The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1865-08-09
Destruction of Barnum's Muse
um by Fire.
Fearful B. Exciting Scenes Among
the wild Beasts and the AMI
mails.

A reporter for New York paper, Civ
ling an account Of the recent destruction
of Barnum's 8 Museum and Menagerie, de-
scribes the scene among the wild beasts as
follows.
Soon after the breaking out of the con-
hagration, number of strange and terri
BILE howls and means proceeding from the
large apartment in the third story of the
Museum, corner of Ann street and Broad
way, startled the throngs who had collect
ed in front Of the burning, building, and
who were at first under the impression
that the sound must proceed from human
beings unable to effect their escape
Their anxiety was somewhat relieved on
this score; but their CONSERVATION was by
no means decreased upon learning that
the room In question was the principal
chamber of the menagerie connected with
the Museum, and that there was imminent
danger of the release of the animals there
confined, by the action Of the flames.
Our reporter fortunately occupied a
room on the north side of Ann street, cor
ner of Broadway, the windows of which
look Immediately into this compartment;
and no sooner was he apprised of the fire
than he repaired there, confident of find
ling ''items" in abundance. Luckily the
windows of the Museum were unclosed,
and he had perfect view of almost the
tentire interior of the apartment The fol-
lowing is his statemet of what followed,
in his own language:
Protecting myself from the intense heat
as well as 1 could by taking the matrass
from the bed and erecting it as bulwark
before the window, with only enough space
reserved on the top as look out, l anxi-
ously observed the animals in the oppos-
lite room. Immediately throwing the op-
Iposite window through which gazed, was
large cage containing lion and lioness.
To the right hand was the three-storied
cage, containing monkeys at the top, two
kangaroos in the second story, and "hap-
py family" of rats, cats, adders, rabbits,
ETC., in the lower compartment.
i To the left of tho lions cage was the
tank containing the two vast alligators,
and still further to the left, partially hid
den from my sight, was the grand tank
containing the great white whale, which
has created such furore in our sight-see-
ing midst for the past few weeks. Upon
the floor was Gagged the boa-constrictors
, anacondas and rattlesnakes, whose heads
would now and then rise menacingly
+, through the top of the cage. In the ex;
treme right was the cage entirely shu
from my view at first, containing the Ben
gal tiger and the Polar bear, whose terri
fed growls could.be distinctly heard from
behind the partition. -
The confagration, was as yet, confined
to the upper part of the building. The
: lower walls, however, were becoming rap
idly heated, and all of the animals begar
s. to manifest much uneasiness. The white
3 Or silver fox ran up and down his cage
: whining piteously and endeavoring to es
{ cape The lions also paced hurriedly NJ
! and down, moaning most dismally, and al
}. the other beasts manifested similar uneasi
u ness The serpents stuck their heads u
above the sill of the window and writheC
u about in strange contortions.
When the fire had eaten its swift wa,
8 down to the third floor, and the lurid glar
: burst through the transoms of the doors
the panic among the beasts became posi-
lively fearful. They spraug against thei
8 iron bars and stovesto rend them with thei
- teeth, at the sat1e time sending forth say
. age and frightened cries which were a
most human Ia their agony. AT length
when the flames burst through the top {
/ the door and commenced to lick the to
~ ~ of the cages, the tumult reached its high
~ Yells, roars, howls and screams went u
ye from the doomed brutes, which were hear
- to the distance of half mile.
., With simultaneous bound, the lio
II T and his mate sprang against their bar
! which gave way. and came down with
y great crash, releasing the beasts, whic
'u for moment, apparently amazed at the
:, sudden liberty, stood in the middle OF tt
ID floor lashing their sides with their tai
.e and roaring dolefully.
., Almost at the same moment the upp
eu part of the three-storied cage, consume
by the flames, fell forward, letting the ro'
no drop to the floor and many other anima
were thus set free. Just at this nome
10 the door fell through and the. flames al
u smoke rolled in like Hhirlwind from Il
~ Hadean river >Cocytus,
A horrible howl in the right hand co
liS ner of the room, yell of indescribat
;, agony, and crushing, grating sound
'n dicated that the tiger and polar bear we
no stirred up to the highest pitch of e1cit
S,s.' ment. Then there came great crash
~ of the giving way of the bars Of the
10 cage. The flames and smoke momcntai
oi- ly rolled back, and for few seconds
interior Of the room was visible IN t
90 lurid light of the flames, which reveal
~. the tiger aud the lion locked together
%, close combat.
. The base of the rods Of the serPen
be cage had also crumbled, and the larg
boa -constrcitor--about twenty feet 10
and as thick as mans body-was a
engaged in deadly struggle with the lie
ess.
The polar bear had shrunk to the co
81, est corner, with half his far burnt fir
,sy his snowy coat, and there sat wonderir
ca ly gaaihg,upon the scene before him.
~ customed, as he had been, to deal W
only the walrus and the seal in the c.
blue waters of the Arctic regions, he '
is evidently considerably alarmed at the
cessively torrid scene, which was blaz
Through the room. Under the eirou