The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-03-07
Burning of Barnum's Museum.

SOutn W1nQOWt on tIHe tHlTu uOOT OI
No. $50 Broadway. Instantly, the
shout was raised, "Barnum's Mu-'
scum is on fire!" A horrible chorus
came from the first floor, on which
the lions, tigers, hyenas, leopards,
camels and zebras were known to be
located. It, was terrible sound
hundreds of beasts of every descrip-
tion, oach in its own peculiar man
ner, giving vent to feelings of mortal
agony and fear. A shudder ran
through the slim crowd in the streets
as these sounds swelled and swelled,
until they mingled in roar that
seemed as though each of the beasts
were about to burst the bars of his
cage and leap into the street. No
thing of the kind followed imme-
diately, however, and in few mi
nutes the roars died away, and only
q few muttered growls and whines
were audible. They had either been
suffocated or dozed and frightened
into stupor. All this time, the heavy
plate glass windows on the first floor
remained intact, thus hiding the
beasts from view and adding to the
AT 12.45 o'clock, one stream of
water would have saved the entire
building, but that one steamer was
not at hand. A few minutes before
the fire was discovered, an alarm had
been sounded for the corner of
Spring and Renwick streets, and the
engines of the district were proceed
ing to that spot, when the bell struck
for Barnum's Museum. 1t was some
minutes before they could be turned
from that to the new call, and when
they were, the streets were so filled
with snow that the horses could pro-
ceed but at moderate pace, and
were frequently stalled into immo-
bility. Thus it happened that it was
after ] o'clock before an engine was
brought to bear upon the burning
pile.
BY this time, it became certain
that some of the animals and birds
were still alive, and policemen and
the employees of the museum, who
were still on the ground, ventured to
their rescue. At the Broadway en-
trance, leopard, q kangaroo, two
pelicans and q silver pheasant were
brought out and housed in the cellar
of Taylor's Restaurant. At the
Mercer street stage entrance, gi-
raffe, q zebra, two camels, several
japanese hogs, camel-leopard, and
various small birds. were saved from
death.
In addition to the live animals, q
quantity of small articles, such as
pictures and stuffed birds, q stuffed
horse, and a valuable electrical appa-
ratus, were saved. Every human
being in the building, 80 far as lis
known, made an easy exit from the
premises. The flames still swclled in
volume and intensity, and ut 1.3O
o'clock they enveloped the entire
upper stories of Nos. $50 and $40,
from Broadway to Mercer streets.
The theatre occupying the rear por-
tion of the building, was so much
tinder to the confiagration, and threw
masses of flaming cinders into the
surrounding streets, like lava from n
volcano. Such of these cinders as
fell on the adjoining roofs met
speedy extinction in the deep snow,
or the destruction might have been
more widespread even than it is.
Toward this time sensation came.
While the flames were at the height,
tongue of fire leaped down into the
first story. Then it was found that
the beasts ENGAGED there had been
dormant only. Lions, tigers, bears
and leopards, instantly at the sight
of the flames, burst at once into de-
moniac roar, and beat themselves
against the bars of their cages. One
full-grown tiger burst his prison bars
and, with one wild leap through the
window, reached the street. The
crowd rushed away in hot haste.
while the dazed beast looked around
him in stupid wonder an instant and
then started down Broadway. A
stream of water turned on him
brought him to bay, and policeman