Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-07-31

Burning OF the verandah Hotel IT New
Orleans-Triumph Of the Steam Fire
Engine.
The telegraph has already announced the burn
ing of the Verandah hotel, at New Orleans. The
Delta gives the following particulars in connec-
ton with the fire:
At four O'Clock, the hotel still being grand
vortex of hame-the neighboring buildings being
in great danger and the fremen much fatiguede
Mr.. Wingfeld concluded to bring the Young
America steam fire engine out, and see what
could be done with her. She was not in gear for
action; the engineer had to take off the damaged
air chamber and plug up the connections; horses
had to be borrowed to haul the machine down,
and yet, in less than half an hour after she was
sent for she posted in front Of the st. Charles
hotel, throwing streams of water upon the blaz-
ing ruins which were amazing to behold. The
sudden arrival and action of the machine pro-
duced an indescribable excitement among the
fremen. The hand engines were deserted, and
nearly all their operations suspended, in the uni
versal desire to see the young elephant at work.
The fact is, that then and there the Young
America worked quite revolution in the minds
of many of the firemen who had been deprecatng
it, as well as in the minds of the spectators who
assembled to it, 1t is hardly necessary to state
that during the labors of the machine she was
visited by thousands of people, including ladies',
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 danger. After that she
continued to dampen down the enormous heap OF
smoking ruins till the afternoon.
She drew her water from gutter, filled by
hose connecting with the neighbering hydrapts,
and damned up by beds and pillows from the
burning hotel The water, most of the time was
quite muddy, choking the valve somewhat, and
the absence of the "air chamber" caused the
'doctor" to hang fire; which the engineer reso-
utely remedied by working it with his hand
The machine threw her water with ease TO the
arthest part Of the ruins one one and half inch
stream through hundred feet of her own wire
hose, and two one-and-a-quarter inch streams
through three hundred and fifty feet of ordinary
leather hose, several sections Of which exploded
under tho enormous pressure of the water within.
For the first time in their lives the firemen found
their services dispensed with at an early hour,
and relieved of the wearisome task of dampenng
down the ruins; and, far as we know, they
were rather glad Of il, for they had fatiguing
mornings labor. Altogether, the Young America
made a debut quite as brilliant as il was unex-
pected; and which was the more TO be wondered
at, from her unprepared and disabled condition
II was great pity she was not brought out at
the beginning of the fire. Ii would have been a
great honor to save such building as the Veran-
dab. Mr. Wingfeld presided over the fire de-
partment with his usual efficiency, and over the
Young America if he were used to her-Mr.
John Adams, of the insurance interest, lending
him able hand in his labors
The hotel belonged to Mr.. J. w. Zachare,
was worth upwards of $780, 900, and was insured
for 10000, as follows; Liverpool, SIS 900; Cres-
cent, $4,000; Merchants, $40, 900; Sun Mutual,
$4,000; Home Mutual, $4,000; and Louisiana,
$4,000. The furniture, fixtures, stores, Sc, lost
by Mr.. Galpin, the lessee, were valued by him at
$40 900, and insured for SOS, 000 How much the
loss was, and how much the insurance of the
basement establishments, did not learn but
we have no doubt they will easily swell the ag-
gregate to sl50,000.