The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-03-29
Loss NEARLY $4,000. 900.

AdGHS Express OUtCoj uItu AuPot
JOB Printing Establishment Destroyed.
Loss NEARLY $4,000. 900.
We copy in part, the Commercials
graphic description of the awful con-
fiagration by which the city of Cincin.
natl was wished on Thursday night
last. A list of esti mated losses, with
the amount Of insurance thereon, is.
appended.
At half. past eleven last evening, the
writer Of this, in company with several
acquaintanccs, was engaged in CONVEX
sation relative to the chances Of csc lpe
from Pixies Opera house. in case Of an
alarm of fire there. Peal on peal rang
the alarm bells just then, and "Pike's
Opera-bouse burning" was the cry. 1t
was half-past eleven wo said-or five
or ten minutes earlier. Fortunately,
very fortunately, the immense audience
congregated to witness the gorgeous
beauties of MidsummerNight's Dream,
had all dispersed and sought their
homes.
The first spark offro which prcsaged
the terrible catastrophe we are about
to chronicle, the most destructive per-
haps ever witnessed in this city, was
first communicated to the scenery back
Of tho stage, the immense mass of
which, of canvas, oil and paint was all
in mass Of famos in two or three
minutes. In FIVE minutes the flames
had wrapped the whole magnificent
interior Of stage and auditorium, and
burst through the rear portion of the
roof. On the wings Of the draft thus
provided, the flames shot up to a great
hight, and Tapped over upon adjoining
buildings. The night darkness was
illuminated with tho immense sheets
of flame, which hung over the doom.
ed ornament Of the city--the palatial
soat of the drama AMI OF music. Soon
huge masses of black smoke burst from
the cornicc of the Fourth street front
windows. Gradually the light, like
the rays ofthe morning sun in midsum-
mer, cleaned through the windows,
and told the story of utter and COM
plete destruction as they burst through
the glass and shot out their forkcd
tongues and spit huge flakes of fam
ling substance high in air. At quar-
ter of twelve the scene was exciting in
the extreme. The half square bound
ed by Fourth, Vine, Baker and Wal
nut streets, had dome of luridly gleam-
ing flames, through which columns of
smoke shot up, and from which show
ers of sparks and punches of flame
hoated upward, and then descended
upon the burning mass below, and
upon the brightly illuminated street,
where tens of thousands wore congro,
gated, gazing in awe upon the terrible
work Of the destroying element. The
dome and ceiling, with their gorgeous
and artistic ornamentation, ,nponwhich
the eyes of citizens and strangers have
gazed in silent admiration, fell, with
the roof, with terrific crash, and
there burst upward dazzling light
Iblinding in its intensity. Then fell the
ornamental portion Of the surmounts
of the from. wall, and the total destruc
; ton of all was plain. Slowly but sure
ly the fire crept down through the va.
rious stories Of the edifce--through Of
fees and studios--st steadily down TO thu
magnificent stores, running the entire
length Of the building on the first foo
of Fourth street, into the wealth of lit
erature, the tens of thousands worth o
books OF Carroll's store, the valuable
stock ofSumners sewing machines, thu
fine music store of w g. Peters, & Phil
ip Phillips pianos, the immense goodi
stored in the Adams Express rooms
the college rooms OF Bryant, Stratton
& De Hans Commercial Institute, the
editorial room of tho National Union
Harpel's j,b printing establishment
with its valuable machinery, and al
the dozen offices besides. At half.pas
twelve tho destruction was complete
indeed. The masses of fame had en-
F, tirely replaced the noble cdifce-al
that remained of Pixies 0pera.hous
was the grand front, or rather half 0
lit, which stubbornly stood erect as Q
! old, while the splteiul fire wrcathe
, out through tho skeleton windows an
: hugged The stones as though grapplini
with them TO wrench them from place
The elegant ornamental arch endure
to tho end, and through it could b
s seen immense piles OF burning timber
+ and valuable goods.
n LOSSES AND INSURANCE.