4 1
1
"WE GO 7HE3E DEMOCRATIC miNCIPLES POIKT THE WAY ; WHEN THEY CEASE TO LEAD, YTE CEASE TO FOLLOW."
VOLUME IX.
EBENSBURG, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1852.
NUMBER 9'
T E El 31 S.
TLe "MOUNTAIN SENTINEL" is publish-
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within three months: after three months Tu-o
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,.erir4 than six months : ami no paper will be
I ont macl until a.'l arrearage arc patd. A
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tr ", -;s a new encasement.
r' ADVERTISEMENTS will be inserted
it t..e"fol!owing rates: GO cents per square for
tve j-j-j.t insertion; 75 cents for two insertions:
f i r throe insertions ; ami 12") cents per square
pvcrv subsequent insertion. A liberal reduc
tion made to those who advertise by the year.
A'l nlvcrtisements handed in must have the
trover number of insertions marked thereon,
ertla-v will be published until forbidden, and
sLcrire 1 in accordance with the above terms.
Ml letters and communications to insure
mention must be postpaid. A. J. R1IEV
tV' 1 Mil C 1 1 S V II T. ArFF.XSPEHCER'S
Ul"1 LOVIi EXPEHIliSCE.
BY COLLIER.
r,.;i, Tnt vr.sh te rartter mit me, I can't tell,
put,' sure r.s I lief, ieh wasnioht very veil ;
Mt'.n stomach vas right, mine head vo vas ache,
But all de night long I slept wide awake.
First I thought be vas pedpugs; but dere i mis
take, for le pal all de ped-close and fillers did shae.
Ami looked in te craks of de fed nil around,
But not a single pedpug she did fount,
Trn s ir.epoddy pay, vich I no tink was fair,
p-.'.t mein complaint perhaps vas de night mair.
But Iknow'd dey vas wrong, 'kase niein pony's
a her?,
AtJ slee ps in tc stable of coot Mr. Morse.
Ben I thought of te "rappers," dem spirits dey
say.
Vnt nrs all de people's pood senses away ;
Bi-.t J;:'t no voibl do ; de truth I must toll
Mciu rapper is made nut a string and a bell.
P:n I vent to de toctor, and stated mein case,
H felt of mein pulse, and put on a long face ;
'You're pizened," he said, "and vill surely go
tead. -
la no swallow did pill" 'pout bo pig as his
head.
liooke l at te pill ; and thought he wajokin;
Icr.n no swallow dat mitout great ehokin':
EiTs he. "Never mind, but shut open your
' jaw-'
Ah' down vent te pill, mitout tastin or chaws,
Ob. vat a pirn he tid make in my pelly !
Fi cymt as honey nor pine apple jelly
I'cn i'e swoat he roll down, and I poos to sleep,
Al' more as a veek mine pod I did keen.
At." ven I pot veil I vas thin as a shad;
!rin chK vas toe pip. and I looked very pad :
Tut he nil vas f.-r good, for mein Katey did say
But ven I gut strong I might mccshun de tay.
Den mein eyes dey vas open ; I knowed right
nwny,
De nifitt' r vas Jin toy no pefore dat vould say,
An' ' n I pot f"rorg and picas before.
An' Katey ish mein, to be parted do more.
The XftTlti of Hie Crfiit Powers.
In 1S"2, our steam force in the Navy consist
! cf o steam frigates ; 3 first class steamers :
ill 7 loss than first clas, viz: the steam frigates
Vi:ss!ppi, 10 guns ; Susquehanna, 8 ; Pow
hwtan, (say) 8 ; Farmac, C ; San Jacinto, 6.
1st class steamers Fulton, i guna ; Michigan
1 ; Alleghany, 2.
Lrs- than 1st clfss Union, 4 puns ; Vixen C;
Kater Witch, 1 ; total, 15 steamers, carrying
pv.ns.
The steamers Massachusetts, Gen. Taylor
Engineer, and John Hancock, are for surveying
purposes.
Kelative steam war force of the preat mari-t-ir.e
nations of Europe, in 1848 which is the
litest accessible account though the force has
keen considerably augmented since that date :
Croat Eritain, 141 war steamers.
France, C8 44 "
Unssia, 32 " 44
At this period the commercial marine of Great
trit ain under canvas, amounted to 3,004,392
ns, and 175,001 men ; under steam to 113,978
tons in 9C0 vessels.
