New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-07-07
TIE CONFEDERATION IN PHILADELPHIA
DESTRUCTION OF THE NATIONAL THEATRE.
CHINESE MUSEUM, AND MANY OTHERBUiLU
INGS-IMNENsE loss OF PROPERI.ii,-r,A.sS
ACTOR BI,HNED To DEATH INTHE THEAiEh-

IFrem The PhisdeIphis Bulletin Of yes'ert.y stenOon
ro that has seldom bcen surpassed IN extent I'D IN,
;i h,oke ont lss, night about 10 o'clock IN the National
t;Itp. IN CcTnu--st below Ninth and burned with such
fe fpZ s S ne chs ss' ,ssSsH IN the rear
ss rssrIy ri the ard dwellings east and sonth IN
the valrabIe block bounded by Chestnut Ninth eo9ge
\, LIN of the FIRE ar have escert1ined after care
fp ;pr1iry was Ire follows; The dramatic company en-
rsced he circus had pnyed the drama OF Putnam OF
he Iron Sons of &C. 10 which exceeded the piece called
Hammond and Agnes the Bleeding Eun. In the nr-t
sct o the latter piece fire used and burning
wad ION gun lodged among some shavinzs IN me car
en,ers shou al the southern extremity of the buIns
.I;cb nv an alteration made year two ago comm ln
cated with the Chinese Museum. The audience was hap
PLY very small, and owing TO The prudence OF ihe eur
nov-s no aisrrn given The haTes had pre FAD among
he combusbles OF the carpenter shop and hehnc the
scenes for some minutes before they discovered ana
thew were at no time visible 10 the audience Before an
nonncnc the fact Of the fire. the doors all thrown
wide olen end couple of minutes elapsed before the
burning was known in the body Of the house and then
everyone retreated in perfect order.
TIE flames began 20 make heafway under the ro5i az
the rear Of the Circus and burst ont many places
and the State. House bell ringing urouy, the alarm be-
came general. The slight construction Of the building
and The great quantity of combusibes in IT, made il
easy prev and but few minutes elapsed before the whole
was mass of flames We have never seen FIRE rage 80
friousy The immense blaze spread aiar, and showers
burning cinders were carried to great distance.
The wind. at first, from the South, AMI carried
the flames and cinders directly upon the Grar1 Rouse
ouoste the Circus The heavy wooden cornice OF ha'
elegant edice was very in ames and was for some
time feared that it would be totally destroyed but iori-
nate change Of wind the northwest diverted the torrents
of fame and sparks and although the conice burned OBJ
nately for an hour two the ire was confined 10 II Dy
the exeItions of persons the roof and well drecIed
stream from powerful engine. The alarm IN the hotel
"a considerable notice given the boaruer- some
400 in number and they sought lodgings elsewhere ihodgh
bappvt turns that there necessity for the re-
m0val
and west The walls of the Circus fell early, end before
II o'clock il mass Of smoudenns runs Inc onnu,
ing east of it was by this time eney IN name, an. ="
Ninth and George-sts all on fire throughout ITS vast
interior At little after II the flames burst throngh all
the Window and through the roof near the southern eN
tremty the building and from that time It's progress 10
destruction was rapid.
The wind row carried the fakes of eharred wood in m-
mepe showers toward the southeast and east setting ne
~, tho stores alone Cbesnuts toward Eighth and TO the
dwelling houses George st. from the Museum down 70
Eielth-st. These, with few exceptions, wncn VIII oe
named below were all destroyed very much damaged
The scene was O terrible The volumes OF lurii
fame and smoke and the showers OF burnn cnders ana
sparks filed the atmosphere Tor squares ana every nous
had II. watchers the roof with buckets or hose reay
TO extipguish the flames which were communicated re-
peatedy 10 number OF buildings, some Of them quite
emote from the scene OF Along ue9Isg
street the crowd great and some confusion prevailed
which retarded the lebOrs OF those endeaVong 10 save
property there Heknesss carriage bazaar-the old Coli,
scum buding-on the southeast corner OF N'nth ana
eorgesrees was for some time IN danger, and all the
vehicles in il were removed. -,
Rv midnight owing to the persevering efforts of the
6rem. n who never worked galanty and the par
al subsdenoe of the wind it became evident that the
fire would not spread beyond the block in which orgi-
mated But in this block were included some OF the most
yauabe stores on Ches,nureet besides the Circus and
WrseuIn About three O'Clock this morning the north
wall Of The Museum fell in with tremendous crash hut
the other walls remain standing though III ,'ahgerous
condition The walls OF the stores between the Circus
and the Art Union building also down. and some OF the
rear walls Of the burnt houses on George-street
There during the night rumcs OF fatal accidents az
the fire but they fortunately proved unounded Several
fremen were injured, but happily none very seriously
The elegant brown front of the Grard House looks
dsmally this morning; many OF the window frames are
burned through; tine massive ornamental wooden cor
nice which seemed invite the flames, Is chared to the
extent of about hundred and fifty Feet Fart OF inc
front roof and some of the raers burned through and
much of the plaster coat of the wing extending TO
NintIs has been blisered off by the scorching heat.