Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1860-02-18
e'srrsspoOisoes Of lss Delaware Inquirer
Letter from Philadelphia.


Mn. Eprron Your correspondent hada peep
to-day nj the inside decorations Of the new
monster CONTINENTAL Hotel, and rcaly--well,
you know, comparisons are odious, and so they
may well he in this special instance II amy other
hotel FILINGS on this continent are stuck MP
with the ambition that they can shino along
side OF those of the Continental, We could not
begin to cnumcratc what we saw o dozen let
tors from rhiladelphia would fail To convey
half mn idea Of the richness, wealth, taste,
spcndcr, display, and luxuriousncss, layshod
without stint on the walls, and in the cham
bcrs Of this magnificent palace. Everywhere
the promptings OF art and the supplies Of wealth
arc visible, and all without gim-crackery or
oflensiycncss to tho severcst taste. The m-
ncnse arrangements have been progressing on
grand scale, but very quietly, for some time
back so that very few persons had any idea OF
The magnitude of the Efforts making, and SUR
prise is the current commodity with the pub
lie. A very general desire having been ex-
pressed for the inspection of the building, tho
public will he admitted to the show Tomorrow
and next day. The public opening will take
place OH Wednesday, the ED. silt-cdged
and aromatic existence awaits those who here
take up their abode while in the great Key
stone City.
Every day brings something new. At one of
our immense car manufactures, which fur
nishes great number of the passenger rail-
ways here and elsewhere with first class ar
rangements, we have just seen novelty. tits
a very large car built for the Fifth AVID Sixth
streets Passenger Railway, is capable of carry
ing twice the average number of passengers,
and is drawn by iOc0m0iirr, built on II new
plan so as TO admit of immediate stoppngc at
the call OF passengers This is desiderdtHri,
and il really looks as if we were on the eve of
another revolution in our city passenger carry
ing business Moreover, the same locomotive
that draws the car is made by n simple ar
rangement to heat it thoroughly, and we may
soon look to see riding on cold days at pre-
MUM.
The tremendous gale of wind before daylight
on Friday morning last was widely destructive
in and around the metropolis. The most Sc
rions disaster was at the gas works on the
Schuylkill, wherein immense new retort house.
apparently as impregnablc rs fortress, was
terial, and two men who were unfortunately in
the structure at the time were instantly killed.
The building was $50 feet long, 60 feet wide
and GO feet in height, and the man who should
have predicted tsdeetruction in such manner
would have been laughed into calves feet jelly.
Some fifty strong, substantial stores and dwell
lings, were more or less injured, many OF them
being ms utterly wrecked rs though blown up
with powder The State house steepc fairly
rocked in the blast, and the afitighted bell
ringers fled as though the crack of doom had
sounded. The storm exceeded injury anything
ever known here, and finds its parallel only in
the fearful phenomena of the tropics.
The splendid English opera troupe, about
whose performances we have already written
you has returned to the city and is holding
forth now at the Academy of Music. English
opera has never before been heard within the
walls OF this peerless temple Of art, and Mr..
Hoods attempt to popuarizc IL is deserving
the hcartiest encouragement The houses are
full and fashionable
The death Of VIM. L. Burton, the comedian,
in New York, has fallen painfully here. where
he numbered many friends, and where the very
earliest associations Of his residence in this
country were conferred. lie first landed in
Philadelphia from England, in 1884, and began
here his long and successful theatrical career.
He was ~ one time the manager Of the National
theatre, on whose site Il portion of the Conti-
mental Hotel now stands, and he was also nj
one time interested in the Old Drury, also long
since raced to the ground. lie gained emf
ncnce us a writer here, and edited that once
celebrated periodical, Burton's Gentlcman's
Magazine, which, for number Of years, was Il.
sued from the theatre buildings on Chestnut
street. We have an old volume Of the work
(ls40l and il contains contributions from ChaI
West Thomson, c. Donald Mcleod, Robert
Morris Jos. Il. Chandler, George II. Graham
Edgar a. Poe, and others of philadelphia's
brightest talents. Those were the days when
Philadelphia magazines carried a power with
them. Yours, faithfully, II.