Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-01-21
Appalling Accident at the Victoria Thea.
ire. London.
SIXTEEN PERSONS BURNED TO DEATH

SIXTEEN PERSONS BURNED TO DEATH.
On the afternoon Of Monday. the 27,h. n most
distressing event occurred Mt the Victoria Theatre,
resulting in the violent death Of fifteen human he
ings, and injuries more or less serious 10 many
more. Ten Of the dead lie Mt LAMBERT Work
house. one ut Christehurch Workhouse. in the Vi
entity of the accident, two others n. st. Thomas
, Hospital, while many others who sustained inju-
ries less grave. and the number of whom may
never be known, were in n state which admitted
Of their Icing conveyed to their own homes.
The Victoria Theatre il situated at the point Of
intersection of the Waterloo road and the New
cut, forming the centre Of n denscly populated
and generally poor district of Lambeth. There n
Christmas pantomime is invariably produced, and
on Boxing-day crowds Of the humber classes rush
i4om the surrounding ncighborhood to witness the
performance. The entertainment was announced
10 take place first ut h%al-past one in the day,
aud again in the evening at half past six. Tile
lantomime had proceeded well nigh to it's conclu-
sion nj the afternoon performance, The time was
about half past four or five, and, although the au-
dience had not left the theatre, an immense crowd
tl,rongcd the stairs leading to the gallery, waiting
for the evening performance, and to take the places
of those by whom that part of the bull ling was
already occupied. On this flight of stairs, which
are Of wood, and of great width, protected by a Sc
cure lalnstrade, there are several landing places,
and two barriers were thrown across, one mt the
money, and tho other at the check takers blk,
previous To the gallery being opened, to lessen the
pressure of the crowd n these points. The stair
case runs up the sides Of II large square shaft in
easy flights from the different landings. This,
then, was the st,.tc Of things Immediately prece-
ding the calQmity-nn unrnly rabblc was packed
nearly TO suhocation on the stairs rs far up n the
money-taker's box, where the barrier impcdc1 its
further ascent, and a kindred rahblc within the
building was on the point OF making its exit into
the street. At that moment an escape of gas is
sand to have taken place on the first landing place
from the ground on the gallery stairs. and to
have exploded. That, however. of itself. appears
To have caused no immediate harm to the people
stationed nj the point where it occurred. but there
aro-" instautancously II cry of Fire" which was
cautht mp from mouth to mouth by the crowd
ahNc, and conveyed To the gallery itself. From
there, in one moment more, there was n rush hy
thu people down stairs 50 great as to defy all at
tcmlts to resist it. They opened or tore down the
barrier opposite the clicck-tnker's box. rushed
down IN md haste To the next landing, where
again the money-takcr's barrier offered but feeble
resistance. There the advanced portion of the
crowd waiting on the stairs, sharing in the pnnic,
turned round to swell the descending torrent. and
eject their escape.
This was the crisis Of the calamity. On reach.
ing The last landing place from the ground. more
tlan "A score Of pcop pie were thrown down, and the
glr,ter part of them literally troiden and crushed
t. death. Some there were WHO prccipitatcd
tlcnsrlyes over the illustrates. from one landing
l. alo'lcr, on the hrtlHS ti Tie M flEntcu mass DC
! W. nad either saved tleirlives CT persisted in the
attempt. There is a rumor that the alarm within
IT,, theatre originated, not from. the explosion Of
gHs On the stairs, but with q boy jim one of the
l. vcs who had sat down on his coat pocket, in
winch he carried some fuse',s, and So ignited
thrn. The accilcnt is refe rred to this latter
c,use by some Of the people connected with the
theatre, who. accounting for it in that way, deny
thNt the explosion Of gas on the landing place of
ia" gallery stairs he'd anythi ny to do with the ca
lamity. They also state tn lat, knowing II crowd
always assemblies On such ";casions on the stairs
leading to the gallery hciore the audience Mt the
wade other means of exit Tor the departing body
tlan the ordinary menns % descent by the stairs.
anl that could the people who left the gallery on
the panic have availel Il themselves Of that arrange
n.rnt. the result would probably have been harm
less, Another youth died on Tuesday morning.
making the deaths sixto N. An inquest was held
on Wednesday. when II verdict Of accidental
dca'A"Oas returned. the jury being Of opinion
tha, TIE alarm of fire. in the house was the cause
Of the accident.
Another inquest was h ED on the 30th. Mt Lam
lrlh. nn the bodies Of some of the sufferers. The
proceedings terminal ID in n verdict Of accidental
death. with tho rec IN mendation that in future
sufi ,eut time should he allowed for clearing the
theatre uf the first audience before tho evening
visitors we've admitted Mr.. Towers said he should
discontinue morning performances altogether
The lessee also announced his intention OF delray-
Ing AL the expens es of removal and intermcnt in
each case.