New Orleans, LA City Conflagration, Mar 1854

THE CONFLAGRATION IN NEW ORLEANS -- LOSS OF LIFE AND GREAT DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.

From the N.O. Picayune, March 16.
Between 1 and 2 o'clock this morning, a very alarming fire broke out in Magazine street, and before the flames were subdued, thirteen fine brick stores, with nearly all their valuable contents, were destroyed. An estimable citizen, and an old fireman, DANIEL WOODRUFF, was killed by the falling walls at the corner of Magazine and Natchez streets. MR. WOODRUFF was an exempt fireman in New York many years since. He was also an exempt fireman in this city, President of the "Exempt Firemen's Benevolent Association," exforeman of Mississippi Fire Company No. 2, and one of the clerks in the Mayor's office. Several other firemen were badly injured. MR. McLEOD, the foreman of No. 2, had one arm broken in two places, and one leg broken in three places, and is otherwise severely wounded in the back. (He is since dead.) SAMUEL G. RISK, MR. WINGFIELD and STEPHEN O'LEARY, are said to be much injured.
MR. WOODRUFF saw the danger that his company was exposed to, by the walls being about to fall, and was in the act of warning them to remove, when his foot slipped and he fell, the walls of a store falling upon him. He lived but a few minutes after the accident occurred.
The fire is said to have commenced in the store of E. WOOD PERRY, No. 69 Magazine street. The store was occupied by house furnishing articles, stoves, oil, &c.
The store of A. DELAGRAVE & Co., No. 71 Magazine street, was burned. It was occupied as a liquor store.
The store No. 67 Magazine street, at the corner of Natchez street, was burned. It was occupied by BURROWS & OSTRAM, as a liquor store, and by LOTHENE & THOMAS.
A. L. ADDISON & Co., No. 31 Natchez street, PRICE, WALSH & Co., No. 33 Natchez street, J. H. HIELD, No. 35 Natchez street, were next burned out. The above three stores were principally occupied as tobacco stores.
The Canal Bank, which is on one corner of Magazine and Natchez street, was much scorched on the outside, but the inside is not damaged.
While the fire was raging, the sparks flew about in profusion, and a window in one of the stores below the Canal Bank being accidentally open, a crate filled with straw, near the window, caught fire, and soon the fire raged in a new place.
The store of MORPHY & NEVIUS, No. 57 Magazine street, was burned. It was an auction and commission store.
Nos. 65 & 53 Magazine street were occupied by H. M. BARLOW & Co. and J. B. BURGEN, one of the upper stories being occupied by R. B. SYKES. One of these stores, No. 53, was owned by MRS. BERRY, of New York, and was insured in the Home Mutual Insurance Company for $10,000.
The large tobacco warehouse of C. & G. B. TATE, No. 34 Natchez street, was entirely destroyed. They had on hand a very heavy stock.
The large brick building in the rear of and belonging to the Canal Bank, was nearly burned up.
No. 51 Magazine street was the well known auction store of R. B. SYRES. It was utterly destroyed.
A vacant lot now intervened on one side, and the high walls of the new stores of A. B. JONAS prevented any further progress of the flames in that direction.
The firemen worked nobly, and deserve great praise. At 10 o'clock this morning they are still engaged in pulling down the tottering walls and pouring water on the smouldering ruins. But little property in the building was saved.
The money writer of the Picayune estimates the loss at near $300,000; the True Delta at $500,000. The risks of the various insurance companies, on the property destroyed, were as follows:
Sun Mutual -- $47,000.
Crescent Mutual -- $44,000.
Home Mutual -- $43,000.
Orleans Insurance Company -- $25,000.
C. C. Lathrop's Insurance Agencies -- $18,500.
Louisiana Mutual -- $10,000.
Delaware Mutual -- $10,000.
Tennessee Marine and Fire -- $10,000.
London and Liverpool -- $5,000.
Three stores occupied by E. W. PERRY, BURROWS & OSTROM, and S. THOMAS, owned by SAMUEL NICHOLSON & Co., and insured in Philadelphia for -- $16,000.
Total amount of insurance -- $228,500.

The New York Times New York 1854-03-25
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!