Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-10-08
RurnIng oflhe n. Y. ,Crystal Palace.
HARROW ESCAPE OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
SOMETHING ABOUT IT'S HISTORY.
IFrom the Herald Of yesterday.l

Prom the Herald Of yesterday.l
The Crystal Palace, the scene of so many of
the great public demonstrations which have ta- |
kenplace insthis city of late years, was totally |
destroyed by fire last evening, and the site is |
now mass of smoking ruins. Not only the
Palace itself, but every thing that it contained,
was burned up, and the exhibitors at the Grand |
Fair of the American Institute. which was being
held there for two weeks past, have lost all they
had in the building.
There is every reason to believe that the fire
was the work of an incendiary, as it originated
in part of the building in which no fire was
used, but which was filed with intlammable
material, tile debris of the Palace, which; was
put in al. ont ofthe way place. for fear of acci=
dents. The fire was first discovered shortly
before five o'clock in the afternoon, in tho north
east corne r;ot the building, about two hundred
teet IRON where the machinery was on exhibi-
ton. AT this time there were about three thous
sand persons in the building, mostly women and
children, who were viewing the articles on ex-
hlblton. The building was SO large that it
proved dltncult to spread an alarm, and it was
some time before the vlsiters could be warned
OF their danger; and the danger to all in the pal
ace was most imminent, for the flames, when
they got under Roadway, spread with fearful
rapidity, and as,if by magic the vast edit1ce was
one mass Of glowing fire aud fame. There
were eight hydrnnts in the building; but the
suddenness with which the FIRE spread gave the
employees of the American Institute no time to
use them; and almost before the hose could be
screwed on the confagration had made such
Roadway that all attempts to save anything on
exhibition, much less the building, was entirely
useless
The. scene in the Palace during the progress
of the flames was one of indescribable confu-
sion. A panic seemed to seize every one and
the bewildcred visitors scarcely understood
their dangerous position well enough to provide
for their own safety. The children screamed,
women tainted, and their distracted male attend
ants with difficulty found their way to the doors
At the time we write there is no certainty as to
whether any lives are lost, but if all who were
in the palace escaped it is little less than a
miracle. Last night was to have been concert
night, and the managers estimate that at least
10000 persons would have been present. Had
the hire, therefore, taken place three hours later,
there is scarcely doubt but that thousands of
lives would have been lost, as all could not have
passed the doors before the dome fell.
The pitch pine which formed the flooring,
stairs and framework of the entire paluOe
afforded most inflammable pabulnm for the
condagratlon to feed upon, and this explains
the reason of its rapid spread. The scene when
the tire was at its height was one of fearful
magnificence. The huge dome was likelasvast
ball OF tire, and the flames leaped up its sides
IN great waves of lurid light. At one time the
whole palace was glowing like burning coal,
and vomiting up FIRE at rate that would have
done credit to Vesuvivs. All who witnessed
the spectacle declare that it was one of those
things rarely seen in a lifetime.
About twenty five minutes after the, fire was
first discovered the dome fell with n fearful
crash, and the flames made one final leap up
wards, and sank to rise no more In forty
minutes from the breaking out of the fire the
Palace and alit contained were totally DESTROYED;
and all that mark the site of this once proud
building are few standing towers and Smok-
ing heap ofruins
Inc destruction of the building will recall viv-
idly to the public mind the various deuonstra-
tons OF which twas the scene. Commenced
shortly after the brilliant success of the Crystal
Palace, its projectors INDUCED in all sorts OF
golden visions respecting its future: stock was
subscribed with avility, and ran great .ways
above par. 1t was opened in 1868 with great
flourish of trumpets, and the President of the
United States, the members of his Cabinet, and
the hief1State and city digntaries assisted OH
the OCCASION But the great exhibition turned
out to be failure, as 1T was wretchedly misman-
aged from the start. To reSuscitatc the concern
after the stock had fallen long way below par,
harnumT was employed, and he got up bogus
demonstration that excited some curiosity and
much mirth at the time it took place. But
barnum, whose genius always fails when ne gets
beyond dwarf or'woolly horse, failed inglori.
ousyln his efforts to put the Palace on its legs
again, and the stock finally went down to moth
ing. The concern finally went into the hands
OF q receiver, and the city has lately cometinto
possession of it, as 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
public demonstrations-for Julien concerts for
the fairs of the American Institute, for 3als (of
which the disgracefuld one of the Hunter Wood:
is Association was the most notable) and lastly
the great civic cable demonstration which took
place on the LIST of September last.