The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1871-11-09
IL there Fire II the str:-A Be@eTHs'
BILE Theory.

Awriter in the New York Evening Post
sets up remarkable story in regard to great
fires. He saws: On the night of the 10Th Of
December, 1885, was sitting with Literary
friend, about nine o'clock, in one Of the pr
yate boxes Of Hamblin magnificent Bowery
theater. Suddenly the big bell o: the City
Hall doomed loud and long over the metrop-
oils and "Flre! FIRE." echoed around and
within the theatre. We were of in an in
slant, rushing out of the slarnming doors,
and onward toward the scene OF the oonfia-
grafton, which was "glaring on Nights star
tied eye" away down town.
When We reached Wall street, near Wa
ter, the Tontine Coffee House had caught,
and dark smoke in huge masses, tnged with
fiickerlng flashes OF bright flame, was burst
ing from all the upper windows. The night,
as all who were Out in il will remember, WAS
intensely cold. There was but little wind,
still as the fire advanced there was plainly
perceptible the Stood of fire" in the air, as
| firmly believe there always is in all great
conaagraiions; something mysterious as vet,
and unexplainable. 1t was go in our great
fire, for saw its evidences myself, and ] see
thai reports Of the same evidences are men,
toned a. features Of the still more terrible
and vastly greater conHagratioD in Chicsgo,
which has aroused the world" Science,
there is but little doubt, will find out by-and
by, what this mysterious power is, and tell
us how it works, and how it may be guarded
against, If not conquered. Whether it Is At
mospheric or electric, or whatever else Il
NAV be, is vet to he determined. A word OIL
two more concerning this subject little fur
Their On.
Our great fire Travelled south and ives
faster than a man could walk. Water froz,
in all the cutters; thick ice coated all the ny
drants, ciunched in the hose p ipes that en-
numbered the streets, and lay in "fOe-'
where there was shadow from the heat an'
the flame. But in a little while no waite
was wanted. Engines were soon useless
and no energetic ''Sykesy'' was required L
Stake the butt" Clouds of smoke, lik
dark mountains suddenly rising into the air
we're succeeded by long banners Of flame
rushing to the zenith, and roaring for the
prey Street after street caught the terribl
torrent, until over acre after acre there wa
rolling and booming an ocean of fame! "Al
of this | saw, and part Of it ] Was Tn
printing office of the Knickerbock.r. at fits, il
South William street, was moved three time
TAI DtyUlu Tue prevailing utc, uu' was go"
ually followed by the raging enemy, an
finally devoured.
. As we were standing upon the roof of III
Exchange, looking down upon the seen
!. when in mid-progress, buildings far beyon
the line of fire, and in no contact with il
hurst into flames from the interior. Ih
same thing, l observe. happened in Chicago
and was attributed to incendiaries; but Their
were no incendiaries suspected in our srea
, fire. What latent power enkindled the in
side Of these advanced buildings, while ex
ternally they were untouched? A scientifi
,, writer at one lime :ontended, think in tn
old Daily Adrertise,, that at certain perio
there is what he called an "infiamable vacu
UNI" in the air, which is seif-ignitiug ard il
. resistibie Perhaps hundred years or s
from now some safeguard against this mysts
rious element, Low lying latent and sleepin
, in nature, may be discovered. 1t is not s
very long since the old tea-kettle first lite
! its lid to the science of steam, and talkin
, around the world under water Is mnc
younger wonder.