--- title: Times and Seasons description: Issues of 1842 to 1843. authors: - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints editors: - Ebenezer Robinson - Don Carlos Smith - Smith, Joseph, Jr. - Taylor, John collections: - periodicals tags: - newspaper - times-and-seasons - nauvoo - nineteenth-century periodical: Times and Seasons volume: 4 number: 8 published: 1843-03-01 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "“From the Cincinnati Daily Times,” *Times and Seasons* 4, no. 8 (March 1, 1843): 126–127." printed_title: From the Cincinnati Daily Times. source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1843-03-01_4_8 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v4n08.htm), with its page breaks; this Internet Archive scan is the reference copy (its OCR was used only as a witness for OCR repair) identifier: per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1843-03-01_4_8 start_page: 126 end_page: 127 curator_note: A Mormon newspaper published by the church in Nauvoo; included for historical study. Inclusion does not imply endorsement. rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1843 (Nauvoo, Illinois); published before 1931, so public domain in the United States source: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1843-03-01_4_8 publication_year: 1843 --- # From the Cincinnati Daily Times Destructive Fire-Explosion and Loss of Many Valuable Lives!!! On Saturday last, about 5 o'clock, P. M. the extensive pork packing establishment of Messrs.. Pugh & Alvord, corner of Walnut and Canal streets, was discovered to be on fire. The firemen repaired to the spot with their usual alacrity, and while engaged in combatting [combating] the destructive element, many on the room of a smaller building connected with the main one, a dreadful explosion took place, occasioned, it is conjectured, by the combustion of gas, generated by the fire inside the building, which was very close. The roof of the small house was blown off, and the walls of the other thrown outward, burying many of the firemen and spectators under the ruins, while some of those on the roof sunk into the house, or were precipitated to the ground, some few without material injury.-At this moment, the flames for the first time burst out. The concussion of the air was so great, that persons on the opposite side of Walnut street, who were standing on some tiers of barrels of pork, were thrown down, and part of the upper tier of barrels were thrown upon one or two, whose limbs were broken by them. Such was the consternation created by the shock of the explosion-which was heard and felt in distant parts of the city-that several minutes elapsed before the spectators recovered from the panic. Assistance was then given to the sufferers, some of whom were dead-some so dreadfully mutilated and wounded that they could scarcely be recognized, many of whom died in a short time, and some may possibly recover. The general appearance of the ruins shows that an immense force operated. The upper part of the building down to the first story was thrown into the street, covering Walnut street and Canal street with bricks and heavy timbers, kegs of lard, &c. About 200,000 lbs. of meat, which was in the smoke house, will be lost. We understand the building and its contents were fully insured. Measures will no doubt be taken to ascertain and lay before the public the cause and extent of the loss. A deep, appaling [appalling], and mournful feeling pervades the city: those rescued from the ruins, are amongst our most respectable, intelligent and enterprizing [enterprising] citizens, in the prime of life, with families, and noted for their public spirit and social qualities. So many conflicting statements are afloat in relation to the great calamity that at this time it is impossible to speak with any degree of accuracy either of the extent or effects of this afflicting dispensation. No such heart rending and tragical [tragically] event has ever occurred in our city, if we except the explosion on board the steamboat Moselle, some year since. [Nine persons were killed, and about thirty wounded.] In the afternoon of Sunday, the City Council met and passed the following preamble and resolution: "Whereas, by an afflicting dispensation of Divine Providence, a number of our fellow citizens were suddenly deprived of life by the accident which occurred during the fire at the corner of Walnut street and Canal, on Saturday, Feb. 25, 1843-therefore be it Resolved, by the City Council, That the Mayor be requested to issue his proclamation, inviting our citizens to suspend their several occupations and employments during Monday next and to attend the funerals of the deceased when ever they may occur, and thus pay the last tribute of respect to their memory." Accordingly, His Honor, the Mayor, issued his Proclamation.