The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-02-20
BURNING OF THE ST. CHARLES HOTEL,
NEW ORLEANS.

BURNING OF THE ST. CHARLES HOTEL,
NEW ORLEANS.
The New Orleans Picayune Of the 10Th
brings us detnled account Of the great
confsgration in that city On the previous
dry, some accounts Of which we have al.
ready received by telegraph and published,
from which We extract the following:
i lis with deep feeling Of gloom and des.
pondency that we undertake the task Of re.
hitting the incidents of tho calamity which
Yesterday overwhelmed our city. We be.
lievc that this feeling is shared 10 by All
who have nj heart the welfare of New Or
leans. A con1agra,ion ofthe nature Of that
we witnessed yesterday. coming on Us 50
suddenly, spreading 90 rapidly, choosing for
its prey some Of tho staseliest edifices VIC
boast Of, may well weigh down the sioutesi
heart, upnerve the most courageous spirit,
and touch even the most Indifferent specta-
tor and s,rnnger. Il all seems now like a
terrible dream--like some magnificent but
appalling panorama.
The ST. Charles Hotel was first discover.
ed to TO on fro Al ia o'clock Yesterday
forenoon. Slight curls Of smoke issued from
the north or left hand wing 81 the building,
over the ladies department, near the pnr.i.
CO, between the front caves of the roof In
a few minutes the smoke poured from the
caves all around The front poriico A this
was so much in advance of the min build.
ing, il was AT first though, that tho smn,,ld-
ering FIRE could be easily conquered. To
this purpose. the fremen being speedily on
the ground, hose were drawn bv means III
ropes directly from the street up To the ton
of the por;ico, ladders raised. holes knocked
in the roof, wafer poured in, while Mher
hose were taken up the large central stair
case running clear to the top Of the hotel.
and everv exer,ion made to ex,inqnish the
fire. a high wind. however. was blowing
from The northwest, helping to drive the
FIRE into the hniIdinp, and under tho roof.
where i, was tifficnl, to reach il.
The dense volumes II smoke rolled so
heavily over the narrow and much exposed
space where the fretnen stood on the ROOT,
TINT thew were hardly able to breathe or
see, the fierce flames burst forth all around
them, healing Them directly into tho hotel
aud they were finally forced t. retreat
In few moments, the flames rushed up the
lofty dome and the ligh, airy cupola The up
per passages and rooms filed with dense,
sitting smoke; The flames hurst forth FROM
The roof of The main building On either side
Of the poriicn and came out Of the upper
} windows then MI hope Of saving the mug.
) nifcent edifice was abandoned; and the i'm.
mense crowd in the streets, in short fine.
saw tho entire structure, five stories high.
with dome md cupoln damineering high
above all compeers in the cit,, from front
10 rcnr, on ST. Charles, Gravier and Com
mon streets. enveloped in one broad, -glar
| ing sheet 81 fierce fame, rising from the
very ground floor, while the vast interior
seemed one raging. blazing furnace. the
whole grand. lofty structure locking like n
very mountain 0! red fame. |, was mig
4 nifrent spectacle, absorbing the senses,
4 FIXING the spectators gaze with species ol
terrified admission.
Evident signs OF falling columns and
crumhling walls warned The dense crowd
in front al the hotel in ST. Charles II. of
their danger. Scarcely had they moved
aside, together with the engines, hose md
) other apparatus, bel"re the hoavy upper
!, portion Of the srcfed cornicc Of the por,ic"
fell outward with heavy crash.
The great dome begun totottcr-al eyes
were fixed on il. A feeling If deep regret
pervadcd the entire mass Of gazers. For
moment there was a pnuse, and nothing
was heard but the roar Of the flames and
} the crncking timber. The next instant, Gu.
pola aud dome fell in, disappearing in y
! great cloud of smoke and fire that rushed
up, while deafening crash stunned the
ear. The doom Of the ST. Charles Was
sealed.
Presently the roof disappeared; rafters
I crashed down in a shower Of sparks and
} smoke; portions Of the interior walls fol-
. lowed: the lofty walls ia the rear and on
. Gravicr st. broke of in great masses and
went plunging down, some inside the build
inc and others in tho street. While nj
!. ca Oh fall heavy, laundering noise. and
ehon, Of fame aud sparks, followed Two
. of the tall pillars In front soon came down
J in tho street. 1t is useless to pursue the
} description further. The flames continued
to raro as 6ercely MS ever, until toward ?
o'clock, when al the timbcrs, beams. eve
rytI,ing ia short in the hotel OF on inf1'm-
, mablc nature, had fallen and been burned
: leaving the noble edi6ce completely dis
man.led, scorched and blackened; tho en-
tire arch Of The porico gone; the pillars
crncked--their heads down. plasterng on
here and there slender portions Of the high
IS lIs still standing-.a desolate wreck and
mnss Of b!ackencd, smoking ruins. The
wall and part of the cornice on Common
II. and al the corner Of 81. Charles, are
still erect, but cracked, defaced and totter'
ing. '5s''
i Tho best poet this country ever produced
said. in his diving n,omcnts.-al have paid
the Printer That mans death n,ns' have
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