Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1812-01-10

A.
after sitting them as accurately as ,,o..:s IL
beg leave to submit the following rrro-,
our afflicted citizens.
On the night of Thursday last the pr.
mime of 8 The Bleeding Nun. or Agne. ~,
Raymond came on for representation asa-
the Play was over. In the first act. amons.
other scenes was the scene of the COTTAGE ~
Baptist the Robber, which was illnmi5.t.,
by chandelier apparently hanging from y
ceiling. When the curtain fell on the sas
act, and before it rose on the I'd. this cho.a'
lier was lifted from its position amon,r -
scenery above. 1t was fixed with WIGS
it; one only of them had been lit vet WI
il was lifted above, this fatal Iap,D nm, sai
ertingniShed Here is the first Ink il ~
chain of our disasters The man who r,;..,
it. does not pretend to deny it-but pleade,,ho,
ne did so in consequence of an order Fra
some person whom he supposed authorized =
uifecI MIN. mat person was behind him
the voice had reached him, without his sks;r
the person, and he does not pretend positiveloo
to recognize him. We have not the mos n.
tant idea that there was the slightest niiscbie.
vous intention i'll the order or in the act- !,
was the grossest negligence. The litter .,
the lamp says, that lie was aware of the d.n
ger, and demonstrated against the act 70,
yielded with too fatal facility to the reiIera,.
ed orders of person whom he saw not. bnt
supposed authorised to direct him. We cas,
not the slightest imputations upon the mana.
gers or any of the regular comedians Of n.
stage; their positions at the moment as well
as other circumstances, forbid the idea thai
the order ever passed from their lips tie
act was done. The lighted lamp was lifted
the torch of destruction cleaned at the ton Of
the stage.
MIR. Rice (the Property man ofthe Theatre,
says, that he saw the scene was over in which
the lamp was used he saw the lamp after II
was lifted up; he was aware of the danger of
ITS remaining in that position and spoke to
one OF the carpenters, three times repeatedly
:" Lower that lamp and blow it OUT lie did
not see it put out for he was drawn by hi,
business to another part of the stage
MIR. West declares that he was passing by
TO commence the 2nd Act of the Pantomime.
and saw the lamp up and heard Rice givinr
directions to the carpenter to cxtinguish it.
Mr.. Cook tthe regular carpenter of the The.
atre) declares that he saw the carpenter, al
luded to above, attempting to let down the
lamp Immediately after the order to let it
down had been given; that he has no doubt
the attempt was made in consequence of the
order; That he saw the cords tangle and the
lamp to oscillate several inches from it's Der.
pendicular position. The chandelier above
was moved BY two cords which worked over
two puileys, inserted in collar beam of the
roof; and the straight lire from the beapA 10
the lamp was, Mr.. Cook thinks, about Is or
Is feet Thus some idea may be had Of the
degree of oscillation.
MIR. Anderson tone of the Performers of the
Theatre) says, that he had remarked, even
before the representation, how unskilfuly the
chandelier had played and that an attempt
to move it had caused it to ride circularly
round
MIR. Yore another of the workmen of the
machinery most conclusively confirms this
statement. He saw, that in the attempt to
lower the lamp, as it was perched among the
scenery, the carpenter had failed in his effort;
that he then jerked it and jostled it, that it
was thus, swerved from its perpendicular atti-
tude, and brought into contact with the lower
part OF one of the front scenes The scene
took fire the flame rose, and tapering ADORE
At to point, must have reached the root.
which was elevated or feet only above the
top Of the scene
We are assured that there was not one
transparent scene hanging; that Is, scene
coated with varnish and extremely combust-
Bile; that there was one paper scene hanging;
which Mr.. UT the Prompter declares, was re.
moved or 8 feet behind the lamp. Thirty
five scenes we're at that moment hanging. ex-
elusive of the flies or narrow borders which
represent the skies, roofs, Sc and of these
81 were canvass paintings which though not
extremely combustible on the painted side,
are on the other so well covered with the f.
bres OF the hemp as to catch the flame.
Efforts were made to extinguish the flame.
MIR. Cook, the carpenter, assembled into the
carpenters gallery; but in vain. lie did sue
coed In letting down some of the scenes upon
the floor, under an idea that this was the SUI