In lSGi, the total of the registered, enrolled
Ifi'l licensed tonage of the United States was
E.772.439 tons, of which the steaia tonnage was
;53,C07 tons.
Judicial Dignity.
The following conversation is said to have oc
tttrred between a venerable ohl lady, and a cer
quondam presiding Judge of this county.
learned disciple of lilackstone was support
f i on his right and left by his worthy associates,
ken Mrs. I. was called up to give evidence.
'"Take off your bonnet, madam !"
"I had rather not sir."
"Cut, Madam, I insist upon it, take off your
bonnet, I say
''In public assemblies, women generally cover
eir heads. Such is the custom elsewhere, and
refore, I'll not take off my bonnet ?"
"Io you hear that gentlemen ? She pretends
10 tnow more about these matters than the
iQdge himself! Had you uot, madam, better
e anl take ti seat upon the bench ?"
"So, eir, I thank you, for I really think there
" old women enough there already." Cinon-
THE FAIRY'S WARJfWCi
liT JOnX BROOUAM.
Once upou a time, a mighty long while ago,
wheu Ireland's green fields and pleasaut valleys
belonged to those who had a natural right to
them before her Saxon neighbors overspread
the beautiful land, despoiling the rightful pos
sessors of the soil, heaping mountain loads of
oppression upon the poor inhabitants, and then
deriding llic-m because they could stand as
straight as they did forerly there happened to
live iu the town of Clonmakllty, a well to do,
J industrious, and kindly-hearted weaver, whose
f . .1. rv?n :l
Now, at this time, there wa3 not a country in
Christendom could produce sm.h splendid fa
brics of every description, from the heavily wo
ven cloth of gold down to the exquisite linen,
whose texture was so fine that yards upon yards
of it could be drawn through a weddiug-ring ;
and amongst all the looms in tho laud, none
turned out the equal of Canuach O'Dearmid's
aud mind you the weaver then, was not the
hunger-wasted, gaunt phantom sort of death-in-liie
object, one may now see occasionally
peering from a miserable aperture called a win
dow, iu the very centre of Ireland' onc3 proud
capi'al. No, indeed! He had h:s servants,
aud his grooms, and retinue like a nobleman.
Audit' the kings aud warriors had their bards
to chro-.icde their hih achievements, and inspi
red miustrels to ting them, so had tho h iudi-crafts-mau
Lis, to hymn the still prouder deeds
of holy labor.
A fine, high-spirited, happy and contented
people were they then, until the insatiabie and
cunning isUndt-rs close by, after vainly endea
voring by open warfare to subdue them, secret
ly introduced the fruitful elements of discord,
whith unhappily divided those who never mcie
can be united. Colonies of a strange and ut
terly antagonistic blood and creed, were plant
ed in tluir midst ; a new religion, brought forth
and nurtured with ecclesiastical zeal, that most
fatal of feuds whico results from a difference of
f.tith ; is it surprising thou that, robbed of their
inheritance, and driven into the woods and sav
age hiding-places, their hearths usurped, and
their "trs desecrated is it to be wondered at,
that the poor persecuted people without shelter,
without education, should slowly but surely have
rctrotded, wheu all the rest of the world Las
advanced, until centuries of oppression have al
most dvpopulateol an et.tire nation ?
Hut to go back to Connach. He happned,
IVrtunie'y for himself, to live in a time when
every man held his own, in quietness and pace;
there were no "evictions," no homesteads level- j
led to enlarge my lord So-aud-So's CBtate, no j
middlemen and agents to plunder equally the j
unfortunate tenant aud absentee landlord, no
intr'.gucing double-faced demagogues, no sellish
semi-political priests ; but contentment, like an j
atmosphere of perpetual summer rusted upon ;
the land, and amongst the happy islanders uona
had more cause to be so than Connach, the wea- j
ver ; a benignant fate having placed him in that 1
most enviable of all positions cheerful and :
well-satisfied mediocracy too high for triva- ;
tioa to reach and too low for envy to assail,
with just suiiicic-nt intellect to compreheud aud j
enjoy everything enjoyable in nature, and thor- j
ouglily impressed with that instinctive religion
of the heart which causes it to expand in grat
itude to the benign Giver of Good tvue, loving :
and considerate in his family relations ; free i
with hand, liberal and conscientious in his i
friendship.
