Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-01-04

event whose effects arc so deeply written on
ourhearts We have seen every person who
was behind the scenes, that twas best able to as
sist our enquires--we have heard their state
ments, and after sitting them as. accurately as
possible, beg leave to submit the following re-
port to our afflicted citizens.
5 On the night sc Thursday last, the Panto-
mime Of 6 The Bleeding Nun, or Agnes and
Raymond" Came on for representation after
the Play was over. In the first act, amongst
other scenes was the scene OF the Cottage OF
Baptist the Robber, which was Illuminated by
/. chandelier apparently hanging from the
ceiling. When the curtain fell on the first
act, and before it rose on the Cd, this chande-
licr was lifted from its position among the
scenery above. 1t was fixed with wicks to
it one only ofthem had been lit; yet when
twas lifted above, this fatailamh 7oas not &c
tmguiShed. Here is the first link in the chain
of our disasters The man who raised it,
does not pretend to deny it-but pleads that
he did SO in consequence Of an order from
some person whom he supposed authorised to
direct him. That person was behind him;
the voice had reached him, without his seeing
the person, and he does not pretend positively
to recognize him. We have not the most dis
tant idea that there was the slightest mischie-
vous intention in the order or in the act--lt
was the grossest negligence. The litter OF
the lamp says, that he was aware of the dan
Yielded with too fatal facility to the reiterat-
ed orders of person whom he saw not, but
supposed authorized to direct him. We cast
not the slightest imputations upon the mana
gers or any of the regular comedians of the
stage their positions at the moment as well
as other circumstances, forbid the idea that
the order ever passed from their lips; yet the
act Was done. The lighted lamp was lifted;
the torch of destruction CLEANED at the top of
the stage.
Mr.. Rice (the Property-man of the The
atre) says, that he saw the scene was over in
which the lamp was used he saw the lamp
after 1t 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" He did not see it put out for he was
drawn by his business to another part of the
stage.
Mr.. West declare. that he was passing by
and saw the lamp up and heard Rice giving di-
rectlons to the carpenter to extinguish it.
Mr.. Cook (the regular carpenter ofthe 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
this attempt was made in consequence of the
order; That he saw the cords tangle and the
lamp to oscilliate several inches from its per-
pendicular position. The chandelier above,
was moved by two cords which worked over
two pulleys, inserted in collar-beam of the
roof; and the straight line from the beam to
the lamp was, Mr.. Cook thinks, about Ia
or Is feet. Thus some idea may be had of
the dcgree of oscillation.
Mr.. Anderson Zone of the Performers of the
Theatre) says, that he had remarked, even
before the representation, how unskilfully the
chandelier had played and that an attempt to
move it had caused it to ride circularly round.
Mr.. Yore (another of the workmen of the
machinery most concusively 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 josted it; that il
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 fame rose, and tapering above
ii to point, must have reached the roof,
which was elevated 6 or feet only above the
top of the scene.
We are assured, that there was not one
translucent scene hanging; that is, scene
coated with varnsh and extremely combusti-
bic that there was one ta7her scene hanging
which Mr.. UT the Prompter declares, was
removed or feet behind the lamp. Thirty
FIVE scenes were at that moment hanging, cx-
elusive OF the flies or narrow borders which
represent the skies, roofs, &c. and of these
"a were canvass paintings; which though not