The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-09-10 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. TERRIBLE FIRE AT EXETER
THEATRE.

SUPPLY.
The Hrrss OF COMMONS, on Sept. 5, completed the OVER A HUNDRED LIVES LOST.
34 questions on the Order Paper and got into Corn. On Monday night the Exeter New Theatre Royal
Atte. of Supply before five o'clock. The Irish Civil
Jarvice Votes, of which seven were still to be disposed was, like its immediate predecessor, destroyed by fire,
of, were resumed, and the first of these, which related but the circumstances of its destruction were unfortu-
to the salaries of County Court officers and Resident nately of a far more serious character than those
Magistrates and of Revising Barristers in the City of which marked the fire at the old house in 1885. To
Dublin, was debated for four-and-a-half hours by four witness the first production of "Romany Rye"in Exeter
or five out of 18 Parnellite members. Diming the a good audience had assembled. Not only were the pit
whole of the discussion there were not more than three and gallery crowded, but the stalls were filled nearly
Liberal members present in the House, while on the to the limit of their accommodation, and the only
Government benches there were between 20 and 25
Ministerialists.—Mr. Flynn, in opening the opposition thinly-patronised part of the building was the dress
circle. At 7.45 the first act of Mr. Sims' romantic
to the vote, attacked the manner in which the resident drama opened. With its development the onlookers
magistrates were appointed. He denounced Captain
Plunkett's famous telegram, "Do not hesitate to shoot were apparently more than pleased, and when the
them downs" and described the Chief Secretary's third act had been reached, the success of the repre-
former answers in the House on that subject as very sentation appeared established. At nine o'clock there
disiegenuons.—Mr. Balfour, in his reply, expresse the was the usual influx into the popular parts of the
opinion that Captain Plunkett's action at You ha- house of those who are theatrically known as "half
was absolutely justifiable, and had prol, bly timers," and then the pit was crammed. The-fourth
prevented bloodshed and loss of life. In ide- act opened successfully.
fending the resident magistrates, he asserted at At ten o'clock not the least danger was apprehended
t
they were well qualified for the office. Dr. Tan lot before or behind the curtain. About ten minutes past
Mr. Gilhooly, Mr. Deasy, and one or two ot erg ten the marine scene was changed to one in the same act
brought forward instances of alleged miscondzch on representing Ratcliff-highway. It was not a drop. but
the part of resident magistrates; and in answer to Mr;
Deasy, the Chief Secretary stated that the Treasury was formed in panels pushed from the aide. Here
had brought in a bill by which officers like Captain
there was a hitch, though it is known to have had no
1
Plunkett, whose duties were more of a police than a I connection with the subsequent disaster. Matters
magisterial character, would be placed on a more midis. were mended by the pushing forward of a side curtain.
factory basis, and he undertook that when a person Romany Rye was in due course gagged by denizens
was brought up under the Crimes Act he would Piot of the highway, pitched inside the caravan, and paid
be tried before one magistrate only, and would tsee villains of PhAlipßoyston were discussing their "job."
that two were provided. When the division fres One of them retired, and Mr. Powell Scragger was left
taken the Vote was agreed to by 109 to 35 after three on alone continuing a meditation. He was at the time
hours' discussion, after which Mr. Sexton intimated —a remarkable coincidence—speaking of an "inter-
that the Irish members were willing to allow theire- ference in the business." The drop-scene at the same
maining Irish Votes to be taken at once if the Report moment fell heavily. There was a loud titter among the
on the Vote obtained on Friday for Criminal Proses's.
tions was postponed till Tuesday.—Mr. W. H. Smith audience, who had not then the remotest idea of im-
agreed to the postponement, and the whole of the Irish : pending disaster, and it was expected that in a
Votes were immediately agreed to without discussion, moment the curtain would again "ring up." The
—Progress was reported at 20 minutes to one, and the' conductor remarked, "There's something up," and
House then entered upon the consideration of the was about to fill the unexpected interval with a selec-
Labourers' Allotments Bill as amended. , r tion of music. The curtain at that moment slightly
. I waved, and as it had not gone completely down, the
BILLS FORWARDED.
In the noun OF LORDS, on September 8, the persons who were in the first row of the stalls caught
foal Mines Regulation 8,11 and the Labourers' Allot-
a good glimpse of the floor of the stage.
ments Bill were read a first time. The Friendly There was almost immediately afterwards another
Societies Act (1875) Amendment Bill passed through wave of the curtain, and instantly the terrible cry of
ii inaniittee, and the Savings Banks and Government " Fire ! " was heard from the body of the auditorium.
