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.
i The New Orleans Picayune Of the 10Th
brings us detailed account Of the great
conAsgration in that city on the previous
day, somo accounts Of which we have al.
rcady received by telegraph and published,
from which we extract the following:
It's 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 in BY All
who have al heart the welfare Of New Or
leans. A con1agration Of the nature 81 that
We witnessed yesterday. coming on Us SO
suddenly, spreading 90 rapidly, choosing for
its prey some of tho stn,eliest edificcs We
bonst Of, may well weigh down The sioutesi
heart, nnnerve the most courageous spirit.
and touch even the most Indifferent specta-
tor and sirnnger. Il all seems now like
terrible drenm-llke some magnificent but
appalling panorama.
The ST. Charles Hotel was first discover
ed TO TO on Rrc at III o'clock Yesterday
forenoon. Slight curis Of s,noke issued from
the north or left hand wing oi the building,
over The Indies department, near the porti.
CO, between the front caves Of the roof. In
a few minutes the smoke poured from the
caves all around The front pnriico. A. this
was so much in advance of tho main build-
ing, !, was at frs, though, that tho smo,,ld-
ering fire could be easily conquered. II
this purpose. the hremen being speedily on
the ground, hose were drawn bv means nf
ropes directly from the street up to the ton
nf the por;ico, laddcrs raised. holes knocked
in the roof, water poured 10, while other
hose were taken up the large central stair.
case running clear TO the top Of the hotel.
and everv exer,ion made TO extingnish the
FIRE. a high wind. however. was blowing
from The northwest. helping to drive the
FIRE into The hniidino, and under the roof,
where il was difficult TO reach it.
/ The dense vnlumcs nf smoke rolled so
heavily over the narrow and much exposed
spaco whero the ffremen stood on the roof,
thnt they ware hardly able to breathe or
see, the fierce flames burst forth all around
them, beating them directly into tho hotel !;
and they were finally forced 70 retreat
In few moments, the flames rushed up the
lofty dome and the ligh, airv cupola the up
per passages and rooms filled with dense,
s,ifiing s,noke; the flames hurst forth from
The roof The main hnilding on either side
Of tho pnriicn and came out Of the upper
windows; then all hope Of saving the mag-
ni6rent editice was abandoned; and the i'm.
mense crowd in The streets, IN short time.
saw tho entire structure, fve stories high.
with dome md cupola domineering high
above all compcers in the city, from from,
10 renr, on ST. Charles, Gravier and Com
mon streets. enveIoped in one broad, -glnr-
ing sheet ii fierce fame, rising from The
very ground floor, while the vns, interior
seemed one raging. hlazing furnace. the
whole GRIND. lofty structure locking like n
very mountain Of red fame. Il was mag
nifrcnt spectacle, absorbing the senses,
fixing the spectators gaze with species Of
Terrified admiration.
i Evident signs of falling columns and
Icrumblng walls warned tho dense crowd
in from. u the hotel In St. Charles It. Of
their danger. Scarcely Ind they moved
aside, together with the engines, hose nnd
other apparatus, before the hoayy upper
portion Of the srched cornicc Of the poriico
fell outward with a heavy crash.
/ The great dome begnn totottcr--all cyes
were Fixed on il. A feeling If deep regret
pervadcd the entire mass of gaxers. For .
moment there was pause, and nothing
was heard but the roar ot the flames and
the cracking timber. The next instant, Gu.
pola nnd dome fell in, disappearing in n
great cloud Of smoke and fire that rushed
up, while deafening crash stunned the
ear. The doom of the ST. Charles Wns
sealed.
Presently the roof disappeared; rafters
q crashed down in shower Of sparks and
smoke; portions of the interior walls fol-
lowed; the lofty walls in the rear and on
Gravicr st. broke Of 10 great masses and
went plunging down, some inside the build.
! ing and others in tho street. While n'
each fall heavy, laundering noise, and q
ehoo, Of fame mud sparks, followed. Two
Of the tall pillars IN front soon came down
in tho street. 1t is useless TO pursue the
} description further. The flames continued
10 rage as fercely rs ever, until toward >
o'clock. when al the timbcrs, beams, eve
rytI,ing in short in the hotel Of on infiam
mablc nature, had fallen and been burned,
leaving the noble ediice completely dis
maniled, scorched and blackened; tho en-
tire arch Of The por,ico gone; the pillars
cracked-their heads down. plasterlng off;
here and there slender portions Of the high
VI alIs still standing-n desolate wreck and
n,nss Of b!ackened, smoking ruins. The
wall and part Of the cornice on Common
st. and at the corner Of 81. Charles. are
s,ill erect, but cracked, defaced and totter.
ing. a.i'e
| Tho best poet this country ever produced
said. in his diving nnomcnts.-al have paid
the Printer That mans death must have
heau baonv - Nvernp;ne Yo,,rw0l