Virginia Argus

New Orleans, Aug. 21.

On Wednesday night last about 10 o'clock, a gale commenced coastwise accompanied with rain and hail, and which continued with a most dreadful violence, for upward of four hours. As we have never witnessed anything equal to it, neither do we believe the imagination can picture to itself a scene more truly awful and distressing, than that which its consequences present.

The market house, a large and solid building, entirely demolished; its brick columns, of two feet diameter, swept down, as though their mighty construction presented no obstacle whatever to the overwhelming element—The roof carried off from the church of the convent, the fence surrounding which, as also trees in the garden, many of which are of considerable size, levelled to the ground—The tin covering of the Theatre, nailed on in such a manner as would certainly have resisted any ordinary force, twisted and torn off as though it were mere paper. A great part of the brick wall surrounding the garrison, beat down. Part of the front wall of Mr. Pauding's unfinished brick house in Chartres st. blown in and the building materially injured. A house at the corner of Bourbon & St. Louis streets, entirely destroyed. The brick store of Messrs. Talcott and Bowers in Chartres St. [and from which Mr. Talcott fortunately escaped in time to avoid a most dreadful death] totally demolished. A brick house in St. Louis, near Bourbon street, partly blown down. Mr. Donaldson's house Faubourg St. Mary unroofed and otherwise damaged. The Government house partly unroofed.—Mr. Fr's brick store Faubourg St. Mary, blown down Mr. Mussard's brick store. Canal street, blown down. Mr. Ellis's brick store, Chartres street, blown down. A brick house, in Chartres-street. near Messrs. Kenner & Co. partly blown down and much damaged. Mr. Lester's brick building, Bourbon street, partly blown down It would be impossible to particularise all the damage that has been done; we believe however we may assert. that there is not a building in the city or Faubourgs, but what has been more or less injured.

But the scene presented to us on visiting the shore, which shall attempt to describe the levee almost entirely destroyed, the beach covered with Fragments of vessels, merchandise, trunks, &c. and here and there the eye falling upon a mangled corpse. In short what a few hours before was life or property, presenting to the astonished spectator only death and ruin: a sight which could alone bear comparison with the sensation experienced during the preceding night, in which the stoutest heart must have shrunk, from the dreadful fear of being the next moment immolated in a heap of ruins'!

The mind sickens at the very recollection and turns for relief to that providence, to that Almighty being, the giver of all: May we reflect upon his omnipotence—our own nothingness: and may the melancholy spectacle our city presents call our serious attention to that source from which alone we can derive peace here and happiness hereafter.

The following are among the vessels that have been damaged or destroyed.

Brig Mary, of Pittsburgh. lost both masts
Ship Missouri, Baltimore, ashore little damaged.
Polacre Devine Pastora, very much damaged.
Brig William, Newport, damaged,
Brig Archimedes much damaged.
U. S. brig Enterprise, ashore.
Brig U. S. Viper, much damaged.
Schooner Liberty of N. Orleans loaded with flour, sunk.
Brig William and Henry, damaged.
Ship Dryad of N. York, somewhat damaged.
Ship Alfred of Newburyport, somewhat damaged.
Brig Mechanic, Kennebunk, de.
Ship Jane of N. York.
Brig --, formerly Polacre, sunk
Brig Sally Ann, of N. York, ashore much damaged.
Brig Hope, of New-York, very much injured with the loss of masts and bowsprit.
Sloop William and Mary, of Charleston, sunk
Brig Reliance, of Charleston, irreparable.
Schooner Betsy of Boston, Much injured.
Privateer Buckskin, lost.
Privateer Felix, ashore damaged
Ship Paragon of New-York, ashore, much damaged.
Ship Iris, of New-York, ashore and lost foremast.
Ship Juno, of N. York ashore.
Ship Remittance, of N. York, damaged.
Otho do. do.
Brig Sumatra do. do. do.
Schr. William. Newport, do.
Schr. Flora, Duxbury, very much damaged.
Brig Maid, Boston, entirely destroyed.
Ship Elizabeth, New-York little damaged
Ship Agricola, New Bedford, entirely dismasted
Ship Eldrith, New-York, somewhat damaged.
Schr. Astrea. Salem, do.
Ship Gen. Knox, Portland, much damaged.
Schr. Mary, Kentucky, lost both masts and bowsprit.
Brig loaded with flour, sunk,
Ship Suffolk, N. York ashore, somewhat damaged.
Ship Ceres, N. York, ashore. much, damaged and lost fore mast and bowsprit.
Ship Oliver Ellsworth, New-York, ashore, much damaged.
Ship Henry Seawall, of Elizabeth City, damaged.
Sloop Joanna of Warren, damaged
Ship Washington. irreparable.
Schooner Atlas of N. Orleans. somewhat damaged
Clara of N. York, damaged.
Brig Juno cf Salem, much damaged
Ship Nancy of Boston, very much damaged.
Schooner Cumberland, entirely destroyed.
Brig--of Boston.entirely destroyed.
Brig--- of N. York, somewhat damaged.
U. S Ketch Etna. sunk.
Schr. Mary Ann of Whiting, damaged.
All the river craft, Barges, market Boats, &c. &c. entirely crushed to atoms.
As far as we have heard from the country the ravages have been terrible, the Planters dwellings, sugarhouses, &c. demolished-- and we have reason to fear that nearly the whole crop of sugar will be lost.
N. B. The ship Harlequin, Capt. Coffin, from New York, was a small distance below the English Turn, on Wednesday night, two of her sailors were on shore during the gale, with a small cable, making it fast when the ship took a sheer. upset and sunk ;-- and every soul on board perished except two seamen who were in the bow when the ship went over, and saved themselves by swimming. Those two seamen and the two that were ashore, relate the melancholy fate.-- Besides the Capt mate and crew, there were several Ladies and Gentlemen passengers on board-all perished.