The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-01-02

S''"E"' y! some gentlemen, and escaped unhurt,
anu myself but slightly. One of the gentlemen saws
ne IS very certain there came out after ,,s
through, the front windows, and in less than 10 mi
nnses after cleft, the flames rushed out of the win
dows. All those that feil with the Staircase must
nearly have expired with the smoke at the time as
the smoke was excessively severe. l heard neither
SIGH nor groan uttered from any one of them II is
my opinion had the people in the lower boxes got
down IN the PIT and passed out of the west side, it
would certainly have given for the upper boxes
and by that means almost every soul have been saw
5EDEDIAH ALLEN.
DEAR SIR,
What know concerning that destruc-
tive FIRE from actual observation. is. AL
though limited, very correct, having had TO
particular relativet to protect; every object
o, q stress, that Came within my observance
from the beg mining to the end is as clearly
before my minds aye now as it was at the
unfortunate crisis.
told you, that Mr. G.. and myself were
walking up the hill, not more than TWEEN
~ or thirty perches from the theatre when
the hrst Hash appeaJed--he ran frantic to the
protection Of his wife and child, coo,ly
and deliberately to that Of ali within nv
wer-the first bsheld il distress rivetted
my whole attention-at the n. w. window
IN the front OF the heatre number of la
dies appeared most pf whose faces knew
called to them tonmp out, they did, and
were all saved-evm from broken bone
yet some much Injured by the fiames-Mrs.
McRae and Mrs. Pickett were undoubtedlv
the two last who escaped from the ruins
Mr.. hic ards, family with many more had
been &C. ved b 10 ndamaged-although
freque kn caed Town, / received an t6e
ladies from that window and no man ever
assisted se of them If it were necessary
cou De particularn Mrs. Pickett's case
as she'suffered moe from unfeeling men
than any lady saH-as soon as she was
safe,I ran round tls building to see if any
body else could be saved-I saw that ali
within were lost, by attention was next
!; drawn to the door, hear which had stood
from the beginning ;tlere Inc bl lcken and
lfeiess bodies of Tany who are now in a
falr way OF recovery were trodden down by
gaping multitude, with the assistance.
of few whom 10 not recollect. draered
out many apparently dcad-amone whom
were Miss Davis md Mr.. TifIin and the un
fortunate Miss Havie, these we're all the
bodies recognize, the last of wAon an
Peared most likek to live; for she could
| speak but the oilers, although not much
damaged externaB, were apparently life
| less.
| Ihe NEST pleaing part of my life was
that which IFpcntin the act of preservati-
on, but the hest Melancholy in assisting the
preserved and seeking the lost-you saw
part of that yourself.
| Your fricad s Servant
| SIR-ln compliance with your request. 7
send you brtf statement of the little to
! winch was aIeye witness in the late disas-
trous fire at thtTheatre. was at the head
OF the brick-rtv, on my way from the play
house when ieard the first cry of fire
without any otter delay than was occasion
ed by AIDING lTfirawing the Fire Engine "a
bout 10 or 10 y3ds, / FASTENED to the The
atrc door. NiiEAiien Taylor had just come
out & Mrs. Gibbn was standing still immedi-
ately within apprentlyin state of stupefac-
toni drew Ing through the door and pro-
ceeded on to I'll Partition-door where the
checks were reSived-between these doors
met se' eral mn and women making their
way out--ln preceding ON the foot of the
STAIRS, saw nlperaon of any description
but afony the airS fLom the first landing
place lay nubibrof women OH their faces,
side by side, thei heads towards the floor
lhey were all apparently lifeiess--their
ciothcs'disorderc3an d some of them naked
fro the waist.
My hrst 1mpue was to take up one of
the smaiiest--ln drying her to- the outer
doortl metno perdn---but two men there re-
ccived her. Thru or four gentleman Who'll
presume had btn before employed in ta-
king out the femsts afterwards came in. 3,
lost no time i'll rnoving the Other ladies'
They were ali CARED as far as the do-r. and
there they were cceiyed and borne OF h.,
others. think rat Mr. John G.. Smith and
Mr.. Alexr. Slip of this town were two ri
those who were the house when was. z.
were very acte: distinctly rccollect
wat saw viii first in, but tie horror Of
the spectacle Yich presented itself to my
eyes at the foot the stairs, (unapprisad =
fyas until then iat had not met the last of
the audience iakcs my recollection YER.
ihdistnct Of vat passed afterwards. am,
however content thAt, all those who had
reached the der fight of the stars werr
rescued from &c flames, and fatter nv
self that they're now living. Mr.. Smjih
AID M. Sha, and probably one or .wo r.
theirs can vota for the same fact.
YOur'sStc. G.. TITCErp