Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1812-01-13
Shocking Calamity
Fire at Richmond, Virginia.


Lsh night the PlayhouIe in this CITY
Z was crowded with an unufnaI audience.
There could not have been leis than 600
rerfnns in the houfe. Jult before the con-
c'uion of the play, the fctusry caught fire,
&in few minutes the whole building was
wrapt in fumes. 7, is already sfceItainsd
that 6I perions were deycnred by that mott
terrific element. The Editor Of this pa
per was in the houie when the ever.to-be
remembered, deplorabie accident occurred.
lie is informed that the fcenery took fire
il the back part of the houfe, by rafting
chandelier that the boy who was or
t'ered BY fome Of the players to raifs II,
fated that If he did 70, the fcenery would
take fire, when he was commanded in
rsrcmptoFy manner, to hoif II. The boy
shtyed, and the FIRE was i2fantly commu-
nicatrd to the icenery. Hegave the alarm
IN the rear of the faee, and requefed
fore of the attendants 10 cut the cords by
which The combuaible materials were iui-
pended. The perfon whole duty il was
20 perform this bufinefs, became panick
struck and fought bis own lafety. This
unfortunately happened at time when
one of the performers was playing near the
orchcftra,and the greatef part of the Rage,
with its horrid danger, was obfcured from
the audience by curtain.
The flames fpread with almo2 the ra-
pidity OF lightning and the fire falling
from the ceiling upon the performer. was
the 6rtt notice which the people had of
,heir danger. Even then. many fuppofcd
tito be part of the play, and were foi
q little time refrained from fight BY cry
from The Rage thar there was no danger.
The performers and their attendants in
vain underworld to tear down the fcencry.
The FIRE haihed in eveiv part of the houle
with rapidity horrible and aitonihing,
and, alas guihing tears and unfpeakablc
ansuifh deprived me of u,terance. No
perfon who was rot prefent can form any
idea of this unexam2ltd fcene of human
diarefs The editor having none ofhis "a.
Iniiy with him and being not far from the
door. was among the ilrit who efcaped.
No words can exprefs his horror when
on turning round, he dfcovered the whole
building t. be II flames There was but
one door for the greatef part osthe audi
ence To pats. Men, women and children
were arefiing upon each other, while the
flames were feizing upon thofe behind
The editor went 70 The different windows
which were very high, and implored his
fellow creatures 10 fave their lives by ium-
ping out Of them. Thofc ncarcft the win.
Cows, igncrant of their danger, were a.
fraid TO leap down, whit thofe behind
them, were feeu catching on fire, and
writing in the gresteft agonies of pain
and difsrels. AT length, thofe behind ur-
Eed by the prefiing flames, psfhed those
people of every cefcription began to fall
one upon another, fome with their clothes
on frc, fome half roatcd Oh wretched
me! Oh afflicted people Would to
God could have died thoulmd deaths
an any fhape, could individual tutoring
have purchafed the fafety Of my friends.
nv bcnefaetors, of thofe whom / loved
-s**-The editor with the afiieaucs of
others caught feveral of thofe whom he
had begged TO leap from the windows
One lady jumped out when all her cloths
we're on fire. He tore them burning from
her frippcd her of her lafs rags, and pro-
tceiing her nakrdnefs with bis coat, carried
her from the FIRE. Fathers and mothers
Husbands were heard 10 lament their loft
companions. Wives were bemozning their
burnt husbands. The pcopic were feen
wringing their hands, beating their heads
and breafts, and thofe that had fecrred
themfelves, feemed TO fuffer greater tor
rnent than thofe who were enveloped in
fumes Oh defra9,ng memory! who, that
faw this. can think Of IL again, and vet re-
tain his fenfes. Do drea m No, No.
Oh that il were but 4 dream. My God
Who that faw his friends and deareft con-
nections devoured by fire. and LAYING in
heaps AZ the doors, will not regret that he
ever lived To fee fuch fight Could "a.
ssgcs have feen this memorable event, it
would even foften their hearts.
a fad gloom pervades this place, and
every countenance is cat down 10 the
earth The lois of an hundred thoufand
friends in the field OF battle could not
touch the heart like this. Enough. I'm
agine what Cannot be dyfcrbsd. The
r,oh diftant and implacable enemy, AMI
the mott hva2e barbarians, will condu.e
our unhappy lot.
All Of thofe W no were IN the Dit efcap-
ed, and had cleared themfelvcs from the
houfe before thoie who were in the boxes
could get down ; and the door was FOR
fome time empty. Thofe from above
we're pulling each other down the fteps,
when the hindermoA might have cot out
by leaping into the pit. A gentleman and
lady, who otherwile would have perihed
had their lives faved by being providential-
~ thrown from the fecond boxes There
would not have been tie lean difficulty in
defending from the fra boxes into the pit
Ertrai7 efa LITTER, datrd Ricbn3rl D-c18.
Many more human fkuls have been
found, than we yet know of PERKINS mis-