New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-05-23
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YESTERDAY was q hot day, with just enough cloud
and breeze to prevent it from being regular roaster
Mercury mp to the nnsties.
FIRE broke out at about half.past four O'Clock
yesterday morning, in the Curtis House, kept by Mr.
Charles Curtis, at the corner Of Front Levee and
Crossman streets. The coffeehouse, threestory
brick and one Of the most stylish and popular of all
the coffeehouses along the steamboat landing, was
totally destroyed, with all its contents.
The adjoining building. occupied in the basement
by Mcieges, the oyster and coffee seller and in the
upper stories by the "copper" TIM and sheet iron work
establishment Of F. A. Kraft was partly DESTROYED ;
the upper story being gone and the contents Of the
lower stories damaged. The Ell Dorado Exchange on
the opposite corner badly scorched. The upper
story occupied the hall of the Serewmen's Asso-
ciaton, was 30 badly damaged to compel the Asso-
citation yesterday to look out for other quarters The
stove and tlnware house of Smonds & Hite, on Cross
man street, adjoining the Ell Dorado was also badly
scorched IN fronta narrow escape for Messrs. s. j.
H., who had previously suffered 80 much by fire in
that neighborhood. The grocery of Request i Co.,
on Crossman street, Immediately next to the Curtis
House, owed its preservation to good fire-wall.
The whole loss by the fire was about $4,000. Mr..
Curtis estimates his loss at $5000-no insurance.
The building was insured. sse
Mr.. Curtis and bis family had narrow escape
from burning to death. Himself wife and two little
girls, his daughter and the other bis niece were
sleeping soundy when the fire broke out So fierce
and rapid was the spread Of the fames that when
Mr.. Curtis awoke the whole Of the lower story was
in blaze Rushing down stairs in his night clothes
through the smoke he found 1t was too late to save
anything but the lives Of his family. Rushing up
again, he felt his way to the girls room got one Of
the girls and carried her down. Going back, the
smoke and heat becoming worse each moment, he
rescued the other girl and bore her down. A third
time he went back for his wife. The heat and smoke
In the Passages were now so intense that be could
neither breathe see; yet he groped ahead feeling
the walls and doors, found his wife, and carried her
down stairs. just as they got to the stairs, the
flames shot across the passage below. 1t was criti
rush through the flames -@s
Mr.. Curtis at once decided to do so. He felt HIM
self succumbing to the heat and the want Of breah
he collected his energies for final effort, made rush
through the flame, reached the banquette staggering,
and fell into the street with his wife in his arms 1t
was found that both were seriously burnt; Mr.. Cur.
tis face and right hand being crisped and Mrs Cur
tis being burnt about the head, and injured most of
the two They were taken to the Rio Grande coffee
house, close by, the proprietor of which gave up his
| family room to them. Yesterday botb we're DOING
tolerably well, under medical attendance both being
bandaged up, and both complaining of internal pain
from the inhalation of hot air and smoke. 1t was
certainly yery narrow escape from a most awful
death, for in minute or two after Curtis got out
with his wife, the building was one fierce roar of
flame. All that Mr.. Curtis saved of his earthly goods
consisted of his night clothes that he had on. His
wife and the girls came off no better not solitary
article was saved other than the gowns they wore.
The fire started in the front part of the coeehouse
about where the cigar stand was Its origin is as yet
mystery, though Curtis and others are of opinion
that it was started by some means by an incendary,
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able newspaper Offices in the city. having heard for
some time past that Dan Hickok had run out of pood
cordial and fresh fish. and that though first
fellow. he didn't know how to keen hotel held
chanel on the subject, The only Ieritimate wav of
settling the question. was to appaint committee to
70 down to the lake aud investigate, Being unable.
| after due debate to decide as to which of them
should constitute said committee, they resolved them
selves into special Joint committee of the whole
and went down in long dravu.out body. two in each
buggy
They had an interview with Dan Hickok. He
satisfied them that the reports about him and his
hotel were slanderous They made friends with him
and apologzed by going largely into his good things
They parted good friends; Dan having furnished
clean proof of his capacity as hotel keeper with
out subiectipg the Sons of Faust to the trouble of
reuise.
All would have ended we'll, but for one unlucky
circumstance, celebrated and weIlknown loafer
who hangs about all the cofaehonses in town. INIT
delights particularly in the lake hotels messed him
self into the society of the printers, and insisted
upon ACCOMPANYING them, as he has done on innu.
merabe occasions with all classes and qualities of
lake visitors and cotteehouse patrons. Though gen.
orally detested, he has way of getting around gen.
tlemcn in their cups which few can resist.
rh;. fo,,or ,rhoso n.,o 10 nr,nLo NJ u;o,,rns
como into tow, wifi onr t,rooranhio,1 fr;anas "a
Voc ~. i,,,;est ona ,ost re.,.ios, of ,ha ,..t,.
Tbo,ob bs hos come in h, tho shalI Do,d thons,
times ba 10 still dreodfnv had drivor and hos chi.
iacted hia unsnsnect;no (,iends 70 al sorts If ooS
ions ,nsets sni,ls .cot1ers smoshos ona sora hono
penerai,v On tbs occasion ba was move thon nsT.
av iolly and accordino to b;s nsn,l insanity fan.