The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-03-23
can,bIing-Houses in Flames.
Loss Nearly So, 900, o,ooon

Ter OF TINS, IN company with several nc
qualntances, was engaged IN conversation
relative TO the chances ofescape from Pike
Opera-house, in case of an alarm of fir,
there: Peal on peal rang the alarm bell
just then and "Plke's Opefa-house burning
was the cry. 1t was half-past eleven VI
said--or tiVe or ten minutes earlier, For
Ilunately. very fortunately, the fnlmens,
Iaudlence congregated TO witness the gorge
GUS beauties of "Midsummer's Night
Dream" had all dispersed and sought thei
homes. G-e II
The first spark of fire which presaget
the terrible catastrophe we pre- about t.
chronicle. the most destructive perhaps
ever witnessed In this city, was first com
municated to the scenery back of the stage
the Immense mass of which, of canyas, oil
and paint was all In amass of flames in two
| or three minutes. Ia 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 mp to great hight, and Tapped
over upon adjoining buildings. al
| The night darkness was Illuminated with
| the immense sheets of flames, which hung
over the doomed ornament of the city-the
| palatial seat of the drama and of music
Soon huge masses Of black smoke burst
from the corplce of the Fourth street front
windows. Gradually the light, like the
rays of the morning sun in midsummer
CLEANED through the windows. aud told
the story OF utter anu complete destruc!
tioil 'is thcy burst through the glass and
shot OUT Their forked tongues and spit huge
flakes of flaming substance lIigh In the air.
AT quarter of twelve the scene was excl
ting in the extreme. The half square
bounded by Fourth, Vine. Baker and Wal
nut streets, had dome of luridly cleaning
flames, through which columns of smoke
shot up ana nom which showers OF sparks
anu pihches OF names nonted upward, and
.neh ahscehued upon thc burning mass be-
low, ahd upon the brightly Illuminated
streets where tens of thousands were con-
gregated, gazing IN awe upon the terrible
WORK or o. the destroying element:
Inc uome ana ceihng, with their gorgeous
anu artlstic orhainentation, upon which the
eyes OF citizens and strangers have gazed
" silent adiniratiorl fell, with the roof
with 'terrlfic crash. and there burst up
ward dazzling light, binding In its inten-
sity' Then iell the ornamental portion of
the snrmotInts OF the hont wall, and the
TOTAL destruction OF all was plain. Slowly
Dut surely the nre Grept down through the
VARIOUS sVorles OF the edlnce-through OIL
ces ana studsos--steadlly down to the mag
nltlcenc stores, running the entire length of
the building on the hist floor OF Fourth
street into the wealth OF literature. the tens
store the valuable stock OF Summers sewing |
machines, the nne music store or w. G.
Feters, ana fhllip fhillps pianos, the Inn |
mense goods stored IN the Adams Express |
rooms, the college rooms OF bryant STRAIT I
Ton De Hans commercial Institute, the
editorial room OF the Nattoadt Union.
Harpeis job printing establishments with |
It's valuable machinery. ana all the dozen
ofiices Desldes.r sAt haii-past twelve the de-
struction was complete, Indeed. The masses |
OF name had ienthely repiaced the noble
eqlnce--all thal remained OF f1ke's Opera
House was the grand hont or rather half
OF II, which stubbornly stood erect as of
Old, while the spitefui hre wreathed out
thhrougns .h tne skeiet1n ak WiiuoMs anu huSged
the stones as though graphing with them
20 wsenen 's as ip" ics, Inc siegan.
tbron@b II conld he seen i,nmense 'nJi niios a ns
burning tlmbers aid valuable goods.
An fills time the ILLUMINATION Nas .u,f,,lIv |
grand There was no darkness A tion
sand bon-iIres could not have made the
brightness more complete; and the air for
many squares around was not with the
breath OF the conilagration, and crowded
WIN olnders ana pieces OF burning wood,
which descended upon hundred house
tops. IRON the rear and west side OF the
wbeIming strength 10 the ex tensiye stables
of the Adams Express Company and the
buildings of the Cincinnati Daily Enquirer.
The fall of large mass Of wall upon the
rear of the Enquirer building insured its
partial destruction. and soon the flames
were communicated 20 the rear Of the first
and second floors, and rushing onward
crept through the front windows, aud told
the story ef their power to the flrenen,
who crept up to grapple with them. But
with the same power already so terribly
ugpH- ulE0lfinV nnmAa a