The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-12-17 00:00:00

'felt
4

SATURDAY, DEC. 17, 1881

THZ
BURNING. OF A TFIEATIM

IN VIENNA.

The Ring Theatre in Vienna took fire shortly before
seven o'clock on Thursday evening in last week just
previous to the commencement of Offenbach's last
operetta, called Les Corbtee de Hoffman. It was a fete
day, and the galleries and pit were crowded long before
the performance began, but happily the boxes and
stalls were almost entirely empty, or else the loss of
life might have been far greater. The fire broke out
a little before seven o'clock, just as the curtain was
about to rise.

A panic immediately followed, and everyone rushed
to the doors. Almost at the same time the gas lights
went out (having been most probably turned off to
Prevent an explosion) and in the narrow and intricate
passages, amid the most profound darkness, a struggle
for life ensued. Even those who were lucky enough
to gain the entrance were only rescued in a fainting
and, in many oases, a disabled condition. It was with
great difficulty that many persons were prevented
h•otn jumping from the windows to the street below.
When the fire brigade at length arrived with all their
appliances a great number of people were saved, not
only by means of ladders and fire escapes, but by cloths
being held in the street below, into which theyjumped
from the windows of the theatre.

In the meantime the fire spread rapidly over the
whole building, above all in the upper portions. The
roof was quickly in a blaze, and thus a double danger
was added. On the arrival of the brigade it was
found impossible to penetrate into the theatre beyond
the first tier, and even there the firemen had to en-
counter the most serious difficulties, for their lamps
and torches were soon extinguished by the rush of air
and smoke. They were thus forced reluctantly to re-
tire. They believed, however, that there were no more
Persons in the theatre, as their shouts had been un-
answered, and as they could hear no sound in the
place beyond the roar of the flames. This illusion
was, however, soon dispelled by those who had been
able to escape and who were seeking for those with
whom they had been inside. Another attempt was
then made to penetrate and search those parts of the
house which were not actually in flames. In spite of
the scorching atmosphere and the stifling smoke,
the party penetrated to ..he narrow passage be-
tween the second and third galleries, and a horrid
sight there presented itself to the explorers. Nothing
was to be seen but a confused mass of human beings,
'who in their hurry to escape from a fearful death had
blocked up the doorway and had thus been crushed
and trampled to death. The struggle for life must
have been terrible for several of the bodies were so
interlocked that they could hardly be separated. The
first man recovered was alive, but after him not a
single live body was recovered. Corpse after corpse
Was brought out and taken to the police-station,
Where they were laid out to await identification.
All efforts to save the building were soon aban-
doned, and the whole energy of the fire brigade was
directed to save the adjoining premises, more
especially the temporary building which had been
erected for the sitting of the Lower House of the
Reicharath. A body of fireman were told off espe-
cially for this work, and the Vice-President of the
Lower House, Prince Dobkowitz, soon arrived on the
'Pot in order, if necessary, to take charge of the
archives,

About ten p.m. the gasometer exploded, and the
roof fell in with a tremendous crash. The scene in
the streets surrounding the theatre was most heart-
rending. Not only were those who had escaped unscathed
from the fire searching for their less fortunate com-
panions, but excited crowds of people, who knew that
relatives and friends had visited the theatre, were
rushing through the dense throng in a vain endeavour
to discover their forms. A body of troops, as is
Usual on such occasions, had been told off to form a
cordon round the scene, and these had no little diffi-
culty in keeping back the crowd. In many oases,
desperate persons, seeking some missing relative, suc-
ceeded in breaking through the ranks and were only
restrained by force from rushing into the theatre

tii-e authorities of the town were soon on the spot,
the President of the Police and the Archdukes
Wilhelm and Albrecht being among the first.
The heartrending scenes of Thursday night were
renewed on Friday morning, when people were ad-
Initted to the General Hospital, where the bodies had
been taken, to seek for those belonging to them, who
Were, however, mostly but blackened and half-charred
temains.

Every escape seems to have been almost due to
some lucky chance, and even among those who were
in the pit and lower tiers of boxes, where there were
icarcely thirty people present at the time, and which
were easiest of access, some had a very narrow escape.
Thus one gentleman, who was with two ladies in a
box on the first tier, and who left the house at the
first alarm, leaving shawls and greatcoat behind, owed
U'S safety only to his familiarity with the place, which
enabled him to find his way out in spite of the dark-
ness.

The reports of the survivors prove that this was one
•ef the most shocking accidents the world has ever
witnessed. A member of the orchestra says that he
was prevented from escaping immediately by part of
the curtain falling upon him. He says that the smoke,
which rose in columns, was not like ordinary smoke,
but that it could actually be felt with the hand, and
that it filled the mouth and nostrils as water might
fill them. He is one of the few who heard the horrible
MOO% and heartrending cries from the gallery.
'The persons on the balconies had to endure a
'terrible period of suspense before any assistance
oould be given to them. At first no ladders, carpets,
or other appliances were available; bet when the trum-
pet heralding the approach of the Fire Brigade was
neard, the prisoners above and the crowd below
thought that assistance had arrived at last. But the
!adders were too short, and no carpets or sheets had
- been brought. At length a large cloth was spread, and
first the children and ladies and then the men leapt down
•ne after the other, and were caught. One or two persons
Were thrown from the balcony, not having the courage
tO leap. In this way seventy-two persons were saved
from the first balcony, and forty more from the other
balcony. Some persons, however, would not avail
_themselves of this mode of escape, and remained
Wand. They all perished in the flames.

