, 1861-09-18
Fire In Fh1fadelp II Thentre.-KoHf
1een H. l1ek Crib SAock1nklY HnT1eas

Il
An unfortunate accident occurred at the
Continental Theatre in Walnut street, Phila-
de}phia, on Saturiar night, 14th, by which TIE
building was tor time imperilled and num-
ber Of dancing girls so badly burned that six
have since died. Tae theatre has been leased
who had for week produced the +" Tempest
In presence of crowded boRses, ha7ing GA this
occasion some 1900 present. The frst act had
gone furVatd uninterrupted and the dancers
were buei1y preparing in the dressing room to
appear in tbs ballet at the opening Of act
eecond. It sppears that Miss Cecilia Gale, one
Of four talented and handsome sisters, Was
sbout robug herself il ballet costume. She
stood upon settee to reach her dress, aud
ecmehlW firted it i;to jet Of gas, when it
could recover from her fright har clothing
was ell ablsze, and her sisters and several Of
the ballet girls from an adjoining dressing
room, rushing up to assist her, were In turn
st On ire About dozen Of these helpless
girls we're thus burning at once, and the fire
clothes, making fast to the close leggfns OF
" tighte," and literally burning to the bone,
Their sc1eYmB we're thrilling, and no Scene OF
horrors that the stage eqer witnessed may be
compazed to the terrible picture behinu the
scenes, whe1e the fire from the burning dress
e. blazed up to the ceiling, and singed the
1ashes and hair Of the affrighted woman.
Miss Cecilia Gale, writ5ipg and still in
flames, dRrted down the stairs a. stated, and
! vas caught BY Mr.. Bayard, a stage carpenter,
who at once tore up the sea cloth, sheet Of
| cenvsee ueed to make wages, md wrapped i:
] around her. lie Tas much buried while
| Going this. This young lady was removed to
the hospital soon afterwards
| Several girls 1eaped into the street, through
! tho etcond story windows, and Miss Hannah
| Gsle, already batly burned, fell upon the
| pavement, bruIssuR her back and hesd 40 that
| f,pr n hon
| Miss Phebe Ncrden Of Bristol, Pennsylyac
! niA, inhaled tie 1ames, aud WAS shockinelY
burned. She was at the point OF death LIST
! evening.
| M5bs Annie Phillips died IN sunda5 n,orn-
! Ing.
Miss Anna Mcbride was burned in the
I hfeset. arms nnd legs, and taken to the Penn
] sAlvsnia Hospital. She suffered the most
| t2cruciasiDE pain during Saturday night; but
! tvwa1ts morning her oeiiriam abated, AMI
ehe died In the a1ne Of Mr. Waea:ley.
! Miss Annie Niehols WA somewhat burned,
Int in the panic which eneued after the acci-
Cent the jumped from the head Of the flies 70
! tie stage-twentJ five feet-and breaking
through 3 lot Of mirrors and plate glass used
to represent q lake, her hands and checks were
| lace1nted.
Ruth and Ade1ine Gale we're buried in the
I hands and breast
Mrs. Mary E. Herman suffered exceed
| icely.
I Abby Carr, Margaret Conaway, Thomas
Bsyard, Kate Harrison and young mau,
1ame unknown, were mora Or less badly
burned. The last DameG inhaled the FIRE, and
hiE lungs have since been bleeding.
Three Of these people, 1t is believed, will
| Gle, and 81 will linger in acute pain fur dsya-
perhaps weeks aud months.
The audience meantime was addressed by
| Mt. Hheat]ey, and told to vacate tho house
without unnecessary conlus!on. 4 uumSer
| OF ladiea tainted On retiring, and there WIS q
great deal Of trepiaation and alarm in the halls
aSd Exit ways.
cloth, partially 3goited, being thrown into the
etabie, where II was discovered on the poin,
| ufsccn buLtiou, and 3 coL1aEration aye1ted.
The tcene in the rear Of the theatre, On
Samson street, vas most piteous aud s9oniz
izg In It's character. Half dressed ballet gill.
daughters took part in the PROFESSIONS aud
SHOW tcenef, were screaming their names amid
confused tobblnE, e1ecra1iOn and fear. Chr
rlsgfe and cabs were driven up and down, an6
81 each sufferer Was placed upon the cushions
and taken away, the crowd pressed up and
teucAed her so1ea. 4 number Of petty tag
ems on Samson ttreet were thrown OPEN tt
the sufferers, md a few were 80 badly burned
that they have not since been moved. Thert
Was good deal Of delay before help could bt
ootAnsa; but after tina physicians aad 10
were taken to the Pennsylvania Hospital and
Others to their homes in remote paris Of taI
town.
The artists Of the adjacent tteatres contrib
uted to the relief Of the needy, and Mr. Coul
dock, It is ea!d, who was play ing at the Wai
nut, lev doors of, was unable to prueee,
| with his part. The excitement continued t
spread throughout the city, and al Saturda:
night and Sunday mo,8tng the theatre va
surrounded BY curious crowds The Gale sis
ters we're beautiful and finely formed girl.
Erg1ish by birth, and they travelled throug
the country, some time ago, with the Ror
: zsn1 troupe. The management cannot b
r blamed In any way for the occurrence, Th
theatre viii open az usual on Tuesday, aud Q
: The event has spread gloom aud aorro,
| throughout the city.