The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-12-23 00:00:00

vinced that something serious had occurred.
Thoroughly 'alarmed r- be -descended through a
email door leading from the orchestra to the
Dallate.rOOM, which is* directly under the front of
the stage, and ascended to the stage itielf. Lookiug
upwards, he saw that all the flies were in a IDI4. He
then ran back to the music room to save his instrn-
ment, a Very flue clarionet, and then went back to the
stage; but during the few minutes he had been absent
the fire had made such progress that he found it impos-
sibte for himlto cross and get out by the stage entrance.
He then we 1;1E4 to the orehestra through the music
-roop]..but there sow that if he attempted to leave by
the Mint entraito he would be ninong the last to get out
and fearing that he Would be suffocated by the smoke
before he coidd reach the door, he, together with three
others, determined to try to save themselves by making
their way through the green-room. In this they
fortunately Succeeded, 'reaching the green-room with-
put accident i Tht7 fotind a window open, through
which they got into the area, and thence to Johnston-
street. Mr. Heckert said he was sure that none of the
actors had time tb save anything beyond a few articles
of jewelle4, as nniny of them had not even time to
change their di-esA, 14m1 Weremoiripelled VI rush into the
street in their stage coati:one.", •

Theetnenpit. steamer citjj of Richmond, has brotight Mee of
New Yore joirnais for elle Month containing further details
of the Brooklyn fire. The work cf identifying the dead was
proceeding.
Tire Herald of the 9th says :—" The investigation which
has been so vigorously instituted by Fire Marshal Keady
progresses rapidly. Yesterday more members of the audience
were eiamtned. 11i wes told aeele. how the( accidental falling
on he stales at wortian eaesed the end Oh, peeheps; a Beare
of 1,41, la wetly people having trippled over the figure of the
prostrate woman and buried among each other were choked
by the stifling smoke before they could free themselves. It
was again stated that no proper apparatus for extinguishing
fire was at hand, although twice before, within a few weeks,
the scenery of threthersere hed been in flames. In these cases
hoteever, the dander wail /Warted before the atedieAce could
become aware of its existence."
j-ohn Lyons, describing his flight from the gallery, said—l
dropped over the. bannister at the head of the stairs, and
when I !got on my feet a policeman tried to force me back,
bet I get +met hint, eieveral other's jumped on top of me.
The stairs were then crowded, and the Volitiethae tried to
keep the crowd back. When I left the gallery not more than
half the people bad got out, and the fire had not yet reached
the gallery ceiling. I saw no attempt to extinguish the fire
on the stage. The audience were panic-stricken, and were
falling one on top of another. There were very few women
abnet, but I saw several men knocked down and walked
upon.
Alfred Plant's testimony Was—l *as in the gallery en
Tuesday night, satires on one of the top rows, and when the
alarm was elven I dropped down over the bannisters to the
first flight of Stairs. john Teens called me back and I went
and saw the attois ade reining the audience while the fire
decemed from the hies behind them. / dropped over the
bannisters a second time and made My way to the street.
There were very few out before me. I do not think all the
people in the gallery could have got out even if they bad
started when I first tamped over the bannister. It Was
abeut ten minutes from the time heard the first sterol to
the time When I got out. When I got cut I weiit round to
the Johnion.street side and saw-the rear of the theatre all in
flames. lam sure the doors were not open there. The large
doors to the stage were not open. I came back to the front
a low memehts after and saw no more people come down the
gallery ataire. The place was fell of smoke then. I could
hot tell ho* litany got Mit.
Edward Harrison testified: I at first thought the falling
fire was part of the play, but so much of it fell that I became
alarmed, and ran over by the partition and down the stairs.
Berne one fell on the stairs, and about 25 persons tripped over
the fallen one, The smoke and the tire rushed on us like a
whirlwind. I think not more than 75 people got out. There
were, perhaps, te women in the gallery. I did not see any
of them get out. One man cried, "If there are any men
here let them stand aside and allow the poor Women to pass
out first." I saw several boys hanging weer the partition
crying to the men below to Catch them as they fell. The fire
had not yet then reached the gallery, but the smoke came up
in great volumes. A hundred people pressed down behind
me. I saw no effort to clear the stairs. The people were
in a perfect panic, and everybody' seemed to think only of
himself.
E. M. Richardson testified I Was in tho gallery and first
sate the fire in the files on the left hand Bide. Every one was
on his feet in an instant. The people were pacified for a
moment only, and then a stampede ensued. I saw men
tryirg to extinguish the flames with long poles. The open-
ing from the gallery to the stairs is about twelve feet wide,
and had no doors on. A man fell; I tell on top of him.
Then it seemed all who followed Pie wete on that halite
The piece was dark, and eeluthes of smoke came up.
I eitricated myself and went down alone. I am sure
there were no banisters or handratl to the stairs, nor
anything to hold on by except a bare wall. I think no
one got down from the gallery after me. They were all
piled up in a heap on the first landing from the street, near
the box-office. There was the other stairway from the
ratty. There Were . windows overlooking Fioodeealley,
oilt I saw no one attempt to get out of them.
When I returned to the front of the building
the police were clearing the street. The excitement
and want of a better means of etit prevented the people
from getting out I saw no hose or water wed to quench
the fire. Ido not think the people could have got out
even had the actors not asked them to stay. When they
did attempt to leave the " "or landing ceur.eti tho
people to fell, and their number was so large that th,y
completely blocked up the Way. I think that not more
than 100 out of the 400 or 600 in the gallery ever got out.

Thelr specior of the Erection of Buildings in Brooklyn was
examined, and stated that he had not yet made a minute
examination of the plans of the building, but, as regarded
the means of egress, he thought they were Vary go ad. J ndg•
lug from the plans he did uct think that the Minding needed
fire eseapes. There Was no law to compel owners of property
to put up ilre escapes.
George L. Morse, Carleton-avenue, an architect in Brooklyn
for seventt.en years, testified as follows have examined
the ruins of the Brooklyn Theatre, and have also examined
the plans of tho building. My opinion is that an audience of
1,40 people could easily find their way out it there was no
jam or obstruction in from two and a half to three minutes.
I think the means of exit were decidedly betler than in the
average of public buildings. The staircase leading to the
gallery was in two straight runs without windows. The size
of the landing at the head of the first flight was about 1411.
by 611.81 n. Ile added that the gallery stairs were strong and
substantial, and that the flames rt,ached the ceiling so quickly
because the wind, blowing through windows broken by the
heat, drove the lire in that direction.
The Herald adds :—" all but 30 bodies had up to last night
been identified. The whole city of Brooklyn is in mourning,
and the flags are all at halt mast, and will reman so until the
last sad scene in the sorrowful episode is enacted. A more
letvish display of mourning drapery has not been vouchsafed
the public eye since the nation manifested its grief at
Lincoln's death." • t 4-4
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