Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-01-03
OTTY TTE Ms.
lrsrRvcfryE FrRE-TaE THrATas liz Rurss-NlRRow

ESCAPE OF MANAGER HkwIrT-IREKPARABLE LcssEs-
About O'clock yesterday morning, the Theatre at the
of Broad and 1h street, discovered to be
FIRE By the wachmsD, IN the vicinity. The alarm was
pr 1mpty given but the bels could be sounded the
flames burst forth from the side windows and roof Of the
building, mnRlng in lurid glare, with dense volumes Of
black smoke Il fifteen minutes after tina ira dscsv
cred the whole interior OF The baidpg enurspped in
aimss ard burned iurously for an hour and half
oil nothing OF the once gaudy temne OF the drama
left but the massive side wall on street. and the IA
ade the other por ions of the brick work having fallen
during the fire. The city brilliantly illuminated by
| the glare from the burning pile. gf..
Tue manager Of the Theatre, Prof. j. H. Hewitt and Mr.
Ogden, msmber Of the dramatic company, occupied
room In the front part of the building and aroused
from their slunber by the explosion of muskets In the
pre- perty room, and III" Efforts Of Lