Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1868-03-14
The Burning OF Barnum's Museum.

The appearance Of The Buiiding-
Scenes and Incidents Of The Fre-Ihe
Animals, Dead and .aliue.-'The New
York Express, OF Tuesday evening, gives
the following additional particulars of the
burning Of Barnum's Museum:
Ali clock to day the FIRE was still
smoulderng and The fog of steam and
smoke was binding. Four engines still
continued 10 play on the ruins. Broad
way. between Spring and Prince sneeis,
was cne entire lake Of molten ice and
snow, and the poor iremen, as they
tramped through ii knee deep, presented
most woe. begone. bedraggled exterior.
The floors Of both houses are entirely
gone, but the walls stand. The water
CONCEALED as fast as it was thrown on the
building, and this morning the ruins re-
sembls an immense gassolIer, with myr-
lads Of pendants of the most fantastic
shapes. The millennium period appeared
TO have arrived. In the middle Of Broad
way lion, tiger, pelican, monkey, an
telope and woll-slufed Of course-lay
grouped together. A double bumped
dromedsry, with monkey frozen TO each
hump, reclined sgsins. the wall Of an ad-
joining house, gracefully 'hree.leeged
dromedary cuss. The other leg had been
lost in tie effort 20 exlriCste him from bis
perilous condition. Al every step The pc.
deslrian ,umbled across some relic Of ami
NAL curiosity collected from every coun-
try Of the globe by indomi'able persever-
ance and that expenditure Of vast sums OF
money. Yesterday they were the admi-
fstion and wonder Of gaping thousands,
to-day there are none so poor as 10 own
them. Grilled snakes, conlorled inIo the
most hideous shapes, were seen twined
round The iron bar cages. Boiled fish OF
every variety and hue, and brought from
slaI off waters, now lie unsightIy and hid
eous at the bottom Of The tanks OF boiling
water where yesterday they dlsporIed
themselves 10 the intense qualification OF
many an observer. The thousands Of
6irds whose gay. variegated plumsge
made many lille boy or girl wish 81
was bird" are to-day black, chared
unacceptable masses. .......
The fire originated on the third floor.
The flames had made considerable prog.
ress before any alarm was given. The
immense and very perfect collection OF
monkeys, &C., were the first victims
they were smorhered before any Of the
firemen go, in. The crowd hat had az
sembled opposite The windows could real
ly distinguish the babel Of spish voices.
The lilile dog barked: the monkeys
chsttered, then screamed, and in The in.
tensiiy of their agony and despair their
cries so sssimulated 10 the human voice
that many thought it was hnmsn beings
vi o were being immoate }. Al length
some part Of the cages must have given
away, for few Of the monkeys appeared
at The front windows. Some OF them at
tempted 10 descend, but the split Of mis.
chief was strong even in death. One sus-
pended himself from the window-siIl.
when another Bit The irIle paw by which
he held on. and thus preciPilstad bin TO
the ground, and to instant death. The
nIeWen, Oh dIIfIHR' iOoHu SSNeidi VI Wc
hydranls frozen. Eugine Company No.
.l3 found ss many as three frozen. The
nigh, was intensely cold, and Tie smoke
dense and sickening.3 a .r. sr..ar
THE Loss. b.
The property was owned by the Bar
mum and Van Amburg Museum and Me-
nsgerie Compsny. except The ground the
negotiations for the purchase. Of which
had not been completed. The loss is es-
timsted at S40O. 900. and The properly is
insured for Sl5O.0 in various compan-
les.
THE INMATES.
Some fourteen human beings slept in
lbs building. These fortunately got out
safe, bul the female portion had 10 escape
in their night clothes. Miss Anna Swami
the gisniess. has been unioriunsie. At
the last museum Gre she lost several hun.
dred dollars in gold on this occasion
she managed TO escape with wsich and
a set Of diamonds valued 81 some $4,000.
which she lost on descending the steps OF
the museum. ruT .lC. -
THE ANIMALS.