The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-31 00:00:00

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

Owing to the confusion and excitement that prevailed
during the raging•of this disastrous fire, it was impossible
to collect anything like strict particulars as to the cause of
the fire or where it commenced. A report was current at
the time that the disaster had been occasioned by an escape
of gas from the grand chandelier hanging over the centre
of the pit. This upon careful inquiries turns out to be
incorrect.

It appears from the statements made by the master car-
penter, Mr. Yokes, who has been 11 years connected with
the theatre, and also Mr. Stephen Smith, the treasurer,
that the fire was not occasioned by an escape of gas. Mr.
Hinkley, the gas engineer, was standing at the back of
the boxes utlking to the treasurer, when all of a sudden
Mr. Smith noticed the people in the pit rising and attempt-
ing to leave. Upon looking up to the well hole over
the chandelier he noticed sparks falling, when he said to
Mr. Hinkley, " Good heaven, what is the matter, run and
turn oil the gas of the great chandelier." Mr. Hinkley
immediately ran down and crossed, by means of his pass-
key, the stage, ascended to the property-rooms, and also
got to within four feet of the carpenter's shop, which run
over the room of the pit. He then saw an immense
quantity of shavings in a regular blaze, and the flames
were beating round the workshops with the greatest fury.
He could then see that all attempts to save the theatre
I would prove fruitless, and he escaped, but how he did so
he could not tell, beyond the fact that he laid hold of the
rope ladder, which was a very dangerous expedient.
It should here be stated that Messrs. Shepherd and
Anderson had the scenery for a new nautical piece pro-
ducing, to be entitled " The Mariner's Compass," in which
some elaborate scenery was being prepared to represent
ships, and to show an awful storm at Margate. That the
shavings, caused by the vast accumulation, was the cause
of the catastrophe, little doubt is now entertained. Mr.
Mather, the master carpenter, was always Onsiciered a

very careful man, and, of course, it was impossible in pre-
paring scenery of such magnitude to keep the flooring of
the workshops properly swept; if such could have
been done there is no doubt but the theatre
woald have been perfectly safe. - Mr. Vokes, the
master tailor, stated that he was in the house on the
first attempt of the audience to leave, when he noticed
sparks of fire falling through the well-hole of the chande-
lier, which left no doubt in his mind that the fire was
raging in the carpenters' workshops. At that time the
scene of the comic business of the Pantomime was going
on, and the carpenters and scene shifters were just getting
ready the finale, entitled the "Retreat of the Forest of
Fancy." At this time M. Chapino's juvenile troupe of
females were dressed ready to take part in the last scene.
Upon the alarm being given Mr. Vokes managed to rush
with the children in their stage dresses and wreaths round
their heads into the street, and he passed them over to
his own house on the opposite side of the road, where,
to his credit and humanity he supplied them with
tea and cold meat. Four children, belonging to
Mr. Osment, the landlord -of the Flowers of the
Forest Tavern, and on the north side of the theatre,
he also took away to his own house, and treated them in
the same way as he did the Chinese troupe. One very
unfortunate circumstance connected with this gentleman
is that he kept in the wardrobe of the theatre the well-
known Voker specimen of cording, which was greatly ad-
mired by the late Prince Consort and the Queen, and
obtained the prize medal at the Great Exhibition of 1851.
The specimen alone cost him £lOO in its preparation, and
independent of that loss he has been deprived of other pro-
perties valued at the lowest at £2OO. Mr. Stephen
Smith, the treasurer, who leased the box saloon
has also lost the whole of the valuable mirrors, the splen-
didly appointed chandeliers, and the whole of the stock of
brandies, wines, and even the takings of the night. Un-
fortunately this gentleinan was only insured for £lOO, a
sum far below his actual loss. Messrs. Wade and Patching,
who kept the pit saloons, have also lost the whole of their
property, including stock in trade, the rich fittings, and
other effects, and, unfortunately, they were not insured for
a single penny. The treasury of the theatre, although
betwesn heavy brick walls of great thickness, has
been entirely destroyed, and the books, checks, and other
documents have been consumed, but fortunately the money
taken at the front of the house the previous night had been
placed by Mr. Stephen Smith in one of the Patent Reliance
fire-proof safes, and the contents are perfectly safe, but
cannot be reached until the side walls are shored up.
The moment the flames reached the stage, and before any
membore of thn corps drantatique became actually aware of
the existence, of the fire, Rowella, the clown, Mr. T. Evans,
the harlequin, Mr. Beckenham, the pantaloon, and Mr.
Vivian, who performed the part of the sprite, and a comic
policeman, rushed out of the theatre in their stage dresses,
and, mingling in the crowd, had a most motley appear-
ance. How the columbines got out is at the present a
mystery, but they were all saved, as they have since been
seen, but they were unable to tell how or by what means
they got out of the theatre.
Mr. Smith, the treasurer, informed our reporter that
when the curtain rose the previous night there were not more
than 40 persons in the house, and, although Monday, owing
to the inclement state of the weather, the house was what
is called, in theatrical parlance, a very "indifferent" one,
and as is the usual case after the transformation scene,
many persons who take no interest in what is termed the
comic business had left the house, so that
when the panic took place there were not more

