Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-04-13

Tpsire Thousand baies Of Cotton and Serenity
Houses Burned-Loss orcr Hatfd Million ~
DoHurs.
New Orleans has been visited with another ter
riblc conhaEraton, which destroyed property to
the amount Of more than half million dollars.--
Tho picayane Of Thursday gives the following nc
count Of this dreadful affair:
We have not vet ascertained the exact amount
Of loss suffered by our insurance companies. BY
the fire ut the Planters Press and have to record
another still more dreadful conhagrniion. Net
only il the loss oe the insurance companies much
greater but many citizens have lost th,r private
property not all covered by insurance. and hun
drcds OF poor tenants find themselves to day with
out shelter, and with nothing but the clothes on
their backs.
About noon yesterday, n FIRE broke out in Chase
& Lays Cotton Pckery, on Greatmen street, be-
tween Clouet and M"ntegut streets, and soon COM
municated itself to O'Brien,s Pickery, on the op-
postc side of the street. The wind was blowing
strong and carried tho burnt cotton and cinders
ut long distance. spreading destruction i'll every
quarter.
The fremeu were promptly on the grnunl but
there was no water in the plugs; half u dozen
buildings were IN fire Mt the time, some two
three squares of, and these brave men strove in
vain to contend against the ragin element The
fire extended to the several cotton yards back
of tie main press, and it was no more pure ether
tn t tho tremen breathed, but burning fluid, like
t. atmosphere of an oven, that penetrated the
.p rs, blinded the sight and scorched the face -
Inc struggle was brave one and the sight ewtii
to behold. The burning piles Of cotton in the
Yards had the transparency Of red-hot iron and its
heat. From the neighboring buildings issued
huge columns Of black smoke and red flames as,
ccndcd with cracking noise. The streets for six
or e!it squares around were filed with furniture
of e, cry description, while many poor people sur
prised by the fire, some perhaps whilst giving aid
to their homes and believing their own humble
homes safe, gazed with sturor upon the ruins of
their little all, destroyed in few minutes. 1t
was heart-rcnding spectacle and one that brought
tears to the eyes Of more than one stalwart man.
The cotton yard Nos. !. 9 and part No 1.
were destroyed, with some l20 600 bales of cotton.
Yard No. g. which contained a large amount of
cotton, and is situated thai its destruction
would have caused that Of tho other buildings of
the press and made it impossible to cheek the
FIRE in that direction, was saved, owing principal
" to the well.conducted efforts Of the men of Pe
can Hook and Ladder company, one of whom had
his hands badly burned. Tho two pckerics and
some 60 or 20 buildings werc entirely destroyed.
Some isolated fires. in buildings there squares
distant lone as far back as Love street,) struck
new terror among the poor residents threatened
from every side, and not knowing which danger
to face. Bendct, clerk If the cotton yards, who
resides on Montcgut street. lost two houses. his
furniture, and largo sum of money he had Mt
home. His three children were in the house when
it took fire; tho frantic father, who busy about
the cotton yards, ran by, AMI rushing into the
the house. found his little girl asleep the bed;
the flames had gained the whole front of the build
ing, and he had to scale the back fence.
His two other children had been saved by some
nervous citizen, who disappeared after putting
thnm in safety, and whose name no one could find
notwithstanding the many inquiries made. TIC
blessings Of family attend the generous unknown
whoever he may be-
The cotton destroyed represents at least half
million of dollars it was all insured in this city
with the exception far as we could learn, of six
teen hundred bales in Europe. Add the
yard buildings. the two pickcrics and their con-
tents, and the private dwellings. and we will find
over hundred thousand dollars more.
After noticing these large figures we have to
think Of tho loss Of property no, covered-of the
hundred families whose homes have been destroy
el, many were poor people, hard working men,
who are left destitute Of everything So sad is
their position that Of our benevolent citizens
| themselves sufferers, have resolved to form sub
| scription for their relief. This generous move
mcnt will no doubt DO responded to by citizens
who always prove ready TO concur in acts
| charity