The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1855-07-28

n..tructson Of the yerandnh Hotel.
We announced in yesterday mornings Ores
cent, that upon going to press, the Verandah
Hotel was on fire with but little hope Of being
saved. We regret to state, this morning, that
It was not saved; there being now nothing left
Of the vast and beautiful building but a heap Of
smouldering ruins
The fire broke out at about one O'Clock, in
the rear part of the attic story not in any room
or frequented place, but in a remote corner,
where it is believed to have started by some
means from o defective chimney or Auefrom the
kitchen or steam engine. The alarm was
promptly and widely sounded, and the fire de
partment were as promptly on the spot but
nothing could be done to save the building,
from the, great height Of the attic in which the
fire RACED, and its distance back from the street.
The consequence was, shat the whole Of that
story was soon a sea Of fame, which ragged with
the most r~esistless fury, descending into the
building, a story at a jump, until oil six OF the
stories were destroyed. The building was
about five hours in going to ruin and although
the boarders who were not very many, had am
pie 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 occu-
pied, on Common street, by the bar-room and
q cigar store !; in the corner by Waterman's
drug store and on st. Charles steeet by A.
Hernandez's cigar store. Iehde & Kerb'sI shoe
store, the Sebastopol fruit store, and Joseph
Rollins hair cutting and bathing establish
ment. Most of the contents of these concerns,
we believe, was saved /; their precise loss being
something we could not arrive al, Strange to
saw, none Of. the neiphborinp buildings were
burnt, though those adjoining the hotel, on st.
CHARLES and Common streets, had their roofs
crushed in by the falling walls. and their CON
tents somewhat damaged by water. This con-
6nement Of the fire to its original limits was
attributable to the brave exertions of the fire
men, who were destined to receive an ally that
thew little expected. namely. the steam fire en-
CINE Young America, which was in particularly
bad repute, owing to its failure. bv the explo-
sion of its air-chamber, to operate satisfactori-
" in its trial at the New Basin on the previ-
Gus evening.
+. At four O'Clock, the hotel still being q grand
vortex of fame-the neiphborinp buildings be.
ing in great danger and The 6remen much "a
tiegued--Mr. Winpfeld concluded to bring the
Yonno America ont and spe what conld he
done With her. She was NOT in gear for mr.
ton !: the engineer had to take of the damaged
air chamber and nlno mn the connection hor.
jses had to be borrowed to hanl thu machine
down. and vet in less than half nm hour after
she was sent for she was posted in front of the
ST. Charles Hotel. throwing streams Of water
mon The blazing rims which were omnzino to
behold. The sudden arrival and action Of the
-. III "
among the firemen. The hnnd.enoines were de.
serted and nearly all their operations susnended.
in the universal desire to see the Young ele-
phant ct work.
The fact il. that then and there the Yonno
America worked onite a revolution in the
minds Of many If the fremen WIN had been do.
precatinp It. as well in the minds Of the snec-
.tators Assembled to nee It. II Is hardly neces.
sary to state that during the labors Of the ma
chine she was visited by thousands Of neonle.
including ladies, from ali parts Of the CITY. and
made. altogether. nm immersion mon NewOr-
leans Of which she might we'll he proud. were
she capable of feeling. Under her three VIC.
orous streams Of water the flames we're soon
auenched and the neipbborinp houses nlaced
beyond danger. After that she continned to
dampen down the enormous bean OF smoking
ruins till the afternoon.
She drew her water from a gutter, filled by
hose connecting with the ~neiphborinp hydrants.
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 aair chamber" caused
the " doctor to hang fire which the engineer
resolutely remedied BY working it with his hand.
The machine threw her water with ease to the
farthest part of the ruins one o~ne-and-a-half
inch stream through a hundred feet Of her W
wire hose, and two one-and-a.ouarter inch
ordinary leather hose, several sections Of which
exploded under the enormous pressure Of the
tha sremen fo,na tha se s ans;. ,l I; Ill .neil l l.es
at On early hour. and relieved Of the wear;s %1m
tool, of dom,on;nn doun a. -. IL :. -