Washington sentinel., 1854-04-28
NEW YORK CORRESPONDENCE.


bright day last autumn, George Sanders, your
self, your correspondent, and others, after din
ing together at the Astor House, were startled
by the alarm of fre-from the American Hotel
over the way The fire was in the top OF that
lofty building; the flames spread rapidly; it
seemed almost impossible that they could be
arrested short of the total destruction of the
building and others adjoining. But the activity
Of these New York firemen stopped the confa-
grafton with the second story. In one of the
buildings Of this same American Hotel, lire
broke out last night about s o'clock, and being
filed with clothing and other combustibles, it
was entirely destroyed. The efforts of the
firemen were mainly directed to the preserva-
tion. of the adjoining houses. To this end the
roofs Of the buildings on each side were occu-
pied by men with hose, pipes, and SO forth,
pouring around them their abundant streams
of water. Poor fellows! The cross timbers Of
the floors ofthe burning house giving way, the
side walls fell in, carrying some twenty-five or
thirty men down among the mass Of blazing
timbers and hot bricks. was present at the
scene.
There were perhaps not less than forty thou
sand people in the streets and in the Park, op-
posite the fire. The crash of the falling walls
was tremendous-appalling The very earth
seemed to shake a vast cloud of smoke and
sparks boiled up from the confused mass of
bricks and smoking timbers; and then there
ell &c
engines. Then there were cries from the startled
fremen lost among the ruins to come to the
rescue. Then the engines resumed their work
again, to save such as might be otherwise still
alive among the rubbish from being literally
burnt to death.
The fremen, brave fellows, worked like SOL
diers at siege. All night long they kept at it,
and ever and anon some dead body or some poor
manged and suffering fellow was brought out
and carried to the hospital or to his home. AT
about six o'clock this morning son of Cor
oner O'Donnell was rescued from the ruins
alive, with fair prospect of recovery, after
having been fastened in among the lumber
and bricks for eight or nine hours. For several
hours they were compelled almost to drown
him with water to prevent him from being
roasted alive by the surrounding fire. Thus
far the list of the sufferers brought out amounts
to five dead, and seventeen wounded, some of
them very seriously. 1t is now noon, and the
| fremen and police are still at work for other
men, known to have been present last night
among the active workers, are still missing.
The whole blame of this calamity rests upon
the criminal system Of modern building which
is now the rule in New York. Walls one brick
for five or six story building through, it can
hardly be supposed to stand the heat of fire,
after the cross timbers which support the floor
ings have burnt away. Probably this dsas-
trous affair may lead to some reform in this
business; but more likely, amidst the rush and
whrl of this great Maelstrom Of business,
the scenes of last night will pass away as
nine days wonder, only to be revived when
some still more frightful catastrophe Of the
kind shall occur What is human life COM
pared with the almighty dollar?
During the night bank of heavy clouds
passed over from the southeast, dscharging
occasional flashes of the fercest lightning and
the heaviest peals of thunder, and copious
shower of rain. But crowd continued about
the scene of the fire, and the firemen, though
their engines were deserted in the streets, did
not slacken in their efforts to save such as
might still be rescued from the ruins. Brave
fellows / understand that the corporation
give them dinner this afternoon, and richly
have they earned it. Nor should the families
Of the killed and wounded be forgotten.
The arrival yesterday of the Arabia from
Europe, and of steamers from California,
bringing an aggregate of two millions Of gold
dust, has rendered Wall street rather livelier
to-day than usual. The frmness of breadstuffs
and cotton in Liverpool, and the elastic condi-
ton Of the money market at London, give
quite hopeful aspect to the war side of the
question. There is, doubtless, an impression
among the capitalists Of London and Paris
that the war, after all, will be short war,
from the formidable Gordon of preparations
made by England and France. The news of
the latest diplomatic movements of Austria,
Prussia, and the smaller German States, in
dicating very probable coalition on their part
with the western powers, has doubtless also
had its effect upon the money, the cotton, and
provision markets Of London and Liverpool
The reported successes Of the Turks, on the
other hand, tend to show that they are capable
of themselves of stout resistance against the
Russians; and the rapid concentration Of
French and British troops in the Turkish terri
tories affords a still more gloomy prospect for
the forces of Paskiewitch and Gortschakoff.
We have as yet no decided symptoms of
rising among the revolutionary elements Of
Italy and Hungary. While they remain pas
sive, there is some reason in counting upon