Such were the characteristics of the repre
sentative of the O'Dearmid's living in his time ;
and with but slight modifications of tempera
ment, such have they been through succeeding
generations, even up to the present time ; for
amidst the chances aud changes of conquest,
colonization and foreign absorption, the old
house, land, name and occupation have been j
transmitted from sou to son, in regular desent,
and in the town of Clommackilty may be seen,
at this very day if the tourist should ever dis
cover it a tolerably good-sized, but curiously
patched tenement, bearing an exceedingly old
tashioned sign-board, on which is painten "Con
nach O'Dearmid, Weaver."
The cause of this strange preservation and
uninterrupted transmission of name, property
and occupation, for such a number of years, i3
satisfactorily explained in a family tradition,
which I had the pleasure of. hearing from the
present representative ; and as it appeared to
me to be more graphic in his own diction, I shall
endeavor to present it to the reader, as nearly
as 1 can, in hi3 words :
"You know, sir, I suppose, that at the time
luck fell upon the uame of the O'Dearmids,
uiakein' somewhere about, it might be a thou
sand years ago but the date doesn't inatther
a thawmeen ; however, the fellow that owned it
thin was a bowld-heartcd rolhckin', ginerous
divil-in ay-care boy, as ivcr lived. Nell
sir; the fairies, you know, was flintier thin nor
they are now ; by raysin, 1 suppose, that the
ground was trod upon by the real ould etock,
and not by furrin sckaniers andyalla-hcaded in
thruders. More's the pity ! A'most every fam
ily or daciot behavior thin had Bomethin' or
I mother iu the shape ov a fairy visither ; some
tad maybe a 'Puckaim,' thini the divil's own
lounds at mischief, turnin' house torisy-turvey
m' larropin lazy huzzies ; others might Btumble
ver a 'Liprechaun,' and if they looked sharp,
.'or thiin'a the greatest chates out, would pet
leaps o' money. Thin there was I'koukai, Fei
kes, Banshees, and hundhreds of sich likes ; to
some families they coma as warnins, to others
is luck signs.
"But I'll tell you how wc got one, sir lontr
life to him ! He's here now listenin' to every
word I say hd reverently lifted h'i3 hat as he
-poke an' if I tell yoira '"word ov a lie, he'll
make himself known somehow.
"Well, you must know, sir, that my great an
eesther that brought us the luck, was oncet ri
lln' home from havin' ped a visit to his sweet
heart, for he was coortin at the time. The night
was murdherin dark, an' he was a little appre
iiuEhus ov the 'good people,' for the fear of
tLreadin on a 'fairy circle,' or may bedisturbln'
a froiie ; so I12 rodo mighty slow across the
turf, for there was no roads at the time. Well,
sir. al ov a sudden the moon bruck out from
the black clouds like a red-hot ball from a can
non, an' began to run wild, as I hecrd my father
say, right across the sky. He had scarcely ga
zed an' instant wid terror an' wondher upon the
quare capers the moon was cuttin', whin, on
turnin round agin, he saw a phantom horse
man rid'm' close beside him, that imitated every
action. Winn lie gaiiopeJ ; wmii no lanca up,
it did he same. Fear nearly paralysed him. j
He tried to say his prayer, but memory had ;
;ouc. Still, however, he urged his horse along j
rapid!; au' a; tho' the sight froze his very.
blood, he couldn't keep hia eyes off the black ri- i
j
"On comin' to a sharp turn in the road, what ,
did he see but a little ould woman sitcin' upon a j
stone, right in the road ov the l;ors:ita, I hi ;
side, now roTn into a solid tangibility des
pite of hid own terror, my ancesther shouted out
to hi;; strange companion,
" 'Howld hard, you black fool ! Pull in, j
won't you. Don't you ee ti.e oM creator in .
the road ? You'll run over her, you blackgard,
you will !'
"But uot a hand did the othr nioe in re
etraint. On they went, full gallop.
" 'For the love ov Heaven, ould woman, clear
the ro-t-t !' cried my ancesther, but not a peg
would the stir. Auother instant, and the black
horseman crashed right over the poor oulJ sowl,
and knocked her as flat a a pancake.
" 'Ah ! you murdherin villain, you've done
it ; I knew you would !' shouted me anccsther,
burniu' wid indignation, anlrainin' up Lis horse
as soou as he could ; bo did the other.
