The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-05-24
GREAT FIRE IN NEW YORK.

GREAT FIRE IN NEW YORK. s
BURNING or the Academy OF Music,
Medical college, and n Dozen Other
BuiIdIngs---Terrible Scenes In the
NrighborhoOd OF the FIre---FRmilies
Fleeing In Panic from their Burn-
ing DweIllngs---Stateme OF the
Sufferers.
A few minutes before 12 o'clock last
night fire was discovered burning un-
der the parquette of the Academy of
Music, The smoke was first noticed on
the north side of the building, near the
Irving place entrance. An alarm was
at once given, and dpromptly responded
to by the Fire Department.. owing to
the dense volume of smoke, which
soon filled the interior of the building,
the tiremen had great difficulty in locat-
ing the exact spot where the fire was
burning. 1t was supposed that the
great mass of fire was under the hoor
of the stage. Streams of fire were at
once directed throughout the building,
but without effect, as the flames gained
so rapidly that the tiremens were
driven from the interior OF tne Acaoe1 e1
my, and it is feared that several
of the firemen were unable to ex,
tricate themselves, and are buried
under the ruins, The flames then
spread so rapidly that in few
moments the whole of the Interior
was a mass of roaring. seethtng hames.,
The brisk breeze blowing at The time
caused the fire to burn more tfercely,
and it-was found that 1t would be I'M
possible to save the building. The at
|tention of the tiremen was then direct
ed to Saving the adjoining property.
The medical college on Fourteenth
street, Immediately adjoining the Opera
I ffrEa NFN 1 q FOnf and f.
forts to save this building proved futile.
The piano factory of lime 81 Son, ad-
Joining these. took fire on the roof, and
in a few minutes flames were seen
gushing out of all the windows. The
flames then communicated to the res
taurant on the northwest corner OF
Third avenue and Fourteenth street,
and to the building Nos. 122, 124, and
l26 Third avenue, which were nearly all
destroyed.
Irving place is all quietude. There's
certainly nothing strange about this
fact, for at this hour (ten minutes after
twelve, midnight) it's always quiet
old neighborhood. There the gay au-
diences which have througed the Acnd-
envy of Music, Irving Hall, and other
adjacent resorts, have returned to the
silence OF their homes; and the streets
which pealed with their musical laugh
ter, as they jaunted gaily to their dom
iciles, are again all silence. Hence the
remark-HThere's nothing strange
about it.n
on the corner of Seventeenth street
and Irving place, however, something
is occurring which certainly strikes as
''strange" such stragglers as may hap
pen to be passing that point-for they
stop; and gaze, and make inquiries.
Half dozen men are working rapidly
about something thatpuffs, and misses,
and spurts, but seems intent ON making
as little noise as possible. This proves
on examination 10 be n fire engine, and
its proximity suggests fire close at
hand. This was, as stated before, at
ten minutes past twelve.
Just ten minutes later a dense black
smoke breaks out from the roof of the
celebrated old Academy of Music, just
over the stage. The darkness, which
has become Intensified by the rolling
brilliancy by bright eddy of solid
flame, and then bursts upon all who
have witnessed the passing incidents,
the knowledge that the treat hall of
song, fashion, and frivolty is consum-
ing by fire.
Brighter and brighter grow the flames
as the fiery element licks up and swal-
lows each dry portion of the wood
work. The root gradually gives way
from rear to front, and as 1t falls into
the raging furnace beneath-seems to
add to instead of assuaging its horrible
appetite.
from the west and northwest, soon
drives the flames with furnace blast
against the walls of the Medical lnsti-
tute, which quickly shares the fate of
is predecessor. From the house tops
N the vicinity the sceHe was now ap-
pallinRly sublime. irs
M . - - 80 - NJ ,s Of ynn,,
day, and the little birds, under the be-
lief that day had arrived, were flying
in all direction. From all parts of the
city people were hocking to the scene of
destruction. The street cars were hnd-
died together and immovable, while
each cross-street was swarming with
those "night owl jehus" who haunt the
regions of saloons of gin and vice
ready to pounce upon their drunken
quarry. -..-ss.,.
The people in all the vicinity were on
house.tops contemplating the scene,
and everywhere the busy: iremen toll
ed on. This morning mass of ruins
greets the eye, where so recently caroled
the goddesses of song. No efforts could
save the doomed structure.
THE NEWS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
Notwithstanding the lateness of the
hour, the news of the conhagration
spread throughout the city, and crowds
from everyquarter flock 10 the vicinity
to witness the burning. Every car
was crowded with persons coming down
town and going up town for this pur
pose, and the Third avenue, Irving
Place, Fourteenth street, Fourth avenue
and Union Square, was literally packed
with thousands of people. Every
wooden awning and shed, every lamp
post, every tree and all the house tops
were occupied, and the sight revealed
in the brilliant glare of the fire was one
of unusual nagnifcence. The whole
city was illuminated, and the BOwery,
for its entire length, was almost as
light as day. The gilt signs on the
buildings shone with the brilliancy OF
sunset, and could easily be read at a
distance. People residing in theneigh-
borhood came from their beds, men,
women, and even children hnrrying
out to see the sight. AS usual on such
occasions, everybody wanted to get
within the lines, but the police were
out in ample force and succeeded in
keeping the immediate vicinity of the
fire clear of the crowd, thus enabling
the firemen to perform their duty.
FOURTEENTH STREET DESERTED.
Owing to the terrific heat of the fire
tile whole section of Fourteenth street,
from Fourth avenue to Third avenue,
was almost deserted The firenien were
unable TO stand their ground here, and