Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-03-12
burning OF Rarnum'> Museum

Turning OF Barnunh'> Museum
Twoycar, and a half have gone by sine,
baUumAS American Museum, then located
at the corner of Broadway and Ann
street, was with "a uumleg uf eaniiguon,
buildings, entirely destroyed by fire
Last night, the structure in which Mr.
Bauum had stored the little that re-
manned Of tho collection on view at hi,
downtown establishment, together with d
quantity OF new curlositios aud a number
Of valuable living animals, was ais
burned.
At 1880 O'Clock Broadway was startled
10y the cry of tire" and flames were seen
issuing from the south window on IN,
third tlolr Of No. $50 Broadway. Instant,
ly the shout was raised, "Barnum', Muse,
am is on trc" and instantly, too, every
one thought and spoke of the splendid
collection OF wild animals, known as IN,
Gordon Cummings Collection. Tn,
thought of the possible escape of the ami,
mal~ paralyZcd The tcot OF many person,
I hurrying toward the same, aud sense OF
safety overcoming curiosity, hundreds dis.
/ Appeared in the darkness of the side
street, Those who faced the scene and
were earliest on the spot found little of
the startling to reward their enterprise.
The fire was burning ON the third floor,
and the interior was only dimly lighted
by the flames, The escape of smoke was
slight, leaving the impression that Their,
was very little of il, or that ii wa,
crowding down into the lower stories.
The latter hypothesis was doubles, cor
rect, as in very few minutes, horrible
chorus came from the first floor on which
the lions, tigers, hyonas. lcoparls, camcl>
and zchras were known 10 be located. Il,
was terrible sound hundreds of beast,
of every description, each in its own De.
culiar manner giving vent to feelings OF
mertal agony ttittl \ -yi1r.riti n I'M
through the slim crowd in the streets a.,
these sounds swgllod and Swellrd, until
they mingled in roar that seemed a.,
though each Of the beasts were about 10
burst the bars of his cage and leap into
the street. Nothing of the kind followed
immediately, however, and in few min
utcs the roars died away and only a few
muttered growls and whincs were au-
'dible. They had either been suffocatod
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 mystery of the scene
Meantime the flames erept slowly. very
slowly. over that south window. At
l2:i1 o'clock one stream of water would
have saved The entire building, but that
one steamer was not at hand. 4 few
minutes before the fire was discovered an
alarm had been sounded for the corner Of
Spring and Renwick streets. and the en-
gines OF the district were proceeding 10
that spot when the bell struck for Bar.
NUNS Museum. 1t was some minutes be-. |
fore they could be turned from that To
the new call, and when they We're the ,
streets were SO filled with snow that the |
horses could proceed but at a moderate /
pace, and were frequently stalled into
immobility. Thus it happened that it
was after o'clock before an engine was
brought to bear upon the burning pile. /,
At that hour the flames had begun 10 /
make great Roadway. They had extended .
INTO the adjoining building, No 54l
Broadway, occupied in commcN with No
$50 rs the Museum, and they had reached |
the second floor, and We're breaking out
in the rear portion of the structure, on
Mercer street.
BY this time ii 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, vonturcd to their resue. At the /
Broadway entrance a few minutes after
o'clock, leopard, Kangaroo, two pei .
leans and asilvcr pheasant were brought
out and housed in the cellar of TAYLOR /
Restaurant. At the Mercer street stage
entrance a giraffe, zebra, two camels, I.
several japanese hogs, n camel leopard, (
and various small birds, were saved from
death-the giraffe, in the struggle, giving
officer Hudson, of the Eighth Precinct,
severe kick in the face, and causing thus
the only casualty of which we heard. /
In addition to the live animals a guam
tity of small articles, such as p-"tures and +
stuffed birds, a stuffed horse and a valua-
Bile electrical apparatus, were saved. To
bring this part of the narrative to an end /
we will add, that every human being in
-he building, SO far as is known, made an
'asy exit from tie premises. Among
hem were the Fat Woman and the Giant
IS, both of whom, robcd in scanty at
ire, sought and found temporary ref
lge III Taylor's Saloon. The flames still
'weled in volume and intensity, and at
$50 o'clock they enveloped the entire up
Der stories of Nos, 53l and $40, from
Broadway to Mercer street. The theater
occupying the rear portion of the building,
vas so much finder to the confagration,
md threw masses Of flaming cinders into
he surrounding streets like lava from a
'olcano.
Such of these cindcrs as fell on the adj
Dining roofs met speedy extinction in
he deep snow, or the destruction might
ave been moro widespread even than it
5. The adjoining house, No. 531, occu-
he'd by b. Kahn, optician; Frankheimef,
lealer in furs, and G. Hcrzag and j. Wild
y, publishers, was, however, soon drawn
nto the vortex and doomed To destruc-
ion.
At o'clock the flames had reached
heir achme The three buildings were
mass of flames above the second floors
he Prescott House was fired q the north
vest corner, and was burning lazily and
inder difficulties Chief Kingsland in
family turned several streams upon it,
md writing at a later hour we may add
hat it did not suffer serious damage
Toward this time sensation came.
While the flames were at their height,
ongue of fire leaped down into the first
tory. Then it was found that the beasts
ncaged there had been dormant only.
ions, tigers, bears and leopards instantly
It the sight OF the flames burst at once
nto demoniac roar, and beat themselves
gainst the bars Of their cages. One full
crown tiger burst his prison bars, and
With one wild leap through the window,
cached the street The crowd rushed
way in hot haste, while the dazed beast
ooked around him in stupid wonder an
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