Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1866-03-29
From Cincinnati.
Correspondence of the Journal.l
CINCINNATI, March 25, 1866

Correspondence of the Journal.l
CINCINNATI. March 25. 1866.
The telegraph has told you that
Cincinnati has lost her brightest or
nament, Pixies Opera House, and
that with it the fire fiend has destroy
ed property amounting to over a mil
lion and a half dollars. This build
ing. in the center of business, on
our fashionable promenade, exter-
ternally a model of architectural
symetry and beauty, internally fur
nished and adorned with all the mag
nificence that taste could dictate and
money supply, was the pride of our
city. first to be shown to visitors,
where magnitude and beauty were
ever proclaimed abroad as wondrous
examples of Western enterprise and
Iiberality. To-day ashapeless, sick
ening mass of smoking ruins, black
ened fragments of lofty walls, alone
remain to US, SIS mementoes of the
magnificence that once was. Upoa
these ruins, thousands mournfully
gaze, in sympathetic sorrow for the
sufferers of this greatest fire of our
city's history.
S. N. PIKE.
You know the history of this Opera
House, how that nine years ago,
Pike-in whose slight frame and
little body seemed concentrated the
energy and enterprise of a hun
dred men-commenced all alone, the
construction of an opera house that
should be not merely the pride OF
our city alone, but of the great west,
and that within two years thereafter
he finished at q cost of 100000 8
building whose grandeur and size
are equalled on this continent in
New York city only, if indeed there.
On its ground floor were several
large stores, and the Adams Express
com panY Office, all of them filed al
the time of the fire with unusually
large and valuable stocks.
THE FIRE.
All this wealth and beauty perish.
ed last Thursday night. Half al
hour after the performance OF that
evening, and the closing of the build
ing, a violent explosion in the upper
and rear part of the building wa:
heard. What it was, and its cOuse
no one has been able to ascertain
It's force, mysterious and sudden
drove outward the rear wall of the
building, and in close succession fol
lowed the eager flames. The alara
was sounded and our fire department
called to the rescue. But what could
be done? The great theater with it:
scenery, oiled canvass, paint ant
pine. was but an immense tinder box
through which the flames like eXult
ing demons, rushed in fiery triumph
The falling walls partially crushed
the Enquirer Office, and soon thi
added to the fiery element. Th,
heat was intense, the wind high, ant
great masses of hIirnins wood an'
r 6aper. red hot tin, borne high in N,
air, were landed on the~fo0is Q
houses six and seven squares dis
tant. The flames were driven by th
wind in great arches over and agains
adjoining buildings, and only by con
tinual foods of water were thes,
latter saved. Two gambling houses
on Baker street back of the Oper;
House, two stores west of it on 4tl
street, and the Enquirer office, wer,
totally or partially destroyed. Th,
wonderful excellence of our steam
fire engines was the only thing tina
saved the whole north side of Fourtl
street. Before such a fire, ordinary
hand engines would be utterly worth
less. For eighteen hours the en-
gines, thirteen in number, poured i'm
mense streams of water upon th'
flames. BY two. o'clock of FRIDAY
morning they had barred all farthe
advance of the fiery monster, anC
were driving him steadily from th,
foothold already gained.
By this time thousands of. people
crowded the slreets in the region o
the fire. Rumors of accidents anC
death were rife, as usual, but hap
PLY, we have found that no lives wer,
!. lost, and but few injuries received
LOSSES.
/ give YOU the losses as estimated
in yesterdays papers. OF course a
yet, these can not be definitely sta
ted. From them you may gathe
some idea of the extent of the fire.
The items that make up thes,
, losses were peculiarly valuable, sucl
as paintings, Carroll r Co.'s fin,
stock of valuable books, seventy fv,
grand pianos, sewing machines, val
liable freight in Adams Express of
fee. The insurance was compare
, lively small, as will be seen:
5. " Pike 81 600 600 sSs O6
4. Z. Peters 10000 5000
X. W. Carroll & Co 125 900 700
Sumner & Co 40OOC s0O0
Adams Express Co 100 900 $3.50
I n