"What wid the cruelty and the impidencc of
the fella, me ancesthers couldn't stand it any
longer ; so, turniu' his horse round, he let
dhrive at him, but unluckily, one ov the big
black clouds gradually swally'd up the nioon,
an' in the darkness the black horseman cut a
cross the fields, and vanished out ov sigh.t. As
soon as ho was gone, m.C bowld Connach groped
his way back where the ouid woman was rua
over, an' to his great surprise found her bittin'
upon the sumo stone as quietly ua iv ncthin'
had happened.
" 'God save, ye stranger !' said the ould crca
ther. " 'God save ye, kindly !' says Connach, 4sn'
I hope yer not hurted much V
" 'I'm uotkurteJ at all, Misther Connach O'
learuiid, the weaver !' says she.
" 'What 2 you know me then, do ye ?' says
he.
44 'Betthcr nor ycdoyerself !' says she. 'It's
a good fortune that ye deserve, Connach, an' it's
a good good fortune that ye'll get, both you an'
yours, to the end o' time ; for you're respctful
an' kind to the ould an' the helpless. You're
loviu' and dutiful to him that gav' ye life an' its
blessins ; you're open-handed to the poor au'
the needy ; an' honest-hearted to the whole
world besides.'
44 4Bedad I'll come to you for characther, iv
ever I'm in the want ov it. Bad-cess to me, av
you haven't brought coals ov fire into my cheeks,
in spite of the crowd weather !' says Connach,
blushin' like a girl at the ould woman's praisin'
him.
44 'I'll do you a greater sarvice nor that,' says
she. 'I'll tell ye yer faults.
44 4Fire away !' says Connach : 4let us have
thini.'
44 4Get down from yer horse, an' sit by me
upon this 6tone,' says she.
44 4Wid all my heart,' says he, jumpin' off in
a jiffy ; for he was a little sprung, you sec ; the
curse ov Ireland, strong drink, was even thin in
beiu'. '
44 4Now for thini faults,' says he, wid a laugh,
as he sat down beside the ould woman. 4Iiow
many have I ?'
44 4One,' says she.
44 4Is that all V says he. Tooh, I know bet
ther.' 44 4Stop !' cries the ould woman, 4hear me out.
That one, if suffered to remain within yer heart,
will soon breed all the rest ; for it's the fruitful
parent of every crime that has a name.'
" 4Murdher ! how ye frighten me, says Con-
Ml I'ml i l
I nach. 'Whet the divil is it ?'
44 Trle Jars of stror.j drink ' says the culd
woman, sarionaly. 4You behaved kindly to me,
an urged oslv by the feelin's ev yer kindly na
ture. I have the power to save ye, au I will,
from Ibid hour forward, as long as time exists.
It will be.tUe fault of you an' yours, if misfor
tunes, other than those nature demands. 6hould
fall upon yer name ; for yer faults an' vicious
inclinations khall bo pointed oat to you by fairy
power.
4 'Lord stve us !' says me ancesther, fright
ened aznot fut or his zixm senses, 4ar you a
fairy ?' ' :
" 4I am !' ays she ; 4behold the proof!' wid
that the ould Tags aud tatthers melted away, an'
instead of a irty-lookia' hape of deformity and
wretchedness Connach beheld a diminutive form
scarcely as b'g as a blade ov grass, and as bright
as if it had been made out J sunbeams, stand
in' and kiss in" its love to him, while ihe tiniest
an most musical little voice, like the ringin' ov
f airy bells, tingled upon his ear, so Bmall, but
so distinct,
rarewell, Connach ! thou hast had thy warnln' ;
I'rufit by it, an' be happy !
"The fairy thin vanquished, an' me anccsther
slept upon that identical stcne until mornin'f
but when he woke up, he didn't forget the fai-
ry's caution
f or not cnl v did he never touch
liquor, but he left it in his dyin' directions, to
be transmitted from father to son, through eve
ry generation, that bath house an' lands should
get the uama ov drunkard.
"An', to osr credit be it spoke, we haven't
had one yet, though some have needed and re
ceived tne fairy's warnin' for that, a? well as
other faults, m' its very wonderful the various
ways they took to tell us ov him, that' been
runnin through the family histhory since that
time sometimes in a parable, thin again iu a
dhrame now cne way, an' now another. Me
own grandfather got his warr.in in a quare way.
His prevailin' fault was harshness, an' a strong
incliuiu' to cnjel conduct. lie threatened me
father wickedly durhi' his youih, au' at last, be
tas be maiT?,,! unbeknownst to him, turned
hhn right out cv doors.
