New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-07-16
VOLUME XIV.
MONDAY MORNING, july l6, 1866.
The Env,rons of New Orleans.
NUMBER NINETY ONE.

|
1882 1t is further stated that he was the
royal standard bearer or the alferez, great
place of honor under the municipal admins
tration of Spanish communities, who, itseems,
have conserved at least part of the ancient
Moorish, civil government, hence we find such
denominations as 'alcalde or Judge and al
quail, mayor or sheriff, after the formation
OF the municipal administration in the city of
| New Orleans. We find further, that the pres
ent cathedral was finished in the year 1794,
and that its erection was due to the liberality
of said Andres Almonaster, regidor and alferez
real Of his catholic majesty. We stated in
former numbers that the two splendid rows of
brick buildings, fronting the public place
called Jackson Square, in the middle Of the
ancient city. were the property of the rich
Pontalba family, Of which the mother, the
only daughter OF Don Andres is, if we are not
mistaken, still living in Paris, where no
doubt the rest Of the family have also their
residence 1t is not long since we noticed in
the public papers, that one of the Messieurs
Pontalba is related by marriage to the rich
French banker Mires, whose singular legal diff
ficulties and eventual triumphs have been the
theme of newspaper commentaries.
But to return to our ancient buildings, the
two existing rows of stores and dwelling houses
occupying exactly the site at present built
upon by this new construction, ordered by and
completed under the personal superintendent
of Madame Pontalba, somewhere in the fftieth
year When we beheld the former buildings
in 1916, they could then not have had less
than some fifty years existence already they
were Of the order of houses built partly Of
bricks, between posts, and the roofs covered
with the old round tile, baked or burnt in
kilns in this country, before the introduction
of the fiat tiles from France, NANTES and
Hayre, or the later appearing Scotch states
from Glasgow and other ports of North Britain
From these indications it will easily be per
ceived that the two rows of buildings of Pom
talba fronting the ancient Place d'Armes, were
1 indeed relics Of the arliestimprovement in the
Louisiana colony. The several modes of Gov
ering the roofs of houses in our city are gener-
ally indications Of the age or the time at which
the buildings have been erected for the most
ancient OR primitive one was that of cypress
shingle wood, then followed the hollowred brick
tiles, after which again for number of years
the French fat roof tiles already named, as
imported from France, was much in fashion
when finally the present universal slate cover
ing was adoptedas the most convenient, and
upon the whole, the most economical after
all. When we say that the slate roofing is
the most economical we mean upon the long
run, for, though the first cost may be some
what greater than the former fiat or hollow
tiles, still are the repairs much less frequent
than those of these latter modes of house
coverings, and particularly the French flat
tile roofing would continually require re-
newed pitch, talring and other modes Of stop
ping the numerous leaks AS for the heavy
! hollow red brick tiles, and now only seen
upon the roofs of old houses, they require
not so often repairing, but they are 50 heavy
that the roofs must be constructed ex-
pressly, in order to support such mass OF
cumbrous weight. The other mode of cover
ing with cypress shingles or even clap-boards,
is much resorted to still, in constructions
of country houses and out-buildings and nc
doubt will continue for the cheaper kinds Of
abodes and in localities where the danger
from conhagration is not so much to be ap
pretended.
When we consider that by the aid of the
powerful steam engine pumps our firemen are
now enabled generally to subdue the fiery ele
ment in short time after its outbreak, WE
shall suppose that in course of time little neeC
be feared in that respect in the crowded o.
populous portion of our city precincts ant
yet it can not be gainsaid, but what the risks
of our insurance companies must still be con
siderable, because otherwise the fire premiums
paid by our property owners would be mucl
less than what they actually are Although
we know that in some cities of the North
New York city, for instance-a new organiza
tion of the fire department was deemed indis
pensible, in order to insure greater securit,
with regard to the suppression Of many dis
orders or riotous proceedings on the part o
many of the elements composing the compa
MES of the fire brigade, there is no necessit
whatever, in this respect, as to our New Oh
leans fire department. Still would it not b
amiss if some measures should be taken on tn
part of the fremen themselves, as well as tn
city authorities and the insurance companies
IL oIuel, II Poss1p1e, 10 give greater Ell
cheney to the present organization of our vigi
ant fire department. There can never be to
much zeal displayed at the present time, an
under the critical circumstances in which GU
country more Or less finds itself involved
Though little versed in the construction {
the new steam engines of which our fireme
make use, it seems to us that means no dout
will be found to render these modern contr
vances more easily transportable, and capabl
of being more seyioeable in these emergencies
by being distributed throughout all the ward
!, and sub-distriets of our widely extended cit
environs. By such diffusion OF distributio
of fire engines of steam power all over the cit
limits much greater degree of security woul
>. be infused into our various population, VIII
now place their only reliance in the vigilant
of the organized association, whilst in olde
times the whole of the adult male populatio
was called upon to aids in the suppressio
of this dreaded element not to mention IL
lives and health Of the members Of the comm
nifty so often exposed and placed in leopard
by conhagration calamites. Whilst ,upc
this subject, we would again reiterate our T
marks in former numbers, 1lat during fires
4