Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1841-06-12
From the New York Herald Of Satardsy-hNtfa
Total destruction Of the National Theatre, with
all the scenery, Dresses, Properties, &C.

Street. In the Herald Of this day, we gave an
accuuu' OF the discovery, by The Name ger q iio
in six different places, on Friday, "hich Wei
subdued, and the performances went on
out any further alarm. Al the close Oh ''''
performance, Dir. Burton, with Mr. "eihh . an
Russell, remained on the premises ut''' 'o'L
half past three, and had lhoTo"s" 9@'4C"
through every part, and II appeared PeHe'tiJ 7
safo Mr. Russell then retired TO MS room III
thctheatre, and went TO bed. lie s"of'y rose
uftar six O'Clock, and went TO .he stage door IN
the rear Of the building, and stood IN converse
ton with the private watchman OF the establish
ruent Whist thus occupied, something was
seen to fall from Of the upper rooms and IN
very few moments, flames were seen 10 pro
ceed from several parts Of the building The
alarm WAS instantly given; but SO rapid was the
progress Of the destruction, that 1t was WIN
difficulty Mr.. Russell rescued his wIie, who was
bed. As it was, she was carried out ro'ieu
UP IN tho bed clothes, the slightest c@iaV
,ro,,,d ,.io"su lilo iIsUo Of all those IN
tent re5cuIng her.
Not vestige Of the wardrobe saved.
Some Of the banners and stage preparations were
got out by the property man, and the boxes, BOOKS
and papers in the counting house were got OIL.
Il was reported that some fireman had been bu-
rcd beneath the rear wall, which Tell shortly al
ter the confagraton was at the height, but we
could not trace the rumor TO aly authentic source,
so we hope it is unfounded.
Mr. Burton is a very severe sufferer by this
Gala nifty; all his private wardrobe had been re
moved from Philadelphia within few days, and
come Of il only arrived Oh Friday. lie also To-
ess all tho dresses and scenery made iJr inc
Maid Queen and SenIranis. besides other valua-
bio property i'll tho shape of books, Ms. music.
Many of the performers also severe losers,
patticularly Miss Cushman, who lost large part
Gf her valuable wardrobe. MeSsrs. Shaw and
Howard also lost all their stage ornaments and
dresses.
Tie walls Of the building scanda!ously
weak that the lives OF the fireman were consid-
cred in danger from the first breaking out OF the
fro.
Mr.. John T Rollins, one of the most intclll-
gent engineers OF the fire department, states that
he lives close by the theatre, and was on the spot
i'm n very few mInutes--say tiVc--that he "eat
inside the theatre immediately, and saw no lire
except the stage and scenery, which was then
blazing. There then no fire In font OF :he
proscanum, and il is his opinion that the fire
placed on the stage near the scenes IN less
than half an hour from tho time he first saw 1t.
Such is the general opinion; because fire does not
shoulder long in the nelghborhood OF theatrical
scenery before 1t runs like lighted Train Of gun
powder.
Tho Chief Engineer says that before the fro
burst through the box doors and within fifteen
minutes of its discovery. he II breaking
through, u tho back 81 the theatre He warned
all tho people living IN The rear to clear ou',
because in less than five minutes alter the fire
broke out al the rear he saw the mi5erabiy finn
sy wall cracking and yielding IN overy part, I'M
able 10 bear the weight OF the root. And be-
f,yo The inmates of the house Of i'll same IN the
rear, kept by Julia Brown had time 10 mako
their escape, the wall gave way, fell on julia
Browns house, crushed the back part, killed one
Young ard beautiful girl, aged sixteen, named
Margaret--,who came from Phade !Pha last
Tuesday.
The rear wall and the side wall on Franklin ST.
both gavo way in so short time after the fire
began that it was by the mercy OF Providence
clone that numbers were not crushed To death IN
the adjoining houses. Tho mortar all fell from
the bricks. and they looked clean almost as
when new; and the whole building was down
to tho ground in less than hour, except
part of the front wall and the side wall on Leon
ard street But these bugcd out so much and look
cd slim and CHASTITY, that the engineers were
preparing to pull them down at IL O'Clock, IN or
der 10 save the lives of the pRs5ers by.
The young girl who was killed presented sad
spectacle. She lying on tho floor OF the
buck attic, the roof ofwhich all gone, and
the whole open TO tho light of day. Surrounded
BY bricks and mortar, and pieces OF burnt timber,
there lay that young and recently innocent girl,
with nothing around her small limbs but her night
dress her side crushed in near her heart, her mild
blue eyes,open in death,apparcntly gazing on the
blue vault of heaven above her, her very beautiful
fair hair streaming dishevelled down her mock
and bosom, then white and cold the Parian
marble; and yet from the smile playing around
her mouth. i, seemed impossible 10 realize that
she was dead-so young-so fair--so guilty
and early called. Around her stood Que of
two Of her former companions in shame, weeping
bitterly, and the groupe made up Of the toll
worn smoke covered fire-Enen, no had extricated
her mangled remains from tbs ruins around her.
Sn much for building slight walls toa theatre.
I}ceirs o'clock-Messrs. Barton and Russell
at this time before tho police magistrate,
making their statement of the calamity under
oath, and we expec, that tie incendiares viii be
traced and brought 10 Justice.
The French Protestant Episcopal Church was
injured in the roof BY fire, and IN the interior hy
The dwelling house next it. Nos. l03.
los. and lo7 franklin street, were damaged by
the fall Of the wall of the theatre, and tho Dutch
Reformed church IN Franklin street, adjoining
No lo7. took fire also in the roof, bu, soon
extnguished The African church, on the
corner Of Leonard and Church street, opposite