"Well, it wasn't long afther that, grandfather
was sittin' mopin' alone for, in spite ov Lis
hard natur', he missed his child whin all at
oncet, whin he was tryla' to nurse up Lis angry
feeliu', who should he see come in the door, bat
a favorite cat ov him, that had just lest her kit-
tents, tenderly carryin' in her mouth. al.ouno:a,
1 ..(.,M'li.'!-.nnn-l,
young rai en, jjrajiuiiiiuvi uaiuiau iwu
the cat was goia' to make her supper off the
rat ; but not a bit ov it. What does my bould
puss do, but takes the rat into her basket, an ,
pets it up, an' plays wid it in the most motherly
"At first, grandfather laughed till the tears ;
run down his cheeks, at the fun ov the thing, to j
see the rat taken so mucn care 01 ; nut wum me
cat rowled ever on her snie, smgin pur-roo,
winkiu' at grandfather, an' puttiu' her paw as
gingerly over the rat as if she was afraid ov
breakin' it ; he knew immediately that there
was some maneiu in it. It was thin that it
struck him all at once, that if it was an unna-
tural tlmig to see a cat uoursuiu a creamer maw H,jnt tbeir ncconiB.0j.llion :lt Laif past 7 o
didn't belong to her specie at all at all, it was , c1qc a m to rctaru ou Thursday morning
more unnatural a mortial eight to see a father j e,ir, vhh lTOxleloliS for t!l3 huaJreds of suff
turnin' his back upon his own flesh an' bllood- I crs WItLuUt nieaug to j.r0CTirc fooj or
44 4It's a warnin' !' says he. j pl.ice to lay their heads. This humane course
'Tears that he had never shed afore for Le 0f yir. nunt will be long and warmly remenib
was a hard man fell in showers from his eyes, j cr0l p,y Sacrament'ians. He placed $1000 in
an' he prayed for grace to conquer his fau!t3. j tbe iuda of the Mayor, with directions to send
. .. . .1
"Well, sir, before the night fell, my fatneran
his purt3' young wife was in the ould man's
arms, an' greater joy and happiness seldom
echoed through these ould rafters ; for next to
never doing any wrong, the most heart-satisfy"
in' thing in creation is, to repent tho wrong
you've done !"
Steam Navigation op the Scsqueiiassa.
We understand that among the many schemes
of improvement on foot, some enterprising gen
tlemen in this State have it in contemplation to
ask a charter for a company to remove the ob
structions from the Susquehanna river, so as to
make it navigable for steamboats to Columbia
and the Chesapeake Bay. We are told that engi
neers who have examined the obstructions, are of
cpinion that the thing is entirely practicable,
und within reasonble cost. The Su&qurhanua
canal runs nearly parallel with the river, has ne
ver paid a dividend to the stockholders, nnd the
stock is now worth but about 33 per cent of par.
Notwithstanding this, the greater expedition of
a steamboat navigation, in thc opinion of these
enterprising gentlemen would pay well. The
estimated cost of the proposed improvement, is
from four to five millions of dollars. Ball. Sun.
The Bight Docthixe. An exchange paper
in speaking of appointments to office, says :
In dispensing thc patronage, we trust that
Gen. Tierce may remember thc hard working
Democracy. Heretofore it has been too often
the case that the parlour politcians, who, like
the lillies of the fi eld, neither work nor spin,
when the battle is won, have bcen permitted to
array themselves in all the power and glory of
Solomon himself. To that modo of dispensing
publick patronage we etand opposed.
Tl Great Fire In Sacramento.
We clip From New York and Baltimore pepers
the following further particulars of the late
great fires in California ;
The Sacbamesto Fire. The annexed ac
count of the awful conlagratiou in Sacramento,
is from the Alia California of the 4th November;
At 11 J o'clock on Tuesday evening, a fire broke
out in the military shop of Madame Lanos, J-st.
near the corner of Fourth. The Inrpector3
were quietly conntirg their votes, and a numer
ous crowd awaiting tho decision of the judges,
so that much time was lost. With astonishing
rapidity it spread from building to building, up
and down and across the street.
On both hides the street, and bearing down
the length of the city southerly, the flames ex
tended, soon reaching the Orleans Hotel. The
buildings around were blown up with the rapid
ity of magic, carts standing ready with loads of
25 lb. kegs of powder. The Unic office next
fell, the proprietors savin two presses, type
and paper sufliciently for a few days' supply.
