Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-03-27
THE GREAT FIRE IN CINCINNATI.
Details OF the Destructive
COnfiagr;tiOn of last Thursday Night.
From the Cincinnati T;ncp lTorob 90

ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.

ORIGIN OF FIRE.
There have been many theories advance as to the
prime cause OF the explosion and fire. Several per-
sons who in attendance last night ut the per-
formance of the spectacular drama, Midsummer
Nights Dream" report that during the representa-
ton of the last act of the play there was somewhere
about t9e stqge, strong escape of gas which was
continuing till the curtain fell The vast audience
dispersed quietly at about 1870 O'Clock. After II
O'Clock private watchman James Mckinley, who was
the of the opera house. heard an explosion
not unlike the colapsing of gas-meter or the con-
cussIon that would be naturally produced by the
sudden collision OF gas and flame in an apartment of
preScri bed or condensed limits
lhe force OF this explosion was great that almost
the entire rear OF the Opera House was blown out
and thrown completely across Baker street. Watch
man Mckinley ran from where he then was TO the
corner of Fourth and Walnut where he turned in an
alarm of fire from ox No "a; as Immediately follow
ing the explosion, flames were seen to rise up and
spread their torked and furious tongues on all Sides
as i eager tor prey which could be easily devoured
Michael Io0hey, private watchman of the Opera
House, reports that between the time the audience
was dismissed and the explosion and confagration.
be went through the entire building and turned off
the gas Evidently there was leak in the gas Some
where for. as we have already stated, this was dis
covered by some of the audience during the per-
formance of the last act of the play. The truth of
the origin OF the explosion will perhaps remain
mystery. the flames spread with such rapidity as
to destroy all vestiges or clue that might have led to
solution Of the question.
TIE OPERA HOUSE.
The loss here is oyer million Of dollars on which
there is insurance of S3S OUU Nothing is left TO
the proprietor, of all that magnificent property save
walls. When Mr.. Pike heard the alarm he was in
his room in the Burnet House, fronting on Vine
flood through the roof in the neighborhood of the
chimney stack. While he upon the street for few
minutes, some scoundre picked bis pocket ola valu-
able watch lie viewed the tremendous scene. in
which million of his property was vanishing from
the roof of the Burnet House, with more calmness
than the majority of the multitude of SPECTATORS
Whatever dauntlcss spirit and an unwearied
energy on his part can do to repair his great loss
will certainly be done Mr. Morris Simmonds, acting
of the tlnpY1 Hons. boe
after the audience had retired, and there were no
signs OF fire. lie had scarcely left the building when
hearing noise like the rushing of mighty storm
he ran back to the auditorium to find it whrlwnd
Of flames.
The money and valuable papers contained in the
safe are all that were saved out of tho immense
wreck Of the dramatic and 0peTatic templea pitia-
bic saving in comparison with this loss to ndivid
ual and to the city.
THE ENQUIRER OFFICE
I5e hanes communicating to the Enquirer Office
exact account Of the progress of the deyourng ee-
ment-but the destruction of the establishment and
building was speedy and complete-nought but the
immense hollow shell formed by the still standing
outar walls remains OF what but yesterday was n
metropolltan newspaper printing house. Much will
SI!ipe seu, no oupt' oy me pTtlse"ofthy eGeflQnS
OF the bremen, who are still playing upon the sight
less ruins, in hopes of subduing the beat Of the still
burning enoerS, and saving what valuable property
may lie buried beneath.
Topmost upon the ruins Of this establishment lies,
upon its edge. in reeng posture. the huge iron safe
strange to say perfect state of preservation and
its contents unscathed. 1t is feared however that
the four-cylinder Hoe press, if unwarped by the
flames, lies beneath the burning of flooring and
crushing weight of brick, in broken condition as
to render it utterly useless hereafter The Enquirer
Office is insured at SS OG0 and had on hand $500
worth of printed matter and printing materials of
which $lS,0O0 worth belonged to John RobinSons
Circus, -Four boxes of show bills were only yester-
day delivered to l.ypman's Circus Company.
Many OF the printers and attaches of the Office only
saved themselves by a precipitate flight from the
house, some of them leaving their shoes and other
wearing apparel behind
GREAT DISTANCE AT WHICH THE FIRE WAS SEEN.
So powerful was the light made by this immense
gers of train on the indianapolis and Cincinnati
Railroad, forty two miles away, and by passengers on
louisville mail boat fifteen. miles down the river