, 1863-12-23
DISASTROUS CONFEDERATION,
A Packing House on Fire---Com-
pletc Destruction OF the
Building.


A fire broke out, at lttlo past one O'Clock yes
te1day morning In tho packing house Of Tnzner &
Mitchell, at, bridgeport, which wss discovered
10 be on fire On the nfBt door near the lard txnks
The watchman was busy at the moment In clean.
ing the Office floor. Hehearda cracking as Of flre,
and On going out found tho place al ablaze. He
ran to tho water pipe bnt the water had been shut
OF to prevent 1t from freezing in the pIpe. and h.
fore he coud rcech the tap In the cellar the dames
had communicated to the lard In the kettles snd
gained headwsy which no ordinary power could
combat successfully. The hre-bcn rang the alarm
as Boon az the blaze had become 30 large as TO be-
come apparent to the watchman On the Court
house, and the engines repaired to the spot With
pfaiseWorthy ceer1ty. but they found the building
wrapped In hames hpm cellar to root one brnad
vivid, ecorching mass, which seemed to mock
their efforts 10 a1lsyil. They were unable to an.
preach very closely. but did excellent service ut
little distance.
The sight which presented itself ts seldom
cquaAed, eTcn In Chicago, where wooden etruc-
tures invite to 1ncendiar.ern, and structure com
municates to structure In most unfafe manner.
Tbs highly combustIble nature OF thu contents
and great amount Of calo1ic liberated in their
desy metamo1phosie. produced sight and senss.
ton not possible to describe. The building co.,
tained four tanka each holding Ut the time sir to
eight thousand pounds Of tallow, besides which
the carcnssca Of 1855 cattle, killed on: the
Ras0ns coseae aan and viii hns ,,de. eso
othe1 material which had accumulated for some
days: This immense amount OF fatty mottar.
ila.Eeay ~ composed q carbon, furnished the basis
prolonged combustion. It was 4 sieht Thich
none % q these who saw Il win forget. The largc
g oS ssa tSHi as5ss @ snd s
crzckIed md blazed IN uninterrupted and uncon-
t.olably triumphant power. There were no
as aPsa PPsea q tSs hs
ssrIendous edalscnec Of its lightncss; 1t was
bright. c1ear, Intense.
that indomitable perseverance, and energy which
only belongs 10 those who have been we'll echoo]ed
to to- labor desnt1y against an apparently o1ershelm;
s1iA the fire h!azcd ncrcey axeycF, yet thsy showed
no signs Of asging, and the voIce OF the old Chief
At seysn ss i DID st three
would be mosi efficient. or eoarsc he
sSadas Sat ss aeisse sfs sss es eonaaas a .saas assP
$b0 900 worth Of meats were eayed, not single
portion OF either being injured. 4 number Of cat
t,c were confined close to the building, ready for
terribly eeorched, but those who were looking
on had better sense thnn most Of the spectators il
adEe. they released them and drove the whole herd
to secure place, whence they were transferred
yesterday to another slaughter honsc soou alter
wards, their death being not less certain, though
lcEE IUuDlE l0au II t1eS 1AQ NIed py Ire.
The building was hcap OF ruins ere the nre
showed signs Of, material dimiuution. The hoes
were all kept playing till near II o'clock, IL not
being considered sale to leave sooner. and some
Of the engines continued at work till past noon
About 10 O'Clock tbs eastern and southern walls
5el tn carrying with them portion ef he Others.
braced Up by the scragged portions Of Val.
The origin Of the hre ts : mystery: The fireman
had left the house At o'clock, and left no fire un
der tho raDgc Of boilers. The fire had gained SO
mnch when the watehnan first saw 1t t1at he Tas
unable 10 ascertain II lighted combusttble material
had been thrown in ftom without, and as no per:
the fire will never be known, though from full
consideration of asl the circumstances, 1t seems
too probable that 1t was the work Of an inceudi-
nry.
The loss in property was from forty to fifty
thousand dollars, including the building. 1t was
insured foF $4,000 in some Of ou5 best sompanies,
heavily the fire itself: but when 1t IL considered
that their hnsiness ia completely broken for the
winter, and that outstanding affnIrs may be COM
pllcated thereby, it will be thst the loss is
sufficiently heavy The building WAS erected two
years ago. They hare killed this season G,0O0 cat
lie and COO hogs.