Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1865-07-22
The Great Fire in New York.

able PTJperfy-Ihe L0SS'S-EEtFa'
ordinary Scenes and Incidents, &c.
The particulars of the fire in New
York on Thursday, the 18Th inst, which
destroyed Barnum's museum and ada
cent valuable property, are gwen in the
papers of that city at very great length.
The Herald's account is, in substance, as
follows:
The fire broke out a. about half-Past
twelve o'clock in a basement storage
room adjoining another room IN which
there was a steam boiler, under the rear
of Barnum's Museum, on Ann street, and
swep, upward rapidly through that Ia
nous establishment. and extended thence
along Ann street TO Broadway and to-
wards Nassau street, and through the
block to Fulton street. The progress OF
the flames was very rapid, and soon all
that was left of the world-renouned Mu-
scum was a heap Of blackened Hnd smoul'
dering ruins, and ultimately, before mas
terv of the devouring element had been
gained by The 6remeD, clean sweep was
made Of all the buildings on Broadway,
between Ann and Fulton streets, along
Ann street., as far as and including No. II,
and along Fulton street to No. l55. AL.
together eighteen buildings were destroy
ed, and others received considerable dam
age.
INCIDENTS AT THE MUSEUM.
The scenes inside Of the Museum du-
ring the progress OF the flames are de.
scribed as being exciting in the extreme.
The reporter of the Tribune claims to
have had an advantageous position for
Witnessing the interior OF the building du-
ring the conAagralion, and is responsible
for the following: When the flames
commenced TO reach the tops OF the cages
of the wild beasts. the tumut reached l's
height, and their yells, roars, howls and
screams could be heard TO the distance OF
half mile. With Simultaneous bound,
the lion and his mate sPrang against their
bars, which gave way and came down
with great crash, releasing the beasts.
Almos, at the same time the upper part
of the lhree-storled cage, consumed by
the flames, fell forward, letting the rods
drop 10 tie floor, and many other animals
were thus sci free. A horrible howl in
The right hand corner Of The room, ayeII
of indescribable agony, and crashing
grating sound Indicated that the tiger and
bolar bear had broke the bars Of their
cage, and the lurid light Of the flames re-
veaIed the tiger and lion locked together
in close combat. The base OF the rods
Of the serpent's cage had also crumbled.
and the largest boa'constriCtor (about 20
feet long and as thick as mans body
was also engaged in deadly aruggle with
the lioness. The polar bear had shrunk
10 the coolest corner, with half his fur
burnt from his snowy coat. The mon
keys were perched on windows, shlver-
ing with dread and afraid to jump out.
The snakes were writhing about, Grip
pied and blistered by the heat, darting oul
their Gorked tongues and expressing their
rage and fear in the mos! sibllant OF his
ses.
The whale and aligators suffered dread
full tormenls. The water in which they
swan was literally boiling. The alIlga-
tors dashed fercely about, endeavoring 10
escape, and opening and shutting their
great Jaws in ferocious torture; but the
poor whale. which had recently created
quite sensation, almost boiled, with
great ulcers bursting from his blubberIy
sides, could only leebly swim about,
though blowing excessively, and every
now and then sent up great fountains Of
spray.
AT length crack went the glass sides Of
the great cases, and whale and alligators
rolled ont on the floor with the rushing
and sleaming water. The whale died
pretty easily, having been prerv well
used up before. One of the alligators
became involved in controversy with an
anaconda and joined the melee in the CEN
ire of the blazing apartment.
ghe floor, undermined by fame, soon
gave way with an awful crash, and the
living, struggling, bowling. writhiDg mass
was launched into a gulf of red and yell
low FIRE. The last object seen was the
polar bear, upon whiIe-hOt square OF
sheet iron, with all the bair burned from
his hide, and standing stark and stiff, and
rapidly baking brown.
A number of tbe birds which were
Gagged in the upper part of the building
were sci free by some chsriiably InclIn'
ed person at lhe FIRST alarm OF bre. AT
intervals they few out. There were ma.
ny valuable tropical birds--PsrrOIs OF all
sizes and manifold colors. parroqueis,
cock stoos. mocking birds, ,bumming BIRDS
&C., as sell as some vultures snd eagles