The Tehama block, consisting Tag?, Bceou &
Co's, S wift's and G rim's Banks, were saved by
the wind blowing directly nero-js ihe street from
them. J. B. Starr's brick store also made a
wall to prevent the spread of the fire in thi-t di
rection. The number of lives lost, that can be ascer
tained, is six. Madame Lanos, where the fire
originated, was sick, but was rescued. Three
men of Engine Company No. 3, fell with the roof
of Reynolds & Co.'s store, aud were swallowed
up alive. The confusiou of the day, and scat
tering of people prevented a roll call, to ascer
tain the names" of the gallant but unfortunate
firemen.
A lady next door to the place where the fire
originated, also is supposed lost. The number
scorched as enormous, all of which were careful
ly cai-ed for by the eureons on the Canianche.
Bvery assistance possible was proffered by the
captains and agents of the steamers, whose ves
sels were crowded with females. The levee was 1
strewn with goods ot every Uescnption, ana tne
Wlllil DIL111I1 sl'Ullii:asi liucl llic S?J' aiuau
th-3 good, ell of which were eavcJ. At & o'
clock the fire had nearly ceased, the smouldering
embers throwinghuge volumes of smokejandjinrid
flashes, that brought desolation to the hearts of
all who witnessed the sickening tight. The los
ses cannot be less than o,OtX),000.
Notwithstanding this enormous nnd frightful
loss, orders were given, while building and pro
buruh; t(J lace themi;i thc lnor.
-
ning, nnd of the most substantial kind. The
irreatest cheerfulness prevailed this morninjr at
uin3 0-clockj and the pcorlc who have bcen un.
gubJueJ hytwo floojSf caunot be set back by a
cycn tI0Ugh it t:lkc3 a clc;m swecp-
The election went off quietly. The ballot for
prefi;,IeDt fca1 bec.n countedf showing a net whig
mJ1jority of fiy0 hundred. The ballots of the
Firgt ani ThirJ WarJs wcre remOTe(l to a place
of safety in time those of thc Second Ward
were supposed to be destroyed, the fire catching
the building in which they were counted, in less
than five minutes from the time it originated.
The Confidence brought a load of ladies who
( have been burnt out, and the boat sent by Mr.
all destitute of food to his storehip.
, , , .
and reccivea all the ladies who sought sheitcr
and Rid many in feeble health from recent con
finement anil she will leave at 10 o'cloce with a
crowd of jassengers.
The Antelope, Captain Eushnell, received a
full freight cf ladies and children many of thc
latter separated from their parents, aud who
were hunted up by himself and officers. Their
kindness will be long remembered, and their ser
vices rewarded.
The hook and ladder company and fire com
panies were promptly on hand and worked man
fully, till of no avail, when all wet came miners
and blew up housi after house with the precis-
ion of veterans. The constant boom of these
explosions added b:the terrible confusion and
horror of the night.
THE SAN TEAXCISCO F1EE.
Again we are called upon to record a terrible
conflagration in our doomed city, which has de
stroyed thirty-two buildings, and ruined many
persons. Oar city has justly earned the mourn
ful title of tho "City of Conflagrations."
About half-past eight o'clock last evening, an
nnusualy brilliant light was discovered in the
second story window (on Merchant street,) of a
woeden building fronfiug on Kearney St., and
occupied in part by Sandy Marshall, as an eat
ing and lodging house. The firo originated by
the bursting of a camphene lamp, and though
the cry was immediately raised, and the Monu
mental engine bell immediately rung, the flames
in a moment had burst out of the window, and
the fire had taken a fair hold.
Our brave firemen turned out promptly, and
were ca the Fpot with their UMial alacrity, but
it was at once evident, the building being of such
alight and flimcCy texture, that it could not t
saved. Thousands had congregate the Ila
za, to witness the aful scene; an ! it was but a
moment until the whole building was in one
roaring blaze, casting such p.n intense light that
a sea oCjUpturned fuces could be us easily dis
tinguished as on a bright noon day. The flames
soon communicated to the building occupied by
Dr. White And family, and barely gave them
time to escape, with a part of their household
goods in a daniHgcd condition.
