New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-12-17
The ereaE Fire.

error anGa disaster. A bout O'CLOCK last evening
he alarm rang out, calling the citizens to quelt the
ent aud rapdify Of its ruinous sweep, viii COM
pare With the mast terrible CONGREGATIONS which
rave ever visited the American continent. The
Wild gork Of the flames, and the immense destruc-
non Of property which has thus far taken place,
. cniefy attributable to the sudden and nnforta-.
nate change in the weather, which occurred al
most simultaneously with the breaking ousof the
re Ine mild and spring like callnness of the at
lnosphere during the last fortnight vas broken by
heavy gnsts of wind, which swept tie dust and
smoke and sparks hfsher and thither id binding
clouds. Great naming bits Of wood were borne in
showers for distance of nearly mile in south
vest direction, and the whole city was brightly lit
up by the dreadful and widening glare.
Before 10 O'Clock, the fire had begun raaing In
several different points in the lower part of the city,
The buildings in the stricken neighborhoods were
mostly Of wood, old, closely built and surrounded
BY small ont buildings of an exceedingly sinaan1-
nable Character. As tenement sitter tenement
was first licked by and then enveleped in thefas
spreading flames, the panic became awful. The 3
fierce and roaring march of the fire was indeed
horrid scene; but far more heart-rendfng was the
sight of hundreds ought, perhaps, to say thou
suddenly from their homes, destitute Of theirscanty
effects. All the available carts, drays handscarts
and wheeibarroWsywer Immediately brought into
reqnisition; but these were altogether inadequate
to remove even 1.-THE OF the moVables beyond the
reach OF the deV0urfng element. 2i aFS&d
Towards midnight tie fire had assumed proper
tons OF appalling magntade. The circumference
which ft embraced was such AZ to render the most
desperate efforts of our fire brigade Of compare
tive insignifcance. The regiments fram the race
course came down at adonble-quick to the burn
ing wards, and cooperated must earnestly and
ndefatgably in the labors Of our undaunted fire.
men. But still the northeastern gale famed the
FIRE with its desoiating breath, and the people
began almost to despair Of checking the progress
q the disaster. From the precincts Of Market,
East Bay and State streets the confagration hid
now reached Meeting and Queen streets. The ter
rer of the families Gin many cases without their
usual protectors, owing to the military exigencies
Of tht. t!atesl was contagious and much farther up
into The city the work of packing up valnables .
and getting ready to desert their homesteads be-
came general. ~ s3zs..tss
i To give any thing like full account Of the re-
rults, of what will hereafter be known as the great
fire of 1851, in the confusion and general conster
nation that prevails while we write, is manigestly
impossible. Many portions OF the burned distrfct
are quite unapproaehable, and it is exceedingly
nation whatever in regard to the enormous losses
which have occurred. We must content ourselves,
therefore, with giving our scanty notes, jotted
down at various hours during the night.
x Ten o'clock.-The fire began in Russell d Co.'s
sash and blind factory at the foot of HaseH street.
and the report-though a vague one--is, that it
appeared in three places at the same time. Cross
ing to the others of Hasell street, it has burned
Cameron Il Co.'s immense machine shops, and,
upder the impulse acquired at that point and the
stiff breeze from the northeast, without sufficient
supply Of water-for it is dead low tide-it has
become totally unmanage and RACES without
the hope Of being able to arrest it, except atseer
tain strategic points, upon which extraordinary
interests depend.
Eleven oclock.-The ut-buildings in the rear Of
Institute Hall have been set on fire by the sparks.
The attention Of the firemen is directed thither,
and they straining every snerve to save Meet
ing street. The frame buildings on Queen street
are smoking, and will presently blaze forth.
Tacelce O'Clock. Meeting street, from Market to
nfn n,.~
and Institute Hall are burning. The Mills House
is thought in imminent danger, while the fire seems
stretching its red arms around the Charleston
Hotel. There has been general desertion of
both hotels by the guests, under the impression
that they cannot be saved.
