Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1865-06-09

FIRE LAST NIGnT-THE OID FREIGHT De-
POT OF THE G. II, & d. X. r. TOTALLY DE-
sTRoYED. THE frame building used formerly
as the general freight depot OF the c. H.
] Il ID, Il. H. situated near the Union Passen-
ger Depot, on Sixth street, was totally de
j stroyed by fire last night. The fire broke
out between eleven and twelve o'clock, and
30 rapid was the progress Of the flames thnt
the entire building, with its contents, we're
( consumed within IN hour. The buiIding was
I of frame, nothing but shell, and very dry,
so that the destroying element had quick ana
easy work. Three freight cars wero also
i urned-tWo inside and one outside OF the
bulldng The Steamers were promptly on
The ground, utthe flames had already made
such rapid progress, that they could do but
f little except 10 save the adjacent buildings,
none Of which were injured. This depot wes
llsed merelJ.al the e.receptalco oil local freight,
The chief freghting business being done
lat the depot Of the Dayton and Michigan r
R. East of the Canal.
Tho burned building, We learn, contained
number OF "reapers,' large quantity of
fghiningrod iron, and some other artlcles of
freight, all OF which we're destroyed.
As!o the origin OF the fro, VIC know nothing
urther than what ives stated by one of the
hight watchmen at the Depot to the local
sditoF of the Journal, as follows
"The railroad yard, ia which are the depols
4 &nd cars, are patrolled by two watcbmen-
4 tmos Clark and Joseph Hammond-w
gere on duty last night We learn from Mr..
z lark that parties were at work in the Depot
s. zor were there examining some fright-at the
ime the FIRE broke out. lie saw them have a
iilroad lantern, inspecting couple ofIbar.
SIS in which was some kind of inllammable
fquid. Suddenly one of the barrels was in
: ame, and the watchman ran to the place
I'd tried to extinguish the fire; and he sue
Heded IN throwing over ore of the barrels,
fhen 1t exploded, scattering the flames ali
or that part of tho depot Seeing that he
IS helpless to put out the Gre he gave tho
arm, waking clerk, who was sleeping in
Ne depot, aud aronsing the neiphbors, and
tending the alarm TO the Engine Compa.
es. What became of the men who had the
Nllroad lantern, we did not learn.
SsFIhe old depot had in it an office, ia
ich tho clerks sleep, and the place was
&rely used for local freight and storage.
number of "reapers several tons Of
Ehtning-rod iron, and other malters, were in
Depot, and were consumed. The barrels
lieh are named as containing the spirits that
sd the building, belonged to the proprietor
the lighting rods, and the liquid was use
4 Ncodt the rods. IL is the belief Of Mr. Clark
~ the hre was the result OF carelessness in
parties holding tho tight TOO near that
Mhly lnhamablo article"
+ Since the above was in type, we have heard
plher version as to the origin of the fro
+ lch ia probably the correct one. Il is, thu
a Of the switchtenders connected with the
I'd, went into the depot with lantern in
Eeh Of Goa tar for the purpose of caulkps
q oAt which they intended to use in a fishing
q ursion They approached the casks spo-
Of, and the gas escaping from them,
eh was quite dense, Immediately ignited,
ising the explosion Of one of them and the
sug of the building.
here were fourteen Rsapers, tho property
hessrs. Bomberger 4 Wright Their loss
about $500, the castings and iron work
being injured No insurance. We have
learned the extent oltbe other losses.
Iift.H.. rIrTYItr.