It was then ascertained to bo a fixed fact,
that the neighborh'p building, too ,must bo des
troyed, and the inhabitants in that vicinity, in
hurry and confusion, commenced moving their
pffects. The drays and wagons went clattering
through the street at a gallop ; the engines and
hook and ladder companies, ruuuing to and fro,
in every direction; the firemen shouting, and
the bells ringing, the timbers cracking nil com
bined made it a scene indescribable awful.
It was thought, for a long time, that the Union
building, on the opposite side of the street,
where the fire occurred, would be saved, ani
long and nobly did our firemen battle against
the destroying element to protect it. But th
smoke became thicker and denser, until the
flames shot a lurid glare through the roof, ani
the fate of the Union, was sealed. The fin
billiard eooon nnd bowling alleys were swept
away at a breath.
EfnThe correspondent cf the New York TrC
luw, mentions the following heartless conduct
connected with the Sacramento fire :
While the fire was raging, four or five men
chartered a steamboat and proceeded to this ci
ty with a view of purchasing and monopolizing
all the lumber here, and all the provisions their
money aud credit would enable them to secure.
They were landed in a small boat from the ster
mer off North Beach, and she remained a few
miles out in thc Bay, refusing to land any other
passengers for several hours, until those had
. time tQ nccomj,.,ll tLiw nuh.
The
steamer then came to thc wharf, and the news
of the fire became public. Lumber went up, in
their hands, to four hundred dollars a thousand
more thim 300 per cent. Flour advanced to
5r, Tork to 5555 and CO, and other Provisions
in proportion.
The Sacramento Union has the subjoined r
msrks in relatiou to thc fire in that city.
At the time tie fire broke out it seemed as if
the elements had conspired for thc destruction
of the city. A norther had just set in and was
blowing a stiff breeze fiom the Northwest,
which, after thc fire commenced, increased al
most to a gale. The point where the fire start
ed, too, was the very one for sweeping the citv,
and before it had been burning five minutes "it
became evident that Sacramento was doomed t
destruction. The fire companies were promptly
on the spot ; but in the face of such a wind and
sea of fire, it was seen by all they were power,
less. They exhausted the water within reach,
but produced not one particle of effect on the
fire. It had obtained the mastery of man, and
liis puny arm was as little felt by the roping
flames ns it would have been if directed against
an ocean tempest. Men gathered iu crowds,
some looking on the waves of fire as they rolled
from house to house and street to street, bewild
ered, fascinated nnd apparently paralyzed at
the terril.de work of destruction going ou befors
them, while others were hastening to save their
poods and effects before the fire should reach
them.
Then commenced a Eccne on thc streets which
nepgars au description 11 en, women, .-,r.d chil-
uren were seen desperately ena-e in p'Tr tn
Kave Komi-thinn- fr,., t,. f.. ,Zrt '
element. But in matt instances their efforts
were frnitles.-, and hundreds who retired on
Tuesday night with the consciousness of having
plenty of the comfort of life around them, were
landing the next morning 0:1 the place whert
Sacramento was, without one dollar in their
pockets, and with only tne clothes they had on.
It was an awful night, and God grant that we
miy never be called to witness another such
sight.
The destruction of goods has been very hea
vy; thc amount, as near as can be ascertained,
wc publish in another column. But there ari
hundreds who have lost their little all, from
whom the public will never hear. Had the fam
ilies of one half of the business men been in the
city, we hardly know what could have been dono
with them. As it is, thousands arc left house
less and homeless, aud for two nights past hav
slept under the wide eauopy of heaven, many of
them without knowing where they were to ob
tain bread to cat in the morning. Goods, fur
niture, &c, arc scattered all over that portion
of the city north of J-streetand on tho levee,
their owners standing by them in the day time
nnd laying by them in the night, with not even
a canvass to cover them.
This, to 6orae extent, may be remedied in a
few days, ns the owners will be compelled to re
turn to first principles and build tents cloth hou
ses, as we done in 1849. Surely a terrible con
flagration iu any other country than California,
would destroy hope itself; but such is tho won
derful energy and recuperative power of the
0 ...... a ji me 'levouranir
n rr
people of California, that misfortune only seems
to stienpthen their determination to go ahead in
spite of them ; and as an evidence tliMt this spir
it pervades the sufferers in this tempest of fire,
we know of instances whore meu had houses to
begin in again before the old ones were fairly
done burning; others too, who, contracted te
have buildings put up on the lots occupied W
those destroyed.
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