The Express.
London, England, 1856-03-14 00:00:00

THE FIRE IN DRURY LANE THEATRE.

OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION INTO ITS ORIGIN.
The fire which took place Am Friday morning last.
is Dewy lase Theatre, el oat af or the deLtrucrion of
Comat-aarden 1 heat,., mated an amount of es.
eitemeat am• art ill the prope et ro. cod yesterday after-
Woos the est-c neelt'c, met in the Tre.tre ls. pal, Deur
lase, fee the permit' of Masking ate the arlifill/11611111
atteading the recent outbreak. The tnquiry took plies to
the ammittee.ri.om of the theatre.
The their was taken by the Earl of Gleagell, who we
supported by r Wilma De-Bathe, Me. B•ojamin Bad
Cahoon, Kr. Cole. !LP. Ile Hardin', P Mr.
Flatbgat., the secretary, and dr. Nelsoe, the architect.
Tb•meamattee were conducted ts the spot where the fire
took piece. which they minutely ozonised, mid said that it
was moat firtunete that the tire had sot intended hada,
before it was diicovered. Having reversed to the comattlee
mom, Seamel Gi-.rd, me of the firemen of the theatre, and
a mats mased Webster, were custard.
The Earl of 01.4 gall lequired of Girard Übe cas:d tell
how the Ste 01 ipLat•a
°mad replied that lie could M.. It was tallied Coen
aott ha .1 a than soil, waddior being projected !tom
of the guns let en fired the previous nab..
To. B•r1 of Gleetrall—At what time, and in what situ,
were as guts bred
Glrerl list. also Webs er stated thtt gans wave fired In
the 'me two rases of the psatemime.
The Ce• mac ti ea isgoired how it wee th.t the dim
'every was made, when G rod replied that, se he and
Webster were gnirg their ratan& over the theatre at us
e sselas os iftte p gamma they saw so lighted any di.
mistime, but they eapertrnced a Leong smell of berate(
we ed. Trey weal into dieerent pats of the d es, but fee
sem time tney could tree* nothing, when at lest tlity pee
sand • cloud f rm..ke tiring, bat from what spot it was
meposeb.• to t_ 1; f 2. u ttey sect in ose direction, the
ache disappeared, ad when they tumid to =whir *yet,
it bet.. more .tsarre, sad they at lot berates sr velem'
as if they bed been in a thick fog ; but tares teen they
could sot find out the spot whore the ire was. the keel
wee, therefore, immediately stretfind oat from one of
the fir. et cies, a number of buckets wore 6Uod with
water, acid set ry appliance tor estingsrehiog fire ia th
theatre was got ready, to as to dub water do -• mos
the fire the moment it app., red. Whilst a did far-
ther *such sat beteg wade, they at length toned the
flee is aa up igbt beam ceder the fi'wr.ng of the Sm. No
fire was pi rc .ottbls Imes the outside of the beam, as it was
me. red some inches with oast that tied meneasslated from
the .t as, hat Webster, egos placing his hand opts the
dust, go: it tarot, and did was the way they feted it out.
They then trunght some of the buthew, which they had
already atta,g,d wAtt water, aid by throwing it over the
emesidering timber to ne 'athlete, hed the fire, sad kept ma-
slant watch over the spot during the whole night.
This Eat of Gleneall said that it was clear that the fire-
_ea, Goer t and Webster, had displayed greet este and
persaveraacs.
• vets of thanks was mead to them, and • v- re bad-
gems was also gives to them, after which the pro-
ceedtags tersaisated.