The American patriot. (Clinton, La.) 1854-1???, 1855-04-06
Destructive Fire in Memphis.

Destructive Fire in Memphis.
ALMOST AN ENTIRE BLOCK IN AsuEs-Forty-
three Houses Consumed-Our city was visited
yesterday Sunday morning, by one of the
largest and most destructive fires that has &C.
CURED here for several years, reducing almost
the entire block between Monroe street and the
alley north Of it to ashes, and involving loss
Of property amounting probably to over $780,
900.
We subioin the following list Of the principal
sufferers and their losses:
r. c. Brinkley, two stables valued at $4,000;
no insurance. Mr.. Parker stable occupied by
Cockrell & Whitney, valued at $4,000; no in
surance. Newly & May lost several valuable
horses, carriages, buggies ETC., valued at $4,000
to $4,000; no insurance.
Cockrell & Whitney's loss is estimated at
$60O0-no insurance. Mr.. Amour, building
estimated at 5O0-insured for $1,000. A.
Vaccaro & Co., grocers and liquor dealers,
stock estimated at $50, OOO-insurance SO 900
small portion Of stock saved. Appeal Office
saved most Of the printing materials and stock
lost their job Office and mammoth Hoe press;
loss estimated at $5Oo0-insured for $4,000.
German paper saved nearly everything, but
somewhat damaged by removal Christian
Advocate (MethodisD lost their entire Office;
y,
two buildings, estimated at SIS, 0O0-insured
for $4,000. Stock of groceries light, and
mostly saved-insured for $4,000. Meacham
& Galbreath, grocers and produce dealers, had
heavy stock, mostly saved in damaged condi-
tion-insured for $SOOO J. F. & J. w. Nc
Kinney, furniture dealers-stock estimated at
SIT 900, partly saved in damaged condition
insured for $4,000. Messrs. Copeland and
Sangster, and Townsend, Wray Co., had
their stocks considerably injured by removing
and water, but were amply insured to cover all
damages. Mr. Slower, who was burned out at
the Richmond House last Thursday, but was
temporarily occupying the back portion that
was saved, is quite sufferer by this fire, hay
ing been burnt out twice in less than a week
We did not learn the extent of the insurance
but it amounts to between $4,000 and 10000
dollars, and is divided between the Memphis
ces, the Etna, Hartford, Conn.,, and the Home
Insurance Company, New York city.
The heaviest sufferers in the disastrous con-
Aagration are Messrs. Newly May and Cock
rell & Whitney, who not only lost several of
their finest and most valuable horses and car
riagcs, on which they had no insurance, but
will be greatly Inconvenience in re-establish-
ing themselves in business, though, with their
accustomed energy and go-ahcad spirit we
learn that Newly & May were going ahead
again yesterday. But more distressing sight
to these gentlemen was to sec so many Of their
| finest, noblest animals lying amid the smolder-
| ing ruins, charrcd mass of flesh and bones
The spectacle was truly heart-rcnding to every
beho!dcr, and many were the expressions of
| sympathy from the numerous lockers Oh yes
terday, as the carcasses were being removed,
as to the sad fate of these unfortunate animals
Forty-six bodies were counted lying amid the
ruins, all of which, however, did not belong
to Mcssrs. Newly & May and Cockrell & Whit
ney, us several of them were owned by our
citizens, and were kept there to board.-lfem,-
phis Wing, 26th.
The Coal PIT EXPLOSION IN VlRcINIA. The
following are the particulars of the dreadful
Coal Pit explosion in Virginia, of which We
had a Geographic report:
On Monday evening last, about 5 o'clock an
explosion took place at the Midlothian Coal
Pits, in Chesterfield county, Va, near the line
of the Danville Railroad, about twelve miles
from Richmond, which was attended by a
shocking loss of life. There were fifty persons
in the pit at the time Of the explosion, and not
more than five ofthis number will escape with
their lives. Thirty-fve were found dead, or
died soon after they were taken out; and of
the remaining fifteen at least ten, it is thought
will not recover. All were shockingly burnt.
The sufferers were principally colored men,
Mr.. Samuel Gouldin, the overseer of the hands,
was amongst the whites who lost their lives.
This dreadful calamity was caused by blast
in the pits, which broke down partition wall
between the pit in which the miners were, and
ar old deserted pit, which, contrary to the ex-
pectations of the workmen, contained guam
tity of gas, instead of being filed with water.
AS soon as the blast was fired and the fissure
made in the wall between the two chambers
the explosion followed, and the awful destruc-
ton of life which we record, took place. The
pits are nearly eight hundred feet deep, The
injury which they have sustained is serious,
and will cost a considerable outlay to get
them fairly under way again. Mr.. John At
kins, in twenty years management, has never
before met with an accident of this kind.
Lieut. Henry J. Hartstene, Of the navy, late
of the Collins steamers, has been appointed to
the command of the new Arctic expedition
to search for DIR. Kane. 1t is probable the ex-
petition will not sale before the LIST Of Jane.
1t is stated that all Napolon's preparations
are making for visit, not to the Crimea, but
to Berlin; that the Allies have abandoned all
hope of taking Sevastopol, or at least have con-
cludcd, that it will cost great deal more to
take the place than it is worth, and that they
will march through Prussia, if she consents
and over her if she resists, into Poland. The
Crimea destination, and the rumored OPPOSE
ton of the British Cabinet, is deemed merely
a ruse to ward off suspicion until the result Of