Today, the Louisiana State Quarter Coin remembers the horror experienced by New Orleans 228 years ago.
From the Publications of the Louisiana Historical Society of 1915:
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Report of Governor Esteban Miro and Intendente Martin Navarro on the fire which destroyed New Orleans March 21, 1788.
At half past one in the afternoon the house of Don Vicente Jose Nunez, Paymaster of the Army, caught fire, reducing to ashes 856 buildings, comprising all the business houses and homes of the principal citizens of the city.
The violent south wind, which blew incessantly, thwarted all attempts to extinguish the fire.
The Parish Church and the house of the Priests have been included in the common misfortune, as also the greater part of the books. The Chapter House, the guardhouse, the arsenal, with all the arms therein contained, with the exception of 750 guns, have met the same fate.
The public jail was also destroyed and there was barely time enough to save its miserable inmates.
The customhouse, tobacco warehouse, the Government and Intendencia Buildings, the provision and Indian goods warehouses, that of the Artillery, the Royal Hospital, Ursulines Convent, the Barracks of the Dragoons and Permanent Regiment, and a few private buildings fronting the river, have been saved.
As soon as we saw the progress of the fire, fanned as it was by the tenacity of the wind, and that the whole city was in evident danger, our principal efforts were directed toward evacuating the provision warehouse, the only source left for our common subsistence, occupying in its stead the Artillery Warehouse which had furnished a great deal of material for fighting the fire.
All H. M. treasure in paper and silver was withdrawn from the Treasury and deposited on the banks of the river, not however, without the natural risks which such scenes of disorder and confusion create, and the papers of the accountants and secretaries were also saved without the loss of a single one.
With the exception of the badly equipped Armory, the destruction of a small quantity of supplies, the loss of some effects when the Artillery warehouse was evacuated and of a quantity of flour which had been made into biscuits, preparatory to being shipped to Natchez, and the house that had been purchased for experimenting with tobacco, the loss H. M. sustained is of small moment.
Surrounded as we were by flames and without losing sight of the necessity of extinguishing the fire, we did not forget the danger which menaced us the following day on account of the scarcity of food and immediately adopted such measures as humanity suggested, so that man should not impose further sufferings upon the victims of this catastrophe, and most of the bakeries having been destroyed, we ordered that such biscuits as had been saved from the fire should be distributed to those who should apply for them.
If it were possible for the imagination to represent what the senses have seen and felt, it would surprise our reason, and it is not easy to assure whether we felt greater fear upon seeing the city in flames, or in the knowledge of the pitiful situation in which all its inhabitants were included.
Mothers looked for nothing more than, a refuge for their children, and abandoned the rest of their fortunes to the voracity of the conflagration, and having found a shelter, remained mute witnesses of their own calamities.
Fathers and husbands endeavored to save as much as the rapidity of the fire would permit, yet such was their stupor that they hardly knew where to find secure places.
Night momentarily removed the sight of so many misfortunes, but the dawn the following day brought a worse one, that of seeing along the road, crying and sobbing and in the most abject misery, so many families who, a few hours before, enjoyed considerable riches and conveniences.
Their cries, weeping and pale faces told of the ruin of a city which in less than five hours had been transformed into an arid and horrible wilderness; the work of seventy years since its foundation, its development and destruction are shown in the accompanying map.
In order to relieve the misery to some extent, campaign tents were distributed to those who applied for them, and we have decided to distribute a ration of rice for account of H. M. to all those who present themselves to ask for it, without distinction of person, and during the time their extreme want compels them to invoke our aid, and we calculate that 700 persons will be thus supplied.
The others were lodged for the time being with those who have not suffered from the fire, and in whom have shone forth the most delicate sentiments of hospitality, for on the day following the disaster there was not a person left without shelter.
One of our first cares was to send three ships to Philadelphia, consigned to the representative of our Court, with all necessary permits so that they might return in the shortest possible time, with provisions, supplies, medicines and other articles of first necessity, for which purpose it was deemed necessary to advance 24,000 pesos for the purchase of 3,000 barrels of flour.
The inhabitants who have not suffered from the disaster have offered to subscribe generously to a fund with which to rebuild the most necessary edifices. The Clergy, represented by its vicar, has suspended the parish dues.
Col. Maxent has on this occasion given proof of the most sensible charity by giving shelter and food to a large number of families who found refuge in his home. He gave all the rice he had and sold his tobacco at the same price as obtained before the fire, and subsequently he volunteered to go to the port of ‘Punta Cortada’ in order to procure the signature of those who desired to subscribe in favor of the unfortunates.
The value of the buildings destroyed is estimated at one million eighty thousand dollars, exclusive of the goods and effects contained therein, and which were consumed by the flames.
It is impossible to state these losses until the interested parties themselves make their statements, and to that end we have published a “bando” so that detailed statements of losses be furnished us within eight days; this has not been concluded as yet for many families have retired eight and ten leagues from the city and have not received their instructions.
We, therefore, defer sending the complete statement until the following mail, but we suppose the loss will be about three millions.
All minds are now engaged in speculating as to what concessions they may expect from H. M. bounty.
Public opinion is divided into two camps—the planters on one side and the merchants on the other.
The former desire free trade for this Province, so that ships of any Nationality be admitted here; and the latter, knowing that this had been spoken of in the city council by one of the Regidores and applauded by those present, have addressed us a memorial urging us to report unfavorably to H. M. with regard to this plan; the document is also extreme in its views, and solicits that only the inhabitants of the Province be permitted to bring cargoes from any European port they may choose.
There is no doubt that either one of these plans would rapidly develop the colony and rebuild this desolated city, but the first project is entirely contrary to our present laws, for it is impossible to permit ships flying foreign flags to navigate the Gulf of Mexico under pretext of coming to this River.
Regarding the second, it may be to the interest of the Monarchy to grant certain commercial advantages to some foreign Power. In such case we suggest that preference be given to France, allied as she is to us by so many ties.
We now, therefore, propose that the trade concessions granted in Royal Order of January 22, 1782, be extended for a period of three years, during which time the citizens may provide themselves from foreign ships, in accordance with the 5th Article of said Royal Order, and that they also be permitted to withdraw silver as requested in dispatch of the 19th of last December, etc.
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Under date of September 30, 1788, Miro and Navarro informed the King that the loss occasioned by the fire had reached the grand total of $2,595,561.00.
Never for a moment did these people falter. They immediately-took steps to rebuild. Forward, always forward, did they go.
They gave to New Orleans the momentum which set her a spinning on the path of progress and civilization.
That is the reason she will always Come Back. Noblesse Oblige—She cannot fail.
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The Louisiana State Quarter Coin shows beside a map of the New Orleans fire of 1788 from the New Orleans Book published in 1915.