...The Archdukes Albrecht and Wilhelm, with Count
TaAffe, the Premier, and the Chief City authorities,
!.lived about an hour after the first outbreak, and
Inquired if there were any persons alive still in the
building. The shrieks and groans had by that time
teased, and there was nothing but the hissing
hod crackling of the burning timbers to be heard.
It was clear that whoever was still in the theatre was
'lead or doomed. Count Lamegan, after recovering
one corm, was not allowed to re-enter the burning
edifice, This probably saved his life, as a few minutes
tremendous crash was heard.

Hardly inferior in agony to the scenes enacted in
,ne burning building were those which took place at
,hfte identification of the bodies. Mothers were seeking
.‘..‘a!ir children, husbands their wives, and children their
w'cents. Many corpses Fere charred and distorted
It•st recognition; others were more or less burnt away.
rkai. nY stories are current of marvellous escapes of
'4°Be Present in the building, and of various events
'Which occurred to delay those who would otherwise
save been present. After the gas went out a single
twax match was the means of saving twenty persons.
• Member of the Austrian Parliament, Herr Ottaj-
°vBk37, while groping in the dark, felt a window,
and broke it. Suddenly he was Belted from behind,
an hurled round in that direction. He now found
lualself on the staircase, and succeeded in escaping.
Bursposes that the person who dragged him from
he window wanted himself to escape through it,
On the stage side of the Ring Theatre two of the
Principal actress-singers, Mdlles. lona and Stahl, had
4 .),. narrow escape. They had to grope their way in
the darkness, and came to a door, which was looked.
key, which was tried broke in the lock, but their
Shrieks were heard by some of the actors outside.
The door was forced, and the ladies were rescued.
Stockbroker who, with his wife and one of his
Children wasi in the second gallery, ran out with the
latter, his
wife being immediately behind. In the
darkness b.e lost his wife, but, having left his child
noutasiide, 'returned and succeeded, in spite of the dark-
es ki finding her.

The Vienna Correspondent of the Doily News
'writing on Sunday says :—" The entire bodies, of
Which there are still many that have not been claimed,
all show that terrible struggles took place among the
YtetiMe. I saw one man whose cheek was literally
"%mitten out. Another man's face was burnt in a
lais.nner to show only the skull. The women
*are a far more horrible spectacle than the
Men. The roasted flesh without any skin
upon it, the open mouths and the ears bear
vritness of what preceded death. Strange to say,
tlio hair of most of the bodies is not burnt, but is in a
etate of confusion that cannot be described, which
tnakes the ghastly figures'look weirder still. NI any
bodies are without head, hands, or feet. My feelings
zul I discharged a painful duty in visiting the place
Were such as to make me believe it imposi,ible that
kallY one should seek for a near relation among these
4orrible images of death.

The following are some of the episodes of this ter-
Bible catastrophe. When the fire burst out some
desperate persons in the upper galleries threw them-
selves head foremost down into the pit and perished
there. This was witnessed by a man formerly
firenaan, who crept under the seats with his
!lister, knowing the smoke would go to the
Pound last. They stayed in this position for
talf an hour, and were saved. Some twenty young
Irnen in the upper gallery were saved owing to the fact
that one among them had some wax tapers and found
;to exit when all were streaming the wrong way in
the dark. A young musician bade his father adieu
at night because he meant to start for Berlin next
morning, and would return from the Ring Theatre
late at night. The father believed him dead, and
sought him among the corpses at the hospital. He
felt sure he recognized his son's body, and had
it taken home. Late that night his Bon tele-
Fraphed from Berlin, that to please a friend he
tact left Vienna in the evening. The dead body
tut! not yet been claimed. A chemist in my
rghbourhood, drove to the Ring Theatre when the
tit'fß of the fire reached him, and saved his wife. In
t.O to save his son he was suffocated with hill'.
the s'per wife has gone mad. She did not recognise
th. oodles when they were brought home. Among
n ° dead a student from Scotland was recognised
ed Arthur Waddell. One young girl lost her
-abner, mother sister, brother-in-law, and betrothed
in the fire. .

