Evening star., 1869-08-06
THE GREAT CONFEDERATION IN
PHILADELPHIA.

Twenty five Thousand Barrels Of whisky
Destroyed-Lsss over Five Millions OF
Dollars.
A brief account of the destructive fire AZ
Philadelphia on Wednesday night last. by
which the United Stetes bonded warehouse,
situated on the east side OF Front street. below
Lombard and Pine, was totally consumed, to-
gether with Its contents, consisting In part Of
25,OOO barrels Of whisky, valued AZ s1.5oa,U0O,
mas ALREADY appeared IN the STAR. From the
philadelphia evening pa ars OF yesterday the
following particulars obtained
The buildings were n &c in number, and de-
signated by letters from A TO II. extending
along Front TO Lombard street three hundred
feet, and along the latter one hundred aud fifty
feet. The fire was discovered a few minutes
before 7o'clock p. m, issuing from the Lom-
bard street front, in the lower part, which was
al the time IN a light blaze, and the alarm was
AT once given, but the combustibles 10 the
warehouse fed the flames, causing them 10
spread with great rapidIty till near midnight,
when the entire block was reduced TO a shape
less aDd blackened mass OF bricks, charred
umbers. and twisted iron. The total quantity
OF WHISKY stored upon the premises was 25,OO0
barrels. The value OF the liquors destroyed
was S2,5OO,Op, on which an insurance was held
&c the amount of >2.299,5Ou.
The casualties reached to the neighborhood
OF twenty, though but few were seriously in
IuIed. Mr.. Edward AIburger. one of the
wounded, died yesterday afternoon, from has
injuries.
When the flames were AT their fisrces,. and
poured out of the warehouse with a wild.
roaring sound, as from the crater OF a volcano.
leaplng al least sixty feet above the roof, and
surging northward, a white pigeon was oo-
served crcling above the pillar of fire, and
gradually approaching II, as II drawn by some
irresistible attraction At times the birds gy-
Tations would be hidden from view by A sud-
den outburst OF dense smoke; but As this rolled
away the lurid light revealed the feathered
little victim, circling closer and closer TO its
doom. Whether the thick smoke blinded Il, or
tne burning whisky fumes made it tipsy,
would be hard 20 say; but its circles grew
shorter and gradually closer to the mouth of
the merry furnace; and when a denser cloud of
smoke than usual cleared away, the unfortu-
nate pigeon was nowhere TO be seen. A few
minutes afterwards flock Of bats new round
about the funeral pyre, and rent he air with
strapge, discordant screeches, as IL in lamenta-
The origin OF the fire is not definitely known,
but II is thought to have been caused by the
wall on Lombard street giving way, owing to
the great weight OF the whisky stored IN the
building, and that the liquid rushed out and
lighted from either the gas burners or the
engine, causing an explosion, which scattered
residents in the immediate vicinity were
startled by q loud, rumbling noise, like the
clamor OF many heavy teams over the cobble-
stones, coming from the whisky warehouse.
ano hastenfng 70 the spot, arrived Just IN time
10 witness the faliing, 70 the pavement with a
loud crash, OF a large portion OF the wall on
Lombard street, supposed TO have been pushed
out by the weight upon the floors. The whisky
stored went down with the ruins, and il. q few
moments terrific explosion took place, throw.
ing down every wall Of section II, scattering
bricks, tmoers, &c, in every direction, while
the names shot up in a solid body far aoove the
surrounding buildings, creating a general con-
steInaiion among the residents Of the neigh
oerhood, for IL was soon rumored that q
number OF children had been killed and several
men badly, IL not fatally hurt. Woven Were
running around frantically to find children that
had LETT their homes, but as those who were
missing began TO return the excitement some
what abated. The explosion OF course set the
entire contents OF the warehouse or fire, and
soon burning whisky ran down the cutters in
Swanson street 10 Pine, and thence into the
sewer leading TO the river, and in a short time
an explosion took place In the sewer, break
ing portion Of it, but doing no very great
damage. The flame continued, however
through the sewer to the end OF the wharf,
which II set on fire, and came near firing a
brig lying near the pier before she could be
towed out of danger. The fire continued to
Iage with great fury till shortly after mid night,
when the hames became somewhat subdued
from having exhausted themselves Of material
TO iced upon, though the ruins Of the Patter-
son bonded warehouse were still burning
yesterday morning, but had not extended be-
yond them. The total lose. including the value
OF buildings. lover sl,0Oo, 600. rs estimated at
over SSJ0p,OCO