The New York herald., 1872-12-25

The FS great ostrcnes stretched their small wings
and haIf ran, half new round their large dens.
Ali their members ana looked piteously at the
EFFORTS the keepers were stkl making 70 rescue
them sngunr ana very Ky s,s ~ NO %
doubt that q large number OF the ANIMALS would
have been saved. As 1t was the Keepers seized
omen the strong gates which held the animals In.
But it was to no purpose and the animals were
aopmed 10 roast alive in their cages But at length
il grew TOO hot for the keepers, and when the
Ganes rose mp from the floor and darted out spite
fully from little crannies In the side OF the building
and curled around posts and pillars, and oil saw
THERE WAS NO HOPE
mails had become conscious Of this at the same
moment, where there had been nothing but
the roaring OF the names moment before there
scsssS wss ssaaf{ y sSSusaed
throats. The great roaring OF the lions, the deep
growing Of the tigers the sharp spiteful snarlng
chattering Of the monkeys, the screaming OF the
deer and giraes the grunting or the nogs, and the
give vent to their rage despair all united In one
great chorus, in which no one sound, however loud
could be distinguished. II was not SO terrible,
however, as it was sad to know that helpless as
they were, this the last CRY OF the dying bl utes
One could still hear every now and then the
an agony OF terror, threw themselves against their
cages in last effort to break them open and escape
into the free air. But But r,.rx.,
are now playing with multItudin0us hose, coming
from a dozen engines upon the doomed building
three had been given one after another, causing en-
gines and hose carts to come on from other dis-
street, from rnrd to Fourth avenue, and up and
down Fourth, and also Tor some distance up irving
place. The people who might not have been dis
turhed by the nre were quickly awakened by the
putting and blowing Of the engines and the shouts
OF the fremen, as they rushed hther ana thther in
the people BY the
scene, left their beds, dressed and clustered
around the burning building the night was bit
and sti they stood still and passed comments upon
the fire as 1t proceeded
raging within made their appearance outside the
building. There was glare above and around,
but it proceeded from the roof and the windows on
higher and higher the noise and
THE SCREAMS WITHIN
grew fainter and fainter, until they ceased alto
gether. 1t s said that the roar OF the lion brave
to the last was still heard when all others had
ceased, and 1t became fact that all the animals,
alive.
able horses belonging to the circus proper were
saved. They were not stabbed in the circus and
museum, but three blocks away. in Eleventh street.
the day, they are taken away and stabbed In this
manner not one OF the horses was lost, though the
animals which did suffer were far more valuable
One moment later and the flames hitherto kept
within burst forth from the top OF the building,
and shortly after the roof or what there was ofit
fell in with q crash. At this moment the report
was started in the crowd that one OF
THE LIONS HAD ESCAPED,
and on the moment there was a general rush Of
the people looking on to the two ends OF the street.
It was a general skedaddle with but one o6ectIto
1t said that the police had started the report,
with the intention oil getting the masses Of the
around tne burning structure Many seemed to be
Of this opinion few moments later, and came
back to obtain the same favorable positions as
before. But this was impossible. The police had
already established line about two hundred feet
from the building, and prevented any but those
and the cold also the crowd would not YQye away,
and every lew moments there Was another flsR
en9 an tHss ~ sg K break the Gordon Of the police
Abour an hour and half after the first alarm the
fire was everywhere around the building and was
burning f1ercely in spite of the numerOuse huge
streams OF water which were being poured upon 1t.
Indeed the water seemed not to have the slightest
them them more aH fercely. This was due to no small ex.
tent to the manner in which the corrugated iron
which composed the building had been heated. In
= - II WAS RED HOT. l.a----1'-
and the water which dropped Upon 1t In huge
masses only sputtered and fell without the slightest
it was perceptible that some effect was being made
But it was too late Already the flames had caught
on each side of the thn structure But
tibe as tnder box, yet had SO much Of in
nammable material in its enclosure that the names,
new piece OF woodwork or lnateri al, and left only
burned ashes behind 1t. TWO hours after the fire
been the New York Circus or Barnum's Museum
ing embers. Not even . vestlge Of the walls re.
FLAT AS A PANCAKE,
and all that noted the former existence OF the
names were playing about like will-othewisps In
city cemeteries, and disappearing every moment
as Jet o. water was them the
upon rloting time for its Christmas eve.
THE GROTE BUILDING.
Next to the Hippotheatron, on the west side,
stood the four story brick front mandatory OF
GrSts Co. workers pd II was storsa with ts
property OF q. Rerwarth. The names penetrated
into this establishment early in their career. The
along the floors and walls from story to story, al
most without impediment from the 1Oodgates that
the remen ZEN e. once n epenea upon then me &C.
nue., whereon Is the new stone building-the Ger
man Savings Bank-was threatened. and the
wide, threatening places distant by several blocks
from the immediate scene. In less than an hour
@ %ss
and thick mass Of iclcles dangling over the
blackened doorway.
Adjoining the circus on the east, stood Grace
chapel, or the Protestant Episcopal Free church, q
beautiful cOluCe, III OOtulC style, DrdQCn ln-
sitution OF Grace church. and built in modest imi-
tation Of that magnificent temple. Within Il was
decorated for Christmas. The holly and the mis-
railing, while the gifts Of merry Christmas for the
children attached to its Sunday school were Law
shly bestowed in the secret places, waiting for the
surprise that was to come to-day. on this
fair object the greedy names fixed their fangs,
while the circus should have yet been enough to
windows just above the roof Of the Hippotheatron,
and thence ri0ted on nave, column, arch, gallery
and organ lott In an hour the roof fell in leaving
only portion OF the front walls standing present
Ing very picturesque ruin with Its delicate arches
and slender columns, Ornamented and draped as II
flames spread to
TIE OLD LAWRENCE MANSION
landmark of the city that for forty years has been
the residence Of the old family OF Lawrences OF
whom Abraham X. Lawrence is 0ne and which
when nrst built was CONSIDERED one OF the finest
far out OF the city limits that its
owner felt secure against the encroachments