One 07c1ock.-The track of the confagratian be-
gins to be clearly defined. Leaping Church street
Con which no bluck. excepting that next to
Market has been burned, the fire is steadily pur-
suing its southwesterly course towards the corner
of Archdale and Queen streets. About q half
hour ago, light drizzling rain began falling
which may, perhaps, be beneficial IN keeping
damp the tops of wooden houses exposed to danger
from the sparks, The people now understand that
the fire has unchecked sway, and furniture is be.
ing removed as far up as Mazyek street.
Itro ootoGk.-A this hour the fire Is still raging
with violence scarcely ahated. A splendid effort
was made by the fire companies to save the house
of L. W. Spratt, Esq, on East Bay street, which
was successful and with it was saved the fine
line of buildings Hase street. the fate of which
depended upon that result. Passing to the south.
westward, the fire has swept the entire tract to
the Of the Charleston HOTEL and to the end of
the Hayne street ranges. There are no buildings
north of Market street. and east of the Hayne
street stores, still standing, except perhaps, those
of Henry Gertds and the Misses Pinokney. Cross
ing Market street, the fire has extended down
East Bay to Gumberland street, and thence across
to the Mills House taking, in its way, the Circular
| church, Institute Hail. the Charleston theater all
| the buildings upon King street, from Clifford
street, up.to within few doors of Broad street.
| Crossing King street, the flames are approaching
the rear of the Cathedral, the Unitarian and the
| English Lutheran churches. Whether it will cross
| the area covered by these churches, or pass the
Mills House down Meeting street, is still uncertaiu
| The Fire Department is making Incredible exer-
tons. The men are in the last stages of exhaus-
| ton, springipg to each occasion with renewed
| vigor aud such exhibitions OF courage and endu-
rance have been rarely witnessed.
an Three oscioca-- The steeple of the Circular
Church has just topped and fallen with a heavy
| crash. Gen. Ripley, who is moving to and fro,
experimenting the movements Of the troops with
characteristic energy, gave orders, several hours
ago, to blow. up certain buildings in the track Of
| the flames. The execution of this order, delayed
| at first. has at length been accomplished Ever
and anon, during the past hour, the explosions
| have rent the air. 's5- s5sl s.aSi
Ia the lower part Of the city the fire has done its
work in thorough style. Its path is now burned
| out and nothing now remains to mark where it
| has passed save smouldering piles of cinders and
| gaunt and smoking walls and chinlneys.- The
Charleston Hotel is safe, and Hayne street, too.
| The wind has swept tue danger Off further to the
! south. Although the fire RACES on three sides Of
the Mills House, that fine structure has not caught.
The theater, Lloyd's coach factory opposite, the
Express Office, the old Executive building, and all
| the houses between that point and Queen street
have been burned. The fire seems making straight
towards the Jail. Companies of the Reserves have
been ordered out to repress any possible disturb
ance among the prisoners confined in; that build
! ing. The wind has abated somewhat. stS
| -Four O'Clock "A change in the wind has bent
the course Of the fire towards Broad street.. The
Lutheran and Unitarian churches are now consid-
cred safe. The Cathedral seems now in exceeding
danger. The buildings on the west side OF. Friend
street, near the corner of Queen, are burning
tiercely. St. Andrews Hall is ON fre, and the
noble spire of ST. Finbar's gtters with splendor
of portentous import The occupants of houses on
Broad street, beyond King, are moving their
effects. -. .-ae .'t-u-~-8.
Quarter past Jtue o'clock.-As the clock of st.
Michaefs tolls the quarter, the Cathedral steeple
has fallen, with tremendous crash. The sGathe-
dral is burning furiously likewise, St. Andrew s
Il Hall. In fact, the whole Of Broad street is on fire
from Mr.. Gadsdens to Mazyck street. The resi-
dences of Messrs. Geo. M. Coffin, Jas. L. Petigru
and others near by, are consumed The flames
have now crossed Broad street. and, as the wind
has not lulled it is impossible to say where they
will stop-short of, the river.
There does not appear to be any imminent danger
of the fire again making headway either to the