Annuities Bill, the Conveyancing (Scotland) Bill, and I. h e people rose en masse, and a rush commenced to
the Sheriff of Lanarkshire Bill were read a third time the exits. Gentlemen who were in the stalls shouted
and passed. , Ito the occupants of the pit to be steady. The cm tain
PARLIAMENTARY SPEECHES. i Still hid the flames, but that there was a fire was only
Lord Denman having moved the second reading of a too evident, and it was impossible to prevent the
bll to limit the duration of speeches in Parliament, surging towards the doorways. Those in the stalls
Viecuunt Cross, while agreeing with the object of the
measure, urged that legislation of that kind ought to made for the aide exits by way of the passages, which
origitate in the other House. He, therefore, moved on either side led round the house to the foyer,
that the second reading be postponed until that day and it was thought that all in that part
three months which was agreed to without a division, iof the house got safely out. But the ince,
Their lordships rose at a quarter to five o'clock. , mentary sight of the pit and the front of the
T 1

I Dill

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.
In the Housz OF COMMONS notice was given by Mr.
J. Collings that next session he would introduce bills
for the better teaching of agriculture in rural
elementary schools and to facilitate the obtaining of
small holdings of land in England and Wales.
THE EXETER CATASTROPHE.
In answer to Sir J. Puleston, Mr. Matthews stated
that no official survey of the new theatre at Exeter
which had just been destroyed by fire had been held ,
by the Home Office, as that department had no power
to survey theatres in the provinces. The jurisdiction
rested entirely with the magistrates at petty sessions,
who might order a survey, and require structural altera-
tions before granting a license. Replying to Dr.
Tanner, the right hon. gentleman said that it would
not be possible for the Home Office to appoint inspec-
tors of theatres without legislative authority. The
dreadful cslami y at Exeter showed the necessity for
some legislation, and the Government would give their ,
attention to the subjt ct. , 1
THE PROCLAIMED MEETING.
Sir W. Lawson having asked whether it was intended
to prosecute Mr. P. Stanhope, MX., for having taken
part in the proclaimed meeting at Ennis on Sunday
last, Mr. W. H. Smith replied that he had no knowledge
of the circumstances, and was unable to answer the
question. Mr. E. Robertson thereupon asked the
Attorney• General for Ireland if it was intended to
prosecute any of the persons who took part in the
messing; but was informed that it was not customary
for questions to be asked or answered as to the inten-
tions of the Crown with regard to criminal prosecu-
tions.

gallery was awe-striking. he curtain had gone in,
and the flames on the stago were then illuminating
the whole interior, and fast filling the auditorium with
There were those who hesitated on the edge
of. the upper circle, as if preparatory to a leap into
the dress circle, but the smoke was becoming rapidly
denser, and the last seen of them from the inside was
a general rush for the exits. The passages quickly
filled, and before half the occupants of the
'stalls were out the way was made difficult
by the hot air and smoke. There was, however, no
crush in the exits from the stalls and dress circle, and
the three openings from the pit appeared not to be
blocked; but the egress was a close one, and many of
those who reached the former bore traces of personal
injury.
The first alarm was about 20 minutes past 10. At
half-past 10, or just before, persons who had been in
the front of the interior escaped to the street outside,
and the flames were then issuing from the windows
on either side of the theatre. The gallery was the
only part of the house from which there was but one
exit, and it was here that the terrible loss of life prin-
cipally occurred.
A great many managed to reach the New North.
road by the ordinary stairway; others escaped to the
roof over the front balcony of the theatre, and were
implored by a hundred voices not to jump into the
street. They were in a perilous position, for the fire
escape bad not arrived, and the flames were fast
approaching them. But other poor creatures there
were whose fate was a far harder one. Seated
in the front and body of the gallery, they found
upon the first alarm, a struggling mass between
them and the doorway or windows and the fire
at, their backs. The shrieks, as described by
one or two who did get outside, were heart-rending.
Blinded and nearly stifled by the smoke the unfortu-.
nate people could perceive no chance of escape, and
upwards of a hundred persons lost their lives. Very
quickly the news spread, and the first glinspse of the
doomed building conclusively proved that the terror
depicted on the countenances of the messengers fork
the fire-escape was only too well founded. At
that time the rear of the balding was
belching forth a mighty volume of flame and
dense clouds of smoke. The news spread with
lightning rapidity, and what with those who had
made their way out of the burning building, and
those who had assembled, there was very quickly a
large crowd. At first, all was confusion. Peot ls
were searching everywhere for friends and relatives
from whom they had been separated in the three
fight for life which had taken place. The crowd at
the first start was mainly round the main entrance,
and as one after another missing friends and relatives
were found the rumour got about that "all were
out." But it was almost immediately followed
by the cry that there were people in the gallery.
