The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1812-01-15
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AWFUL FIRE IN RICHMOND.
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OVERWHELMING CALAMITY.

From the Richmond Inquirer.

10 our lot 10 record one Of tie most distress
ing scenes which Can happen IN the whole
| circle of human aiairs---l he reader must
excuse the inCoherence OF the narrative
there is scarce Gfy eye IN this distracted
city. Weep, my iellowciu zens for we
have seen night of woe, which scarce any
| eye had seen, or eIr hath heard, and no tongue
can adequately tell.
How can We describe The scene No pen
Can paint ii I; no imagination can conceive H.
A whole theatre wrapt in flames----a gay and
animated assembly suddenly thrown on the
very verge OF tn. grave-many oi them, oh
how many, plccipitated In a momcnt into C.
ternty--youth, and beauty, and old age and
genius overwhelmed an one plomiscuous
run--Shsiehs, groans and human agony liz
every shapc-this is the heart rending scene
tha, we. are called upon TO describe. We
sink under the effort. Reader excuse our
feelings, for they are tire feelings Of whole
city.
Let us rccollect our ideas as well as We
can. On Thursday night new play and
new aiterplece was played for the benefit OF
Mr.. Placidc. Crowds swarmcd 10 the Ihc-
atre---It was the fullest house this season---.
there was not less than six hundred present.
The play went oH----the Pantomimc bcgpn-a-
the first act was over. The whole scene was
before us--and all around us was mirth aud
icsuviy. Oh God what horrible yevolu-
ton did one minute produce ! The curtain
rose Cn the second act of the Pantomimc--
the orchestra WAS III full chorus and Mr..
West came on to open the sceGe--when
sparks OF fire began to fall on the back part
Of .he stage, and Mr.. Robertson came out in
unutierablc distress, wavcG his hand TO the
ceiling aud uttered these appalling words
The house /, on fire." His hand was i'm
mediately streatchcd forth TO the persons IN
the stage box to help them on the s.age--and
aid their retreat In that direction. This is all
we caught OF the stage-the cry Of .fre, fire,
passed with clcctrlCk velocity through the
house--eve:y ore flew from their seats to
gain the lob6cs and stairs.
The scene babies all description. The
most heart piercing cries pcrvaded the house
| - Save me, save me-" Wives asking fur
their husbands, females and children shrlciH-
ing while the gathering element came roll
ing on in curing flames and coiums o!
Notwithstanding 20 dcvour every humtn
being in the building .----Many were trod un.
der toot---soverM were thrown back from the
windows which they were trGSgling to leap.
The stalrways were Immediately blocked tip
the throng was so great that many were
raised veral foot over the heads OF the rest
--,hc smoke threatened al instant suiiocation
We cannot dwell on this picture. We saw
we iclt iC--like others we gave up ourselves
for lost--we cannot depict 1t. Many leapcd
from the windows of the first story, and were
saved--childrcn and females and men OF all
descriptions were seen to precipita,e them
selves on the ground below-most Of these
escaped though several of them with brok-
en- legs and thighs, and hdeous contusions.
Most ii not all who were in the pit escaped.
Mr. Taylor, the last or the musicians who
Quilted the orchestra finding his retreat by
the back way cut off leapt into the pin whence
he entered the scmic:rcular avenue which
leads TO the door Of the Theatre, and found
il nearly empty. He was the last that escap-
ed from the pit how melancholy, that many
who were in the boxes did hot also Jump INFO
the pit and fly In the same dirccion--Bui
those who were in the boxes, above and be-
low, pushed for tho lobbins---many, Us has
been said, escaped through the windows
but the most OF them had no other resource
than to descend the stairs, many escaped i'll
that way--hut SO great was the pressure that
they retarded each other until the dCvour-
ing element approached to sweep them into
eternity. Several who even emerged from
the building were so much scorched that
they have since perished--some even Jump
cd from the second winGow--somc others
have been dreadiully burnt.
The fire flew with a rapidity almost beyond
example, Within ten minutes after IL caught
the whole house was wrapt in iiamcs--lhe
colourcd people in the gallery most OF them
escaped through the stairs cut oil from the
rest Of the housc--somc have no doubt fallen
victims. The pit and boxes had but one
common avenue--through which the whole
crowd escaped. save those only who lcapcd
through the windows
But the scene which cnsucd--it is impos-
sible 10 paint. Women with Gsheyellcd