Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-10-09

and glass, with the exception Of the floor roof,
and portion Of tho dome. Tho ground floor CON
tanned IL 600 square feet Of space. and the total
area Of walking space galleries and all, covered
four acres. The Herald in description Of tho
confagation says:
The Gre was first discovered shortly before five
clock 10 the afternoon in the northeast corner Of
the building, about two hundred feet from where
tho machinery WAS on exhibition. At this time
there were about three thousand persons in the
building, mostly women and children, who were
viewing the things on exhibition. The building
was ~ large that it proved difficult to spread an
alarm and il was sometime before the visitors
could he warned Of their danger; and tho danger
to all in the Palace most imminent, for the
flames, when they got under Roadway, spread with
fearful rapdty, and M if by magic the vast edi-
Ace was one mass Of glowing fire and flame.
There wore eight hydrants in the building; but
the sudienncss with which the fire spread. gave
the employees Of the American institute M time
to uso them; and almost before the hose could he
screwed on. the conlugation had made such head
way, That all attempts TO save any thing On cxhi-
bition, much less the building. was entirely use
less.
/ The scene in the Palace during tho progress #
the flames Of indiscribnbc confusion.
panic seemed To seize every one. and the bewilder
cd visitors scarcely understood their dangerous
position vol enough to provide for their own sale
Ity. Tho children screamed, women fainte1 and
their distracted male attendants with difficulty
found their way 10 the doors, AT ;nc time We
write there is certainty MS 10 whether any lives
are lost, but if all who in the palncc escaped
ii is little less than Il miracle. Last night was To
have been a concert night. AMI the managers rs,i-
mate that ut least 10000 persons would have been
present. Had tho fire, therefore, taken place
three hours later. there is scarcely d"ub but
that thousands Of lives would have been lost. ns
all could not have passed the doors before the
dome fell.
The pitch pine witch formed the flooring stairs
aud framework .. the entire Palace ni!rdcd a
most nfammaLle pahulum for the conila, grafton
Ia feed upon. and this explains the reason If =,
rapid spread. The scene when thc fire was ~ IT.
height was one OF fearful mngniIrenee The huge
dome was like vast ball of fire. aud the flames
lcapcd up it's sides in great waves OF lurd light.
At one time tho whole palace was glowing like
burning coal. and vomiting up fire nj IA rate that
would have done credit to Nc>u,lIs. All who
who witnessed the spectacle declare that it was
one OF those things rarely seen IN II life time
About twenty-five minutes alter tho fire was
first discovered the dome fell within fearful crash.
and the flames made final leap upwards. md
sunk Ia rise no more In forty minutes from the
breaking out of the fire. the Palace and NIL it con-
tanned were totally destroyed, aud all that marx
the site Of this once proud building are few
standing towers and II smoking healuf ruins
The destruction Of this building will recall viz
idly to the public mind tho various demons IN.
tons Of which 1t was tho scene. Commenced
shortly after the brilliant success of the London
Crystal Palace. it's projectors INDUCED in nil sorts
oi golden visions respecting it's future; stock was
subscribed for with n,idity. aud rnn II great ways
nhoye par. 1t wa, opened in 1893 with u great
flourish Of trumrcts, aud the President of the t.
nitcd States, the mcl,bers OF his Cabinet, and the
chief State and city d'gniarlcs assisted ON the
ension. But the great exhibition turned out to be
n failure, as it was wrcchedly msmanagcd from
the start. To resus,itate the concern after the
stock had fallen long way helaw par. B,rl.um
was employed and he got mp bogus demon>tra-
ton that excited some curiosity and much mirth
at the time it took place. But Barnum. whose gc-
MUS always fails HIM when he gets beyond II
dwarf or u woolly hose, Jailed iugoriously in his
efforts to put the Palace ON its legs again. and the
stock finally went dawn To nothing. The concern
finally went into the hands Of n receiver. and the
city hns latey come into possession Of it, ny the
condition Of the lease given to the company had
not been complied with by them.
For years past it has been used for various pub
lie demonstrations Julien concerts. for the
fairs of the American Institute, Tor hnlls of which
the disgraceful one Of the Hunter Woods As>oci-
alton was the most nntcale, and lastly, the great
civic cable demonstration which took place the
LIST of September last
1t will be remembered that the l.atting Ohscrya-
tory. which was erected along with the Crystal
Palace. has also been destroyed by fire.
All the stauary aud paintings i'll the Palace
were, of course, destroyed. Some of the statues
were very fine. and ranked high works Of art.
The most striking object in the statuary depart
ment was the Thorwaldscn group. representing
our Saviour and the Twelve Apostles, which was
greatly admired by nll the visitors To the Palace
The figure of Christ was represented with out,
stretched hands, as if in the act OF blessing the
head slightly inclined. The statues of the APP II
ties stood on smaller pedestals, and were ranged
in the form of semi-circle.
Kiss equestrian statue Of the Amazon Attacked
by Lion, attracted very general attention. and
WAS usually surrounded bya group Of persons. 1t
was splendid work Of art, and its loss will be
An equestrian statue of Washington, life size.
by Baron Marochett. An imposing group ami
much admired colossal statue of Daniel Webster,
in marble, by Cayen of London
Lion and Demonstration in death struggle.
Colossal group o. II man struggling with II bear
IA very fine piece of statuary. In addition t.
these a large number Of hfe-sizcd busts uf
O'Cunnell, Moore. Father Mathew and Washing
ton, in marble and plaster. Together with sta.
tuettes of nymphs, dryads satyrs, goddesses, &c.
The group Of the Lovers going to the Well.
Altogether, in the matter of statuary there has
been a serious loss. The destruction Of Kiss IA
nous statue is especially To be regretted.
Among the losses by the fire are-in Pianos.
Chickering & Co.. $4,000; Steiuway & Co., s.
900; Schultz & Ludof $780, Bordman. Ora, 4
&C., 81. 900. Jewelrv-D RAFT 81 900: Tiffuny &
Co., 81 900; w. IL. Wilson. 900; Agricultural Ian
plements. total loss Sl3,50O. Wagons-Stevens
Smith, $1,000; F. Youngs, 81, 800 Photographs
IS. Root, $1,000.
The rope machine of Woodwork, Of Boston
and Erceson's caloric engine were also destroyed.
Sheumah & Roberts. lost photographic presses aud
other articles. Davis lost his machine for max