the report of the Governor of Vienna was read on
Saturday in Parliament by the Premier, who also
presented a Bill for a grant of 50,000f1. to relieve the
Bufferers. The report, which is mainly based on the in-
quir.ies instituted by the police, begins by stating that
the inspector on duty went to the theatre at 6.30, when
he heard that the house was on fire. He went back
at once to his office in order that he might send a tele-
gram to the central station. Collecting all the
men at his disposal, he returned to the theatre,

when he found the foyer dark and empty.
In spite of the dense column of smoke which
was pouring out of the house, some of his
men penetrated into the theatre, feeling their way
towards the left side of the pit, from whence cries for
help could be heard. By lighting matches these were
enabled to find their way out. They could not go
further into the pit, as two of the boxes, opposite the
staircase leading to the pit were already in flames.
As no more cries could be heard, as a large part of the
audience had been seen to leave by the entrance in
front, and as almost all those belonging to the
theatre had left by the back door it was assumed
that all were saved. Besides, it was impossible
then to penetrate higher up in the house, and an
officer who made the attempt was forced to
return. The firemen now concentrated their at-
tention chiefly to getting the flames under, and
it was only after some time had elapsed that they were
enabled to reach the higher tiers. It was then that
the first bodies were found on the staircase. With
regard to the origin of the fire, the account refers to
the different versions which have been received.
According to the present state of the inquiry, how-
ever, it is assumed that one of the side decorations on
the fifth tier took fire from the lights above, and the
flames then spread with incredible rapidity all over
the upper part of the house. One of the firemen, who
went to let down the iron curtain, states that he was
unable to do so on account of the intense heat, which
prevented the mechanism working. From all this
it is concluded that the fire had been raging for
some time on the stage before it penetrated to
the house. Had the iron curtain been lowered
directly the fire broke out, and had the fire signal been
rung, the fire brigade could have soon been on the
spot with all the necessary appliances, and would
have thus been enabled to save many lives. According
to the statement of a workman the gas was turned off
by the inspector of lights for fear of an explosion,
while the oil lamps in the passages had not been used
at all that evening. In conclusion, the Minister
President informed the House that he had given
orders that a daily inspection of the theatres should
be made, and that a police officer on duty should be
present an hour before the representation began. In
spite of this official declaration, most of the theatres
were nearly empty on Friday night.

Writing on the 11th, the Yienna Correspondent of The
Timee says :

As for the total number of those lost, no accurate
idea can yet be formed, nor probably will this ever be
possible. According to the official statement made
last night in the sitting of the Common Council, which
was to decide about the funeral arrangements, 243
bodies had been recovered; of these 125 had been
identified, 19 are doubtful, and N are still unknown.
Of the 125 recognised, 32 have been reclaimed for
private burial. The Jewish community has under-
taken to bury 60 belonging to it, so that 150 remain
for burial by the town. It is to be feared that those
who have been recovered represent but a small portion
of those who have perished.
Since Thursday night some dozen officials have been
at work writing down those people reported as miss-
ing. The first examination of the lists, however,
showed that the same names were found in several
lists, while a number of people whose names had been
entered on the lists appeared at the police office to
protest against their names having been put down.
Attempts have been made to correct the lists from
time to time, but this, of course, could only extend to
correcting the above-mentioned mistakes. The lists,
which amounted before to nearly 1,300, have thus
been reduced to 917, so that, deducting the 243 bodies
which have been recovered, no fewer than 674
bodies have still to be accounted for. Even this
seems to be a simple impossibility, as only 600
tickets are stated to have been issued for a,ll the gal-
leries, and as the pit and boxes were still comparatively,
empty at the time of the disaster. Moreover' a con-
siderable number are stated to have escaped by the
doors of the theatre, while others were saved by
jumping from the windows on to the cloths held in
the streets below and by going down the fire brigade
ladders. Perhaps later, when inquiries can be made
about the persons on the lists, some approach may be
made to the real number of the dead, but at present
there are no reliable data to go upon.
DSc. 11.

The interior of the Ring Theatre presents a most
desolate appearance. The place formerly occupied
by the stage and the seats for spectators is now an
empty waste, inclosed by four blackened walls, to
which the partially-burnt boxes still adhere. From
the smouldering daris of the pit a repulsive odour of
burnt bodies arisen,

The scene of the fire has to-day been continually
surrounded by vast crowds. This morning the
work of removing the debris in order to recover the
remainder of, the bodies was resumed. The hall at
the hospital where the bodies are laid out for
recognition continues to present the same agoniz-
ing scenes as hitherto. The details of the catas-
trophe, as they become more fully known, only serve
to increase the terrible nature of the occurrence.
In order not to add to the existing excitement, the
newspapers and the authorities give only the
lowest possible estimate of the number of victims.
This evening the official list stated that the number of
missing is 917, but it is feared that, as the dtbris are
removed, hundreds of bodies will still be found in the
blocked-up passages of the theatre. Herr Wedl,
Captain of the Lower Austrian Fire Brigade, writes
to-day to the Deutsche Zeitung a letter in which he
states that the whole inside of the body of the house is
a heap of human ashes, bones, and charred remains.
Communications of sympathy with Vienna in the
present calamity are reaching here from all the pro-
vincial towns of Austria.

A relief committee was constituted this evening,
under the presidency of the Second Burgomaster,
Herr Uhl, and it was resolved to give plentiful assist,
ance at once to all, without distinction, who have
been placed in necessitous circumstances by the fire.
It was also decided to place the orphans of the victims
in good educational establishments, so that children
of the same parents shall not be separated, and, as
far as the means at the disposal of the committee will
allow, to provide for their future.
The Municipality of Vienna has decided to contri-
bute 50,000 florins to the relief of the sufferers,