The Weekly Comet

CORRESPONDENCE.

New Orleans, Feb. 27th 1854

Dear Comet.--Friday evening and all day of last Saturday, the heavens poured down upon us a perfect flood of water, deluging the streets and putting an effectual embargo upon all out-door business and transactions. Sunday however broke upon us with a beautiful bright sky and clear atmosphere such as is enjoyed in no other country except Louisiana. This morning too is another fair opening for a day of springlike beauty and loveliness, and it would do your heart good to see the bustle and bee-like animation upon our levee and along our business thoroughfares. Every countenance seems lit up with a smile of pleasure or of self satisfaction, as if in imitation of the smiling heavens above.

The city topic of most interest to-day is the disaster at the Orleans Theatre last night, by which several persons were killed and many others more or less injured. During the performance about 9 o'clock, the upper gallery and second tier of boxes gave way under the great weight that had crowded into them, and the whole mass were precipitated into the parquette. How such an accident could happen and so few be injured is a mystery to me, for the two tiers were completely filled, and the parquette was also crowded to its utmost capacity. The third or upper gallery was filled with the colored folks and strange to say, only two of them all, were injured, and those two were killed instantly. The scene for a short time, is described as being frightful in the extreme, and the excitement both in, and outside of the Theatre for a while was very great.

Among the wounded more or less severely, I noticed the names of A. Toledano, Barbarin, E. Bouligny, A. Miltenberg, S. Pratz, Mrs. Lafon and a Mr. LeBlanc. Doubtless others were injured but not yet reported. This is a sad affair all round, and particularly unfortunate for that Theatre, as it will be deserted entirely by the public, as a dangerous place for amusement. But what falls out of one hand is caught by the other, for the loss of patronage by the Orleans, will be so much gained by the St. Charles the Varieties, and the Hippodrome, &c. By the way, amusements seem to be very freely dispensed now-a-days, from almost every hall and room in the city. Julien is going ahead with a perfect rush and Madame Sontag is expected back from Mobile in a few days, again, to give a few concerts in Opera.

To-night at the St. Louis hotel, the lovers of masquerading are to have a great time, and from what I have heard it will be one of the most brilliant and successful balls, of that character that has been given during the carnival.

To-morrow is Mardi Gras or in plain English, Fat Tuesday, the close of the flesh-eating season for the good Catholics, and the day after commences the season of Lent, or of Fasting. In anticipation of lots of fun to-morrow --Young America has been busily preparing masks, costumes, fireworks gift-bags, etc., for several days past, and great will be the racing and running and frolicking on the occasion.

The Picayune you will observe has at last directed its attention to the affair going on in Cuba, relative to the introduction of apprentices from Africa. Unwilling as I have been to believe such a scheme could be contemplated by the Spanish authorities, I am now convinced that it is determined upon, and unless promptly interfered with at once, will be carried out immediately. Two vessels of large capacities each have been fitted out and have sailed from this port, with the purpose of going directly to the coasts of Africa, after cargoes of negroes. This I know to be a fact though few but parties immediately interested know or have any idea of the intent and purposes of these vessels leaving port. I was told yesterday, by a prominent member of the "Cuban Hunter," that he knew of the fitting out and sailing of some five or six vessels from New York and Baltimore since the arrival of the new Captain-General in Cuba. These vessels were bound for Africa, and their object is slaves for Cuba, or rather apprentices.

By the arrival of the Pampero from San Juan we have California dates up to the 1st to the 6th inst. The Expeditionists to Lower California were not only "in statu quo," but were preparing to make a descent upon Sonora, as President Walker had decreed that interesting state into the Republic, over which he presides. As President Pierce has sent on Genl. Wool to California with forces and instruction to put down such operations, we may expect to see ere long a conflict between Uncle Sam's soldiers and some of his former citizens, but now the founders of the Republic of Sonora.

Vive le Bagatelle.