Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-09-26

On Saturday night o sad accident occurred
during the performance of the spectacle OF
the Tempest, at'lhe Continental Theatre,
which turned what was scene OF pleasure
and gaity suddenly into one of terror and Of
death. The play had progressed as far as
the last scene of the first act, when the
scene was interrupted by an unexpected oc-
currence in the rear of the theatre, in the
ladies' dressing rooms. These rooms are
situated in the second story of the building,
on SAMSON street, about sixty feet behind
the stage Of the theatre. In them the ballet
corps, consisting oftwenty young ladies', were
preparing for the second act, in which they
appear. As they are dressed as sylphs aud
fairies, the material Of their dress was Of
the hghtest and most inHammable character.
Onsofthe ladies', Miss Hannah Gale. jump
ed upon chair, to eithertake down or hang
up dress upon the wall, and in doing So
gave it o wave, which brought it in contact
with the gas light. 1t instantly took fire,
and she threw it down in alright upon the
floor, and the blaze communicated to the
dress ofone of her sisters. The danger was
imminent, and the sisters and Miss Abbie
| Carr ran for the purpose of extinguishing
the fire. The screams of the young ladies'
attracted the attention of the ballet girls in
the adjoining room, and the communicating
door was thrown open, and scene of ex-
citement ensued which cannot be described
| The flames were communicated to the dress
es of several of the ballet girls, either by
their going into the Misses Gales dressing
room, or, by the passage Of one Of them
| through tho room. t.... s,f ,sl.
| Tho girls ran in every direction, scream
ing in terror and in agony. Some rushed to
the windows aud jumped out into Sansom
street, and some ran, along the landing, and
jumped down upon the stage, with which
it communicates. The house, in front Of the
curtain, was full Of spectators, probably
about eighteen hundred persons being 10 it..
who were looking with pleasure upon the
representation of the storm whereon the tenn
pest tossed bark was driven upon the en-:
cllanted isle, when suddenly, the audience
and the actors on the stage were startled with
the appearance ola young lady. screaming
and in flames, rushing before the foot lights
for assistance, her clothes being burned from
her body This was Miss Mcbride, one OF
the unfortunate girls whose dresses had
caught fire from coming in contact with the
burning skirt. as above described. Several
of the attendants ran to her aid from the
side entrances. and the carpenters, who were
ut work under the boat, ran ont, tore the
clothes from the stage, used as representa-
ton of waves, and wrapped it around her. =
The curtain was then hastily lowered, and
the scene shut from the excited audience
Hannah Gale got to the window on San
som street, and remained there for some
time, though she was repeatedly urged tt
jump out /; at last she complied. and in jump
ing she fell upon the pavement with sucl
force that her injuries from this cause were
more severe than her burns. She was pick
ed up in an insensible condition and during
yesterday morning was removed to the Penn
: sylvania Hospital, where she died at 20 clocl
in the afternoon. Her face escaped all 10
jury from the flames. MI t.-.f.
). Miss Adah McB.ide ran upon the stag,
with her clothes all in blaze, in full view
= OF the audience. She was very badly burn
cd. and being taken to the Hospital, died u
: o clock yesterday morning. n ,,rl
: Miss Anna Phillips whose proper nam
+ was Dcvelin, was badly burned trying t,
: save Miss Mcbride. She was taken to tn
r Hospital, but died yesterday at o clock.
= Mrs Herman, wife of an employee of tn,
theatre, was badly burned about the arm,
$ and body, bu, was not thought to be fatal
= Injured. Yesterday afternoon unfavorabl
: symptoms began to appear, and she died a
U the Hospital ut about o clock, making tn
J. sixth death ut that Institution. .l I..j
5 Ruth Gale, Adelaide Gale and Zela Gale
s sisters of Hannah, are seriously burned, an
one of them, it was thought could not lon
u survive her injuries. All three are at tn
9 Hospital I,. m a..
II Abhie Carr, who was in the room witt
the Misses Gale, was also badly injured, he
i; burns being serious, but not necessarily dan
u gerous, she was removed to her residence q
: Third and Willow streets. .... .....,,' r..
+ Kate Harrison. another of the ballet, wa
: burned about the hands and arms. Sh
u was taken to her home. .., l...
. Phoebe Fordcn was burned in shockin
I manner about the body and face. She Wa
l. in very critical condition yesterday after
G noon, and even should she recover, her thc
I will he much disfgured, She is abou
y twenty years old. Her relatives reside i
I Bristol, Bucks county. For year or NOR
n past she boarded in Vanhorn street, abov
y Germantown Road. g.-f.tcf. .is...,u.-
= Margaret Connelly, friend of one tn
ballet, was burned. but not seriously. Sh
!; was taken to the Hospital. ., -.,,
Mrs. Clifford, Mrs. King and two other
y jumped from the window on SAMSON street
!; nnd escaped injury from the flames. iiri
p The loss Fife and injury to the persons q
3 the ballet girls would have been much great
IOA' bus iU tho NhVeisC OAoi huuo VI thO iCai
: penter and others employed on the stage
who were self. possessed and active in putin
out the fire which had caught to the olothe
!, Of the girls, J-o,fi ,.rq, La r l,nr md
+ The Misses Gale were ofprepossessing ar
: pearance, and being excellent dancers an
deserving ladies' have made many friends
u They were English by birth, two of then
/ having arrived in this country sonie month
3 since. They first appeared professionally
2 in this city, as members Of the Roman
troupe. at the time Faust was brough
2 out as a ballet at the Academy OF Music. !,
AT nine o'clock last evening, Miss Forde
I and AIDA Gale died at the Hospital. Tn
= remains of the Gale sisters were removed I
n the Butler House, from which place the
Twill be buried. ri Phila Ledger. q olair 81
e Horrible Inhumanity of the Nilsson
8 ri Traitors.-The Right Objects 0
.Fremont's Proclamation. N y
! Our readers are familiar with the receu
! act ofdestruotion Of a railway train on Platt
l. river, where innocent travellers were hurrie