The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-03-06
Cincinnati.
Correspondence ofthe Herald.l
CINCINNATI, Feb. rs, 1S43.

Fire ia Observation-Disclosures Explosion Great
Loss of Life and Property!!
FRIEND BENEFIT
Thinking that it might not be undressing to
you to be informed, in detail, in relation to an APP
palling catastrophe, that occurred among us last
evening, hasten to communicate. And in order
to get sufficiently vivid idea of the real life, you
must give full, loose rein to your imagination, the
most brilliant pencings OF which cannot color the
canvas too highly.
Last evening, at five o'clock. the cry Of fire was
heard at the corner of Walnut and Canal streets
and Immediately after, was seen huge volume oil
dense smoke to ascend, whose irightful blackness,
and tenaclty, evidently indicated that it pro-
duced by the burning decomposition OF some oleagi-
nous substance; and the cry soon came that the ex-
tensive smoke house of Messrs Alvord ~ Pugh,
which contained some hundred tons of bacon, sus-
pended and being smoked, was on fire! The fire
caught from the smok efire, and the whole inside OF
the building, bacon, &c were burning as fast at
mospherlc air could find its way into It to feed the
flame, which was as vet but slow, as the house was
OF brick, and quite tight except small cupola at
large pork house, a huge pile of brick and mortar
some hundred feet square. The fire bells immedi-
aey responded to the cry, and in ten minutes all the
bells in the city were Ginning in frightful concert.
being Saturday evening, at the close OF the
week, every body was more or less at leisure, and
seeing the black cloud OF smoke increase so rapid
ly, all rushed to the scene that in twenty min
utes from the first alarm, from ten to fifteen thou
sand people were assembled-many Of whom were
closely gathered around the large pork house. which,
as have said, was connected with the burning
smoke house by two doors, through which the smoke
and oleaglnous GASEOUS fluid, were pressing with
tremendous force. During all this, every door,
window, and other opening OF the large building,
were closed to their utmost tghtness, from which
this fluid was struggling for vent, at every pore
nail hoe-from between the shlnges-the window
nd dNN vrI prv,tA
the walls, &C. BY this time some or 10 of the fire
and ladder companies had arrived but could do
thing, as the fire was still confined within the walls
of the smoke house, that four stories high, and
without opening, to give the engines a chance to
play upon the flames. The destroying element, as
though in defiance of the fremen, was roaring,
raging, and struggling within, and pouring its heat,
ed gassious breath into the big house, which seemed
like some huge monster, grJanlng and writing,
from pain inflicted by the heated vapour pouring
into its bowels, and laboring for air and relief!
What was to be done all was now uproar and
confusion, anxiety and alarm-the bells keepup the
aarm-people rushing from all parts OF the town
while the families, merchants, grocers, and Others
in that and the adjoining block, expecting an over
whe!ming confiagratlon, are tearing down, and re-
the and the
the trumpet of the Fire Captain to ''Break through
the walls OF the smoke house, to give the engines
access to the flames" Immediately all hands
at work with axes, sedge hammers, large timbers,
time, ladders are raised, men mount the large build
ing, bearing engine hose, hooks, &c. soon, howev
er. the wished for hole is stove through the walls of
the smoke house. some 3 or 4 feet square, through
which atmospheric air rushes-increases the flame
which rushes through the doors into the large house.
now pressed to its utmost strength with this high
heated gas, and with the roar OF an earthquake
which immediately igntes, raising this large house
from its foundation, and scatters to the four winds
The scene was now past description, men, boys,
BRICKS, boards rafters, beams, kegs Of lard, barrels
rels, picked pork, ladders, engine hose, &c. &c
were all flying in, the air at the same in
slant AS the building stood near the
nal, many were thrown into it-others on
other side of the stockholders buried deep
under the ruins of brick and WORTHWHILE the null
ttude rushed from it with such fury that hundreds
were trodden down, and bruised and beaten horri-
bly,. The CONSERVATION soon subsidized and we
turned to survey the ruins. The first heard were
the groans of the wounded and dying, which, with
the dead, were scattered In every direction This
poor fellows head is damned to Jelly there is an
other who has lost all the back part of his, and his
brains are spattered over the bricks and timber
other with his cracked open and separated to the
right and left; this enes chest broken in others
with both legs broken-arms, hips, shoulders, thighs
backs, &c. &c. Il was now late twilight, and in
every direction was heard the cries of fathers for
sons, for fathers, mothers for sons, and wives
for husbands; all running hither and thither amid
the ruins, looking at this dead one, and that wound
ed one, and following off this and that one, as
they were carried to some house to have their
wounds dressed, or if dead, deposited until recogn
zed and taken by their friends. This was the state
of things until ten o'clock, when left.
SUNDAY MORNING.
have Just returned from the horrd scenes OF last
evening. Some four or five hundred people are now
at work in removing the rubbish and looking for the
dead. One poor fellow, just taken out still breath
ing when first found, but expired soon after being
extricated. l know moi how many are dead:
have been to see the bodies of Joseph Bonsel Pre-
sident of the White Water Canal Company-Mr.
Edmands, pork merchant in Sycamore slreet-Ca-
leb Taylor, dry goods merchant in Main street
teen have been dug out of the ruins dead but the
number of wounded | can give no account of, only
that they to be heard of in every street in the
city. The mail closes.
Yours, truly, in haste, d. V. b.