive the
fire into the building and under the portieo
rool, Where it was dAlletlt 10 reach it,
Tho donse volumes of smoke rolled so
heavily over the llerfow aud much ex-
posed space where the frcmen stood on
tho roef, that they were barely able to
breathe or sec. the fierce flames burst forth
all around them, Boating them directly into
the hotel aud they were finally forced to
retreat. In Il few moments the liamea
rushed up the lofty dome aud the light airy
etpola the upper passages and rooms
filled with dense, stilling smoke; the flames
burst forth from the roof Of the main build
ing on either aide Of tie portico aud came
ont OF the upper windows. then all hope
Of saving tue magnificent edifce was
abandoned; aud the itltletlso crowd in the
streets, in n short time, saw the entire
atf'e,"fe' I'VE atoFles l'ieh, WIN dome and
eupola aoiilineotlIlg high above all COM
peera ~ loc Guy, rom front 70 rear, Oh Ut.
1''of'es, 'ftaVlef atld Iolnl1ioli streets, e'l-
veloped iii one broad, glafI1g sheet of
llefee tialoo' fislligs nom tue very ground
I'oof' Whilst tie vast interior seemed one
raging, biaalilg titfllnilee, tho whole grind,
lofty structure looking hike Il very mouth
ttitl Of RED tihnle' 1t was Il magnificent
spectacle, absorbing the senses, liking the
aI9ss"'D' y 6'"0 "t'A u speeies : 'ei'l'oo
Gun sae afelliell stooa t'lelr ground,
WORKING lial'lu'ly together ut the breaks,
alio pouring tllch strealns OF water nom
al sues ihto The volcano before theni'
1t was OF no use however. Evident
signs of falling columns and cruuibling
wall 9 warned the dense crowd i'll front Of
the Hotel in st. Charles street, of their
danger. Scarcely had they moved aside.
together with the engines, hose, apdotler
apparatus. before the heavy upper portion
OF the arehed eotlline OF tA0 portleo fell
ottwafds with n heavy crash,
The great dome bepat, to totter all
eyes were fixed OF, IL, A feeling Of deem
regret pervaded the entire ,,aea of oazera.
For Il moment there wts Il pause, aud moth.
ing wa heard but the roar Of tho tlan1ea
aud the cracking timber. T1e NEXT iaa
stant, enpola and dome fell in. disappearing
la a great cloud of smoke and lire that
rushed up, whilst d ~deafenitlp crash stunned
the ear. The doom Of the st. Cl,,lrles
was scaled. tb# ..8#sa 81
presept,v tbs roor his, ,nsor,d. %,
crashed down in showers of sparks AMI
smoke, PORTIONS of the interior walls
followed, the lofty walls in tho rear md OF,
Gravier street. broke oil il, great n,,4aea
aud went nlatlgitir down, some inside the
building aud others in the street, whilst a.
eaeh fall Il heavy, thnnaerinp noise. nndI
shoot of flame and sparks, followed. trwoI
of the taltpiIlara III front soon came down
in the street. It il useless to pursue the
dissertation further. The fln~,i,es eanfinpel
to rage rs tiereely as ever, until towards
o O'Clock, when all the timbers, beams,
everything IN short in the Hotel Of an III
nature, had fallen and been
burned, leaving tlteuobIe edilice complete.
~ dlsmantled, scorehed and blackened-,
entire arch Of The pertico gono--tlie
cracked, their heads down, plaster
ing oti--here and there slender portions of
the high walls still stanaing-a desolate
wreck aud mass of blackened. smoking
ruins. The wall and part Of the c%ornice
on Common street and ut the cotner of st.
Charles, are still erect, but cracked, defaced
aud tottering.
The strong wind blew showers of burn.
cilders 4 long distance, setting fire toll
he turrets of MI. Clapp's Church, at the
corner Of Gravier and st. Charles Streets,
o the Methodist church at the corner OF
%'arondelet and Poydras, to various frame
'nildings in IIeviastreet, between Caron.
lelet aud Barronne, in Carondelet abovel
ind below Hevia, and 10 many roofs ii. the
ear and neigllborhood Of the Hotel and
'hnrcbes.
Despite the exertions of the frenen.
VII. Ciapp's Church was. ilsless than an
lour after it CAUGHT. COMPLETELY cutted.
eaving the bare walls. Afler the engines F,
lad left it aud whilst a great number OF
'ersons were on the sidewalk in front, the :
qnare tower suddenly fell in pushing the
oyit os,t1 Elr a s.r,a,,t (, $3.50, &C., +,