The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-02-14
F / r E
TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE NEW EN-
CINE HOUSE.


these columns than the burning and
total destruction of the new Fire En-.
CINE and Truck House, on last Satur.
day evening. This sad havoc with
FINE AND USEFUL
building, occurred at half-past two in
the evening Of that day, and was oc
casioned by the burning of the dead
and dry grass in the Town Hall yard
which was set on fire for the purpose
of speedily cleaning up the yard and
preparing for the new Spring YER
dure. The old grass burned very
readily, but in an unguarded moment
the fire with great velocity creeped
under the Engine House, where there
had been left shavings and easily
kindled rubbish, and in less time
than we write it, the terrible danger
was soon discovered that the whole
bottom Of the
FLOOR WAS ON FIRE
and the building in imminent dan
ger. The bell was rang at once, the
fire boys and almost everybody were
at once on hand, but too late to dc
much good. Both the rooms of the
Pacifcs and Hooks were black and
smothered with smoke, and it was
with great difficulty and
RISK OF LIFE
that the latter could get to their
Truck and Ladders and get them out
safely; the former, amid the smoke
and the increasing flames, barely
saved their Engine, losing their Hose
and Hose Carriage, and all their
buckets, desk, books, in fact only
saving their favorite "Lizzie." The
Engine without her hose was render,
ed useless, and all the work done,
which was efficient and plenty, was
effected with buckets, fresh and new
from the neighboring stores. These,
with the use of blankets, saved the
ADJOINING PROPERTY,
the Town Hall and the two rcsiden
ces and two large Stables fronting
the Engine House. In less than
thirty minutes after the bell alarm,
the Engine House was one mass and
wreck of charred ruins.
is serious one to the Corporation,
and just now falls heavily on its ex.
chequer. The fine Town Bell, which
will be hard to replace, was badly
broken in its fall with the belfry, and
is now totally worthless. The loss
to the Corporation by this fire cannot
fall short of two thousand dollars;
there was not a dollar of insurance
on any of the property destroyed.
WE have received the January
number Of LEISURE Hours, hand
some mammoth l6 page ga columns
family paper, filled with the choicest
literature serial and short stories,
sketches, poetry, wit, humor, ETC.
1t is entertaining, amusing and in
structive, and is one Of the cheapest
papers-the amount and quality con.
siderel-that we have seen. Tie
price is $l.20 per year, including as
premium genuine fine line steel en-.
craving, called "The AIitherless
Barn." printed on 22x28 plate pa
per, which the publishers claim is
superior in point Of merit and at
Effectiveness to any premium ever Of
fered by any other paper in this
country, and is alone worth the mon
ey asked for hnth
The publishers, j. L. Patten & Co.
1862 William st., New York, author
ize US to say, that in order to intro
duce the paper in this vicinity they
make a special offer to every one O
our readers to send them the PAPER
a "trial trip" of four months, post
paid, commencing with the January
number-for IS cents.
Our readers who avail themselve!
of this offer will, we feel certain
thank us for having called their at
tention to it. The publishers O
LEISURE Hours would like to emplo,
some one in every place to canvas!
for this paper.
AS sample of how the Natchi
toches mail is carried, and how beau
tifully connections are preserved, W
will state that for the past tire,
months all mail matter for point
above this, coming in the Red Rive
mail from New Orleans and the Eas
and North, invariably lies at thi
Post Office As hours. In othe
words the Natchitoches mail leave
here tri-weekly, regularly six hour