than about 1,000 persons in the establishment.
Considering that not more than that number was present
at the time it seems not a little remarkable that the
audience should have escaped as well as they did. Com-
paratively speaking, very few were injured, and those only
by bruises by being forced against the walls and wickets
in their endeavours to escape all at once. These persons
were attended to by Dr. Donovan, but none of the cases
aro of a serious character. How it was that the extensive
premises belo.iging to Mr. Harris, known as the Eques-
trian Tavern, and those of Mr. Osment, the Flower
of the Forest Tavern, both adjoining the theatre,
escaped destruction may be ascribed principally to the ser-
vices rendered by the land steam engines. Had it not been
for the services rendered by those steamers, and the plenti-
ful supplies of water furnished by the Lambeth and South-
wark Companies, nothing could have prevented each of
those buildings from sharing in the general wreck. At an
early hour Mr. Hodgeman, one of the partners in Shand
and Mason's land steamers' factory, was in attendance look-
ing after the steam apparatus, and Captain Hodge was also
in attendance with the Prince of Wales land steamer, with
engines from every part of London under the Personal
direction of Captain Shaw, the Chief of the Brigade.
So great was the crowd in the course of a few minutes,
that Captain Harris, one of the Commissioners of Police,
and Superintendants Webb and Branford, M division, with
over 100 constables and inspectors, took up their positions,
and formed a large space for the firemen to pursue their
dangerous avocations. Upon the top of Mr. Harris's pre-
mises was a tremendous coat of royal arms, and as the
three Royal Society's escapes were being raised in front of
that establishment, and Mr. Charles Whyte, of the County
Fire Office, was passing under, the ponderous mass of or-
namental work fell with a tremendous crash within a foot
of Mr. White and the escape conductors. , Fortunately, no
.‘sr one wa injured by the occurrence. The Surrey and Hat-
ch= lunteer Brig
ade rendered great assistance. It is
satisfaet jr to state hat Messrs. Shepherd and Anderson,
the les es, were insured, but not beyond £2,000, which is
far bels6w the actual loss. Both these gentlemen had left
the th€:atre, and had gone home, when a tradesman in the
neighbourhood took a cab and proceeded to Mr. Shepherd's
private residence, and when the door was opened by the
servant he was told that Mr. Shepherd had gone to bed.
Without any ceremony he rushed up to his bedroom, 'and
informed him that the theatre was on fire, and he then pro-
ceeded to Mr. Anderson's address and informed him of the
same fact. At one o'clock to day the firemen were still at
work, throwing water upon the still smouldering ruins.
The official report describes the theatre, wardrobes, and
scenery as being entirely burnt out. The building belonged
to Colonel West, and was insured in the Phoenix and other
fire offices, and the lessees were insured in the Phcenix.

LAW INTELLIGENCE—(This Day).

COURT OF DIVORCE.
(Before the Judge Ordinary.)
SWEETLAND V. SWEETLAND.-JUDGMENT.

In this case, which stood over for judgment, the testator
signed five out of six sheets of a will, leaving off at the
end of tho fifth sheet, and in the middle of a sentence,
although all the sheets had been duly signed by the attest-
ing witnesses. For the will, it was contended, that the
five first sheets contained all the necessary disposition of
the property, which was in no way affected by the last
sheet, and that the testator had given the document to his
brother, and stating that it contained his last will and
testament.

The learned Judge said that the act which required the
signature of the testator on the last sheet was imperative,
and therefore he must pronounce against tho will.