The Georgetown news., 1855-08-23
From the S. F. Sun Extra, of Aug. 18th.
Arrival Of the Steamer Sonora.
Dates from New Orleans to July 2Oth.
Important from Mexico, Se.

Dates from New Orleans to July 2Oth.
Important from Mexico, Se.
The Pacific Mail Steamship Company's
steamer Sonora, arrived last Saturday morn
ing, about 5 o'clock, having the N. Y. and
n. O. mails of July 2Oth.
BY this arrival we are in receipt of New
Orleans papers of July 20th. The dates
from New York are no later than those
brought by the Uncle Sam.
BURNING OF THE vERANDAH HOTEL.
About l o'clock on the morning of july
18th, the famous Verandah Hotel, corner
OF st. Charles and Common sts., New Or |
leans, took fire in the attic story, and in the
course of few hours was rendered mass
OF smouldering ruins
The alarm was promptly and widely
sounded, and the fire department was as
promptly on the spot; bnt nothing could be
done to save the building. from the great
height of the attic IN which the fire ragged,
and its distance back from the street. The
consequence was, that the whole of that
story was soon a sea Of fame, which ragged
with the most resistless fury, descending in
to the building, a story at jump until six
of the stories were destroyed The build
ing was about five hours in going to ruin;
and although the boarders, who were not
very many, had ample time to escape with
their baggage, nothing of the contents was
saved, except a quantity of bedding and
small articles, the plate, and the books and
papers. The basement was occupied on
Common street, by the bar-room and a ci-
gar store; in the corner by Watermans
drug store, and on St. Charles street by A.
Hernandez cigar store, Lehde & Krebs
shoe store, the Sebastopol fruit store and
Joseph Rollins hair cutting and bathing
establishment.
Most of the contents of these concerns
were saved. Strange to say, none of the
neighboring buildings were burnt, although
those adjoining the hotel on St. Charles
and Common streets had their roofs crush
ed in by the falling walls, and their con-
tents somewhat damaged by water. This
confinement of the fire to ifs original limits
was attributable to the brave exertions of
the iremen, who were destined to receive
an ally that they little expected, namely,
the steam fire engine Young America,
which was in particularly bad repute, ow-
ing to its failure, by the explosion of its
air-chamber, to operate satisfactorily in
its trial at the New Basin on the previous
evening.
About o'clock, the hotel still being a
grand vortex of fame-the neighboring
buildings being in great danger and the fire
men much fatigued-Mr. Winfield brought
out the Young America steam engine She
was not in gear for action; the engineer had
to take off the damaged air chamber and
plug up the connection; horses had to be
borrowed to haul the machine down, and
yet In less than half an houI after she was
sent for she was posted in front of the St.
Charles Hotel, throwing streams of water
upon the blazing ruins which were amaz-
ing to behold. The sudden arrival and ac-
tion of the machine produced an indescrb-
able excitement among the 6remen. The
hand engines were deserted and nearly all
their operations suspended, in the universal
desire to see the young elephant at work
1t is hardly necessary to state that during
the labors Of the machine 1t was visited by
thousands of people, including ladies, from
all parts Of the city, and made, altogether
an impression upon New Orleans of which
she might well be proud, were she capable
of feeling. Under her three vigorous streams
of water the flames were soon quenched and
the neighboring houses placed beyond dam
ger. After that she continued to dampen
down the enormous heap of smoking ruins
till the afternoon.
The boarders of the hotel went in body
to the ST. Charles. The Verandah has tor
many years been an ornament and pride
to our city and had fame extending thro'-
| nntf ho
thing to see such a magnificent building
destroyed; but we may hope ere long TO see
it rise, phenix-like, from its ashes, to con-
front and smile at the st. Charles, as of
yore.
IMPORTANT FROM MEXICO.
The New Orleans Delta of the goth July
contains important news from the lower Rio
Grande.
General Woll left Matamoras on the 7th,
to assume command of the government for
Ger at Reynosa, when they had fortified
themselves.
General Castro with 500 men was tortl-
fed at Matamoras, which place he would
be compelled to surrender in case OF zen.
VOLTS defeat
The revolutionary forces after entering
Camargo, took up their line of march for
Revnosa. and their advance guard, it is said,
was already within some six leagues of that
place day before yesterday.
The federal forces consists of some twen-
+v-Gva hundred men and the necessary ar
tillery. They are commanded by men of
much local reputation for their intelligence
and valor Among them are Vidauri, who
captured Monterey; Cara, who last year
made the gallant defence of Cuidad Victo-
ria, Capistran, who was the second in COM
mand at the Mogotes last year, when Gen.
Cruz was SO shamefully beaten: and last,
but not least, Caravajal, with many others
of less note, but who are known to be game
to the back bone."