The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-30
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FIRE IN CINCINNATI.

up metropolis have been herculean,
and there can be no question that she
had the grandest Opera House in
America-which is now in ashes. The
following are the particulars of the
great fire: - -.
The most terrible and fiercely destruc-
tive fire ever known in the annals of
Cincinnati history, took place last night.
The beautiful art palace, Pixies Opera
House, is no more, aud the only vestige
remaining of Cincinnati's gra ndest Or
nament is pile of blackened, smolder-
ing ruins.
About half-past eleven o'clock, those
who were near the corner of Fourth and
Vine streets, Were startled by loud ex-
plosion, followed almost Immediately by
runbling noise like that of thunder.
! Almost before sufficient time had elapsed
to realize that an explosion had taken
| place, the whole heavens were brilliant
y illuminated, and flames were seen to
dart forth from the rear part of the opera
house, and before the alarm was given,
| the whole back portion of the edfice
was in flames. r
In less than five minutes after the first
flames were seen to issue from the fourth
story windows of the back part of the
building, the whole back portion of the
roof was one mass of fire. 1t spread with
fearful fury, and almost before those
who had gathered on the spot could
realize the terrible spectacle, the whole
inside of the building was in flames.
| The fire next communicated to the rear
portion of the roof of the Enquirer office,
| From, thnro tn a email fro hui ldincr ,.,
the upper side OF Baker street, occupied
by II. p. Hopkins sign painter; from
thence to the gambling house of Leur Il
Mead, Immediately in the rear of the
opera house; then Immediately east to
the stable of the Adams Express Com
pany; thence across the street to the
roof of Whaley's gambling house, all on
Baker street on the Fourth street square
1t spread from the opera house to the
two three story buildings between the
opera house and Sprague's building. On
the east it communicated to the four
story brick building occupied. by S.
Holmes 6 Co., as q wall paper and win
dow shade establishment.
AT 2.3O this morning, we learn the fol-
lowing particulars OF the loss on Fourth
street:
In Pixies Opera House were the
Adams Express Company, the Nation
al Union office; Buckeye billiard saloon !;
Western agent Wheeler d Wilson's sew
ing machines, and also Bradbury's pi-
amos A. G.. Peters d Co., music pub
fishers; Strowbridge e Gerlach, litho-
graphers; Bryant, Stratton IL De Hans
printing Office. East of Pixies, were F.
| ID sIol,lv Lnnt aud shoe rpol-ar.
Holmes d Son, paper hangers; ID. H.
Baldwin, agent for the sale Of pianos,
organs and melodeons John II. Wilson,
machinist; A. II. Clark, gents furnish
ing store West of Pixies were the "Do
you Smile' saloon; Niblett & Atkin-
sons saloon; j. w. Langley, dealer in
cigars, tobacco, etc. and a gambling
house. Mr.. ). N. Pixies loss is estma
ted at 81 100000, on which was an insu-
rance of only $4,000. Mr.. 5. Wilson's
cloak house, on the upper side of Fourth
caught fire, and was damaged to the ex-
tent of $1,000; fully insured. Messrs
Nihett Il Atkinson's loss Is about S18-
00), on which there was an insurance of
$4,000. The "DO you Smile saloon
loss is about $4,000, partly insured.
Buckeye billiard saloon, loss about Sl0,-
00J, partly insured Harpe's loss about
S. 600, no insurance; Bryant, Stratton
& De Han, loss SS, 900, no insurance;
Strauss, artist, loss in paintings, $1,000;
no insurance; StrOwbridge, & Co., litho-
graphers, estimated loss, $40, 900: A. C.
Peters, loss SIS, 900; Wheeler q Wilson
loss heavy, as they had large stock of
sewing machines on hand could not
learn whether insured or not Adams
Express Company, loss not known-pa-
pers and valuable documents saved S.
Holmes Il Son, f. p. Haldy, John j.
! Wilson and A. j. Clarke were damaged
more by water than by fire. The losses
we are unable to ascertain. The build
ing occupied on the corner of Fourth
and Vine by Sprague as clothier, w. j.
Clapp " Co., manufacturers of jewelry,
and a number of others, was not dam
aged whatever, notwithstanding the
flames ragged on the east side and rear of
il to a fearful extent.
! Philip Philips, agent for Bradbury's
pianos, next door to Wheeler IL Wilson,
suffered heavy l0ss,
II. w. Carroll 4 Co book publishers
loss estimated at 500, 600 in stock, partly
covered by Insurance. Ddity National
Union oilice-loss estimated at 81 900, on
which there is no insurance.
| TIC HtInCS, dS We IidNC ulTtduy Sdlu,
from the Opera House spread rapidly to
the Epquirer Office, on the corner of
Vine and Baker streets, commencing
| their ravages at the back part of that
building They quickly communicated
to the interior, and soon the whole
| building was in mass of fire. The up
| per portion of the back wall soon fell,
and was followed by the floor of the
fourth story, which was used as the news
ROOM. The falling of this floor neces-
STATED the falling of the story imme-
diately underneath and the burning
debris which descended with it, soon
fired the whole building.
The firemen worked with heroic forti-
tude, but their efforts were entirely
fruitless, and at the present writing the
whole building is mass of upsightly
and blackened ruins. Messrs. Farran Il
Mclean, the proprietors of the Enquirer,
estimate their loss at 100000, upon
which they have an insurance of nearly
$50, 900. The four cylinder press located,
in the cellar, is covered with the debris,
and it is impossible to tel bow badly it is
injured. In the store room, on the third
floor, were stored great number of val
liable cuts, 900 worth of which Were
owned by Mr.. John Robinson, the cir
Gus manager. Upon these there was no
insurance.
On Baker street the flames made sad