The Press. — 1854-01-14 (London, England)

UNITED STATES. The principal event recorded in the American journals received during the week is the occurrence of another disastrous conflagration in New York. This catastrophe happened on the morning of the 27th ult. The fire commenced at a large bakery in Front-street, East liver, and soon raged with fearful violence, spreading, under the irresistible influence of a heavy gale from the north-west, to several flourstores, a belifoundry, and other warehouses, all of which were destroyed. For hours it was impossible for the firemen to obtain any control over the destructive element, owing to the fury of the wind. Presently the flames impelled by the gale seemed to leap towards the shipping ; and a noble ship, the Great Republic, of 4,0(X) tons burden, with nearly full cargo, was on fire. She was scuttled, but the water proved too shallow, so she continued to burn, her masts going by the board. The packet-ships Joseph Walker, De Witt Clinton, Red Rorer, and White Squall, also fell a prey to the flames shortly  _  31  after. The air all around was filled with sparks and blazing flakes, thick as a snowstorm, and at one time the pier at the foot of Dover-street was at least a foot deep in burning coals. Several sloops and brigs were much injured, but were generally fortunate enough to haul out in the stream, with partial loss of sails anti rigging. An extensive boat-building yard and shops belonging to Messrs. Newman were burnt, and there were many other sufferers, whose muses and amounts of loss could not immediately be ascertained. The Great Republic is believed to have been the largest merchantman in the world. The luaurance-otfices will suffer seriously, as the amount of property destroyed is estimated at from one to two millions of dollars. Nearly all the vessels destroyed were from 1,000 to 1,300 tons ltnlen.  During the gale of the same night an immense hotel at Cape May, calculated to accommodate Hon or 1400 persons in the bathing season, was blown down, and several of the other hotels were much injured. Cape May is a city of hotels and boardinghouses.  The railroad excitement at Erie had not subsided, and one or two more persons had lost their lives. It is said that some persons of Baltimore have discovered new guano islands ehich ere not within the jurisdiction of any Government, and therefore open to American enterprise. The New York Herald states:— " The Government has received information, which they deem of a ►eliable character, that a formidable expedition has been organised, and is about to sail from New York and New Orleans, for the purpose of landing in Unlia, with a view to the independence of that island. The es. peJition is represented as being in such a state of forward. fleas as to render it probable it will sail within a few days. Orders have been despatched front here for the immediate apprehension of the parties said to ►w implicated in the movement. It is believed by well-informed per.ons, hewever, that the efforts of the Government in this respect may lw a little too late, and that a portion of the expedition will, at all events, get away." San l•'rancisco advices to the Ist of December, and about 2,000,000 dots. in gold dust, hail reached New York. The Californian intelligence generally is unimportant, if a few eases of murder and Lynch law be excepted. The miners were doing well, public health was good, and business solve. The public delft of the State of California is :1,197,6Kkd015. Two shocks of earthquake had been felt, but no lives lost,