, 1872-12-28
TIE NEW YORK FIRES.
Burning of BarnuIn's Museum---Destruc-
tioa Of q Large Number VI
Animals.
The Conhagration in Centre Street,
Marrow Escape Of Sixty Girls.

Marrow Escape of Sixty Girls.
The Museum Fire.
From, the Ne,o York Herald, Dec. 25
Shortly after o'clock yesterday morning ire
was discovered on the ground hoor OF the hip
pothoatron building On Fourteenth street, known
Of late as Barnums Museum. There are several
accounts Of the manner in which the tlre was at
first seen, but there. is no doubt that the t1rat
who discovered it WAS George Nelson, the n1Gn1
watchman. whose duty it was to patrol the pulid-
ing at night. He vas walking past the immense
cage in which the four graffes were confined and
noticed smoke. He soon found that it was COM
ING up through the chinks Of q trap-door directly
beside the cage. The elarm was speedily gwen,
aud, in few moments, several engines came
rushing to the spot
Below the spot at which the smoke had been
noticed ascending WAS large furnace OF new
patent and an inch or two from the hues which
proceeded from this we're woodwork attach
ments: The fire, as usual, had been kept awe
at will, had heated the ares to such an extent
that thew had gradually carbonized the adjacent
woodwork until it caug int fire. It was, no doubt,
when this had happened that the Watchman hrst
tho entffe theatre vas nothing but mass OF
board and wood, which whom once set on tire
there WAS hardly any means of stopping; for
when the engines got in readiness to play upon
the building the flames had already consumed
the door of the theatre and vero shooting up on
Ill sides Of the building. Then D curious Pho
nomenon took place. The walls Of the building
are Of thin corrugated iron, which from the fierce
fire at their base heated rapidly, md instead Of
opposing
RESISTANCE TO THE FLAMES,
only helped them to spread with greater rapid
ty and ncting like the sides OF q stove, engen-
dercd m insupportable heat, which made ell Of
forts by tho iromen to enter the building per-
fectly futile.
In the meantime some ninety or hundred
animals were Gagged in the building, and they al
ready snuffed the smoke and showed signs OF ap~
| prehension. AS the noiso OF the fire and the
heat grew gradually, their excitement increased
The bears and the tigers showed most fear but
it was fear in which rage was strongly develop
cd, Evidently understanding the position Of
| things, they lashcd their tanks with fury and
sprung With terrific force against the sides Of
| their cages, as if in an endcavor to break
| them open. Unfortunately, the cages had
| been constructed for tho express purpose Of
avoiding such possibility, and the efforts of the
| wild brutes were lmpotcnt. The elephants were
peculiar in their manner Of taking thugs. There
I were two full-grown female elephants and one
| baby elephant. The mother and the cub drew
up closely together, while the old one put her
trunk around the Young onosbody and every now
| md then snuffed tho air.
| THE THIRD ELEPHANT
! grew more excited, and turned about as If sock
ing a way out Of the building. Finally it lay down
| on its knees. This was when the building had
| not succumbed to the flames. SeVeralmen rush
ed in to see what might be saved, and made an
opening in tho Cages whero the elephants were
t confined. The mother and little ono were led out
together, and oboyed the keepers with docilty,
though the old elephant still wound its trunk
closely around the body of the baby. It was not
| so with the third elephant however. This ono,
| which had been imported from Europe only q
few days since, continued to lay obstinately on
the ground, and though every means were en-
ployed, even to burning, it would not stir a.
| inch from tho place, and, after futile attempts
to make it movo, it abandoned. It was al-
ready too late to save the girafes, the most val
usble animal property in the Museum. The fire
had already interEosed between the keepers and
these beasts, and they could not be reached in
cny Maaner.
wtro ton in number. TLoy al5u Showed ri:,I1s of
the greatest uneasiness as the fire increased,
and gavo vent to low moans, as it suffering
morally moro than physically. There was yet a
chance to save these and the keepers rushed for
them. But they, like tho elephant. were lying
down on their knoos, as they are so famillarly
| repreEented in pictures Of the desert, with the
exception OF one, which seemed to be 2l excite
mont md unable to maintain the quiet philo-
| aophical attitude OF the rest. This one keeper
seized by the bride aud led cut Of the building,
| while the others could not bo made to stir an
inch, aud also wore loft as they were found.
The two polar bears were meanwhile in an agony
Of terror. They had succeeded In getting their
arms through the bars, and with their immense
force were endearcring to dislodSe them, 10 aH
to make an opening to get out But the bars
resisted, and though the huge paws worked con.
yulsively to put them asunder, it seemed to be
to no purpose. As the fire grew nearer aod
nearer, anu
TIE FLAMES GREW HOTTER
and hotter, even those auimals which had shown
the least concern began to manifest the strong.
| eat symptoms OF fear. Tho monkeys, particu-
larly, which had quietly sat on their haunches
looking on, in evident surprise at the scene
around them, began to hop about, chattering
and jabbering and pulling At the bars of theiii
cages every moment. Tho great ostrichez
stretched ther small wings and half ran, hall
flew round their largo dens The llama, ya1
and elan trambled convulsive1y in all their mem
bera and looked pteously at Tie efforts tho Keep.
ers we're still making to rescue them. Singular.
". and yery unfortunately. mono Of the mon haJ
any KEYS of tie cages, else there ia no don3t
TIT a large nu!aber OF the animals would hive
been eayed. Ag II was the leoners seized ham.
nerg and weights and endeayorcd to smnsh oner
the strong gates which held the animals in
But it IVES to no purpose, and tho animals were
! keut still closely confined and we're ayi,1en,},
doomed to roast alive in their cages. But ai