The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1869-01-15
a Eorrid Scene Burning of a Livery
Stable with 40 Hoises.

/ d Eorrid Scene Burning Of Livery
Stable with 40 Hoises.
! Our teleglaphic dispatches announced
the burning of the Every stable of Messrs,
Briggs Brothers on Twenty-third street,
New York on the night Of the 1st inst. 1t
wasa large structure, three stories high
and filed from top to bottom. The New
York Sun describes the terrible scene as
| follows:
About eleven o'clock gentleman pas
sing along Twenty fourth street, in the
rear of the stables, discovered vast volumes
of sEioke issuing from the basement win
dows. he quickly. raised the alarm of fire
and notified the police, who hastened to
the front Of the building, finding the situa
ton as described above. On going to the
basement that department was found to be
filed with smoke, and the animals confined
there in great state Of excitement and
terror; bat no fire could be SEEN although
the smoke was SO thick aud suffocating as
to drive back the first venturesome explor-
ers. The wild Snortings of the animals,
their shrill screams Of distress, and the
plaintive whinnyings pleading Tor help,
awakened sympathy in the breasts f the
lockers on that commanded still more Wig
orous efforts for the relief of the poor
beasts. Again two or three men ventured
to enter the dark basement, and after crop
ing about few minutes In the smoke sue
ceeoed each in getting hold Of horse, and
with difficulty leading it to the entrance
and forcing it out. On returning two more
horses were secured but after endeayoring
In vain to get tncm to the door, until their
human friends were nearly overcome by
suffocation, the animals were abandoned to
their fate, and attention. was turued to
the removal of the carriages On the first
floor, many of which were rolled out and
secured. Meantime the frantic prancing
and plteous outcries of the animals in the
} basement had about ceased, the dense
smoke having ended their spferings more
mercllully than the lighter but more tar
ay flames.
The first intination of the fire received
by Dir. Briggs was from the shouting in
the street. Jumping from his bed, he ran
, TO the window and saw men running the
} carriages out below. Gathering up his
: clothes, he started down stairs, but quickly
remembering himself returned to assist his
sick wife, who, with the other members OF
tHc idiAIiy "eio Saieiy TemO'Gu Uut Oh
: returning 10 the building the FIRE had
found Its way INTO the upper apartments,
, rendering it unsafe for him to ascend the
stairs, thus compelling him to abandon his
, own and his tamiy's clothing, furniture,
and all the household goods which were
) quickly consumed The fire burned fierce.
; ly, and the flames shot high into the heav
, ems, brilliantly Illuminating The whole re.
gion and carrying vast flakes cf light burn
j ing materla il all directions for blocks
$ away.
; When the smothered, subdued fire in the
e basement burst into fame, it seemed In
stantly TO Ill the entire building, feeding
2 upon the very lnilummable material that
was so plentiful III Its course, jumping
with lightning like rapidity from floor tC
floor, laughing at all efforts to stay its wild
career, aud driving with precipitate haste
all human beings from It's immediate vicin
lty. Then arose that second and more
Notwithstanding and painful scene on the
second floor, where were fifty more horses
Tho choice OF the slables-high b.ad
. arlstocrauc horses, was computed by thous
auds. Aud as the flames flew along from
!, stall to stall, catching on the hay in the
managers, aud feeding on the extra bedding
OF clean straw, which common horses may
not enjoy, the panlc-strlcken beasts fairly
shriekcd IN their agony. and tearing from
the taatcnlngs dashed about in the wiides
Jury, uow budding together where the
S flames were brightest, rearing. kick ine
moaning sobbing, then overcome with pain
E dashlng away to another equally as brigh
column OF flame, to meet with only more
exquisite torture while all the time tht
4 fire iend danced and laughed roaring viii
| % IU af 10 ia
, Horrible, indeed, was the scene to thos,
! who could give no assistance to the perish
/ ing beasts, and great was the relief to these
: plying gazefs, as one after the other o
the animals succopbed to the inevitable
, and fell 10 rise no more Truly it was ;
great mercy that the fire burned SO rapid,
! and thus more speedily terminated the ag
ony Of the poor helpless blutes.
At oHs time, so fierce and uncontrolabl,
was the fire, that the ncighboring building,
!. were in great danger, but the renewal oil
! the alarnI quickly brought assistance from
adjoining fire districts and with the aid Vi
, a dozen steam FIRE engines the flames were
confined to the building in which they or
lginated. ID half an hour after the origin
OF the fire, the rear wall fell into Twenty
fourth street, the frcmen barely ESCAPING
from under it. The crash was soon follow,
! ed By the side walls falling. burryiDg the
half burned carcasses oil lao horses, with
the debris of beautiful carriages, wagons
) and seighs, costly robes, elegant harness,
and all the paraphernaia of 50 extensive
an establishment.
: The origin OF the destructive FIRE still re
: mains q mystery. a careless groom may
have dropped match in stall, which, al
the moment fixed upon By fate, was ignited
by friction with horses shoe or sneak>
ing incendiary may have thrust o brand
, into rear window.