The true Democrat., 1854-08-23

Oo0A SouoIaily thought tO pc Hre- pFOOI, put they certainly did not deserve that credit Pork, lard, bacon, gunny bags, liquors, rope, and such materials, when all in flames at once, are strong tests of fire proof walls, and they speedily failed. Fortunately they fell without iniuring any one, and gave greater facilities to get at the lire. Wm. Il. Cook & Co.'s store, at the corner of Tchoupitoulas and Lafayette streets. and op- posite Converse& Co.'S large establishment. was notso fortunate. The wall fell with a tremend. ous crash, burying three persons in the ruins. They were all extricated and we heard one of them had since died. We did not learn their names
 The flames soon crossed Commerce street ana caught the houses extending through to Magazine street. Those on the upper side of Lafayette street were also in flames, and seve- ral of those on the levee side of Tchoupitoulas street were burning The fire ragged with great vlrulence for fully five hours before it was sub- 9ueo' consuming property valued about mil non of dollars. Weappend list of the suffer- CTS oy tnls destructive conhagration: On the swamp side of Tchoupitoulas street, commenc- ing at the corner of Lafayette and running to- ~ards foydras street, Converse & Co.,, grocers ana hquor dealers; Francke & Danneel. wes tern produce dealers; w. S. Wright & Co.,. com- mission merchants E. J. Hart & Co.,. dealers in groceres, drugs, chemicals, etc. and Keen para Co., western produce and commission merchants. n''''1on
 On the levee side of Tchoupitoulas. com. menclng, at Lafayette street, Wm. H. Cook & Co, western produce dealers Gordon & Foster -four merchants; John Hurley & Co.,, commis. slon merchants Haines & Co.,, produce mer- chants.
 On Commerce street, in the rear of the houses just mentioned, N. Overton, commission mer- chant and western produce dealer; Stanton & Co.,, ice merchants; and A. Thompson, western produce broker.
 On the southeastern corner of Tchouptoulas and Lafayette streets, R. w. Milbank, commis- slon and forwarding merchant, and Chas Hanna, western produce dealer
 On Lafayette street, Kerr & Poincy, flour dea- lers and commission merchants.
 On Lafayette street, opposite Converse & Co.'S, J. M. Savage & Co.,, commission mer- chants
 On the upper corner of Magazine and Lafay- cite streets, two four story buildings, belonging to Mr. Florance, occupied by Beatty, Liggett & Co, and A. w. Walker, commission merchants; and rear warehouse, occupied by J. M Savage & Co.,
 On the lower corner of the same streets. J W. Stanton & Co.,, shipping and commission merchants and in their rear, on Boucher street J. W. Ross < Co.,, commission merchants on Magazine street, Martin Owen & Cobb, con- mission merchants; Shultz, Hadden & Latting western produce dealers John o. Woodruff & Co, commission merchants; Graham & Buck inghams, western produce dealers and Parmele & Bro., commission merchants.
 We have stated that the loss by this fire is fnI about two thirds was covered by insurance. Some ot our insurance companies have suffered severely, but we trust and> believe none more than they can stand. The lack of water in the start was the cause of this great loss Had there been suthcency ot water when the engines hrst reached the spot, not more than two and probably not more than one house would have been burned We commend this fact to the attention of the city authorities Another thing IS the want ot proper fire alarm. Nearly an hour elapsed from the time the fire commenced before the alarm was generally spread through out the city. With telegraphic fire alarm and proper supply of water, such destructive fires could scarcely occur.
 In our brief and imperfect notice of this fire In our evening paper of yesterday, we stated that there was rumor that some kegs of DOW der had exploded in the store of Converse & Co. We are happy now to state that the ru- nor was false, as there was not pound of pow der in the store at the time of the fire
 A number of petty pilferers were arrested during the progress of the fire, and several per sons who were sun struck or injured by the fight among the firemen were taken of by their friends
 So ended this great fire, and we trust it may be long ere we have to chronicle similar one in New Orleans.