It was a sickening sensation that onlookers expe-
rienced.
Just at this moment those occupants of the gallery
who got out appear to have scattered and become
lost among the crowd, and it was not until some few
minutes had elapsed that the intelligence was spread
abroad that there had been a rush from the gallery
and a blockade of the exit, in which men womea, and
'
children had been thrown down and piled one on top
of another. To the terrified, helpless onlookers it
seemed an age before the fire escape arrived; yet, as
a matter of fact, it was there in about ten minntes or
so, and when the escape was brought it was difficult
to say where it was first to be utilised. The fire had
progressed so far that the people made their way to
the windows and on the roof, from whence they were
rescued by means of ladders.
There was no lack of willing helpers, and no sooner
was the alarm raised and it was seen that lives were
in jeopardy, than men acquainted with the locality
hurried off and returned with ladders, by means of
which several people were enabled to get out of the
burning building. There were a few sailors and
soldiers about, and they were among the foremost to
lend a helping hand, though civilians were equally to
the fore.
An eye•witness, writing a% midnight, says "I
have just left the yard at the back of the London
Hotel, and although I have witnessed in the
course of years scenes of a terrible character, yet
never anything approaching that which I have just
seen. It would seem that the gallery was very full.
As soon as the fire made its appearance there was a
panic. The exits from the gallery must have been
blocked, and the agonised shrieks from the poor
people when they found the fire upon them and
escape impossible are such as those who were present
will never forget. The flames spread with such
speed and fury that the struggle must have been soon
over. The firemen and police with the escape set to '
work with the utmost rapidity, and forced an entrance
through the upper window s as speedily as possible.
One of the engines played on the flames, with the view
of assisting the brigade in their efforts to, if pos-
sible, save some from among the dead. The first seven
bodies brought out, however, were gone beyond re-
call, lir. Kempe, surgeon, who stood at the ladder
and examined each body as it was brought down,
being obliged to pronounce life extinct. The task of
the rescuers was continued without a moment's
cessation. Old men and boys, elderly women and
girls, were indiscriminately mixed up, and although
every now and then something like a cheer greeted
the intimation that in one there was a sign of life,
yet in the great majority of instances there was no
room for hope. Just as the clock struck 11 I went
into the yard of the new London Hotel, and it was a
veritable charnel house. There lay in row after row
sixty dead bodies. Some of their faces were blackened
almost beyond recognition, others were stained
with the blood that had flown from the mouth
and nostrils, clothes were in shreds. While some of
the dead seemed but asleep, the countenances of
others bore traces of the agony suffered. One young
girl was brought in as I stood there. A slight sign of
life remained, and the surgeons and others did their
best to recall consciousness, but in a few moments
they were obliged to confess that she, too, was dead.
There was a band of willing helpers aiding the
medical men as each case was brought in, but nearly
all were beyond human aid before they were taken
out from the theatre. The yard was kept as free as
possible, but some persons who pleaded for admission
were allowed to enter, and in more than one case a
terrible scene of grief announced that the search had
proved only too successful."
A considerable number of the dead are working men
and their wives. A lady who was in the dress circle
states that there were not more than twenty people
in that part of the house, and they got out. A large
number who were in the pit were injured; but the
dead were almost all taken from the gallery.
Seventy bodies lying in the yard of the hotel at one
in the morning included only the bodies which were
fairly recognisable, but remains were afterwards
brought in which resembled charred blocks of wood
rather than human forms. The dead were placed
under cover, but, although the bodies laid thickly in
three rows, the carriage shed did not afford sufficient
room, and the stables were utilised.
The members of the Town Council present —Messrs.
Brown, Wilson, Fulford, and Force—ordered shells
to be made at once, and, as soon as these were ready,
the bodies were removed to the public rooms, so that
they might be recognised by their friends, but there
were many far beyond all possibility of recognition.
The men who so willingly assisted in removing the
bodies sickened over their dreadful task, and every-
one was horror-stricken ; indeed, it was impossible for
a time to realiEe the awful extent of the calamity.
At a quarter past one o'clock the fire was practi-
cally got under. It was then said that at least 120
'bodies had been recovered. Twenty injured people i
were admitted to the hospital, some of whom, nclud
ing a soldier, shortly afterwards died.