The true Democrat., 1855-07-31
From the New Orleans Delta, June %


 Great Conflagration---yeran Hotel De
 stroyed---Loss s1JO,OO0.--The Steam En- zine Triumphant.
 Another of our public edifices has fallen a victim to the rapacity of the memorable flames, and that beautiful, and world wide renowned hotel, the Veranda, is no more. Its funereal pyre was lighted this morning at two o'clock, and it now lies smoulderng in ruins--a noun tain of worthless trash-a huge and incongru- ous pile of odds and ends.
 At two o'clock precisely this morning, the watchman employed by Mir. Slater, at the City Hotel, discovered smoke issuing from the caves of the house in the rear of the roof m- mediately over the servants quarters. He wait ed for some moments and then gave the alarm, the Veranda is on fre!' The cry was caught up by the regular watchmen, and soon borne to all parts of the city as if on the wings of the wind. The tiremen were aroused from their slumbers and soon the rumbling of engines was heard in every direction hastening to the scene of destruction.
 1 By tue time they reached the ground, the flames had burst through the roof. The night was calm and the lire progressed very slowly like candle 1t was burning downward. Owing to the calmness of the air, the thickness of the walls and absence of combustible material, the lire burnt astonishingly slow The iremen con- tnued to ply their engines, and the flames to slowly progress until nothing but the tottering walls of the building were left, when, sudden | ly about o'clock, the new steam engine ap- peared on the ground. She had been damag- ed the previous evening at the trial, and when 1 fire first broke out, the chief engineer, Mr.. Wngheld got the workmen to work and had her repaired, and by o'clock she was ready fol action-hitched to her horses and came lum- bering down the street with full head of steam. At o'clock she took her position in front of the St. Charles Hotel and commenced to play upon the fire. The effect of her tremendous stream, thrown with a force that knocked half a dozen persons off their feet at a distance of several rods, was soon visible on the fire, and Young America at once satisfied our citizens, and even the most bitter of her opponents in the Fire Department that she was no humbug. Had the engine been in order, and on the ground when the fire commenced, we have no hesita- tion in saying that the Veranda Hotel might still be among the things that are. There was no difficulty in finding a plentiful supply of water, and the |" "masheen" worked beautifully under the management of Mir. Dorsey, the en- gineer.
 1twas strange sight, however, to see steam engine putfing and blowing away in the middle ot St. Charles street. but it is a spectacle to which our citizens will soon become accustom- ed. At halfpast , o'clock the corner and front wall of the building fell out into the street with | a terrible crash, but unfortunately injured no one; and then 1t was seen that the heart of the house had been completely burnt out and mo- thing remained but the smouldering bricks and mortar. The steam engine continued to play on the hre With telling effect her immense stream carrying every thing before 1t and making a breach, catapuit-hke wherever 1t struck. An Immense crowd was gathered around her all thls morning to witness her working, and we heard unanimous expression of admiration and satisfaction on all sideS
 The cause of the fire has not yet been fully ascertaned further than it occurred in the ser wants apartment. But little of the furniture of the hotel was saved-nothing, we believe. ex- cept the silver-ware and some of the most va luablc articles. There were not great many boarders in the house, though larger number than Is usual at this season of the year. Most of them succeeded in saving their baggage. which they had sufficient time to do, seeing that the flames progressed so slowly.
 The loss by this confagration will not fall short of S15O,OOO, and will fall heaviest on our Insurance companies.
 ! ne oullu lS was the property Ot Mr. J. w . Zackarie, and leased by Mir. John Galpn, who had been experimenting it as proprietor of the hotel, for some two months-in which capacity he had become very popular The blow will fall heaviest on him. The basement of the hotel was occupied by the Veranda bar room, the drug store of Mr. Shaw, at the corner of Common and St. Charles the cigar store of MT. A. Hernandez; small fruit and soda shop cal led The Sebastopol, and the barber shop of Joseph Rollins the Veranda billiard saloon and the Ruby coiiee-house on Common street, and the boot and shoe establishment of Robert IA. Cowles on St. Charles street, were considerably damaged. The Orleans house and buildings opposite were badly scorched
 The insurance in the several offices in the city on buildings is as follows:
 ttoiiio "uto'l.. ............ lOuOO ..ooiS'na ............... lOUOO Merchants ........................ 0000 London and Liverpool ................... 10 900 Monarch. ......................... 5000 Provincial -........................ 5000
 Aoof'l. Sl0, 0,OUO
 The stock and furniture were insured as follows: sun Mutual. ......................$ 5000 1 Stooooio A'l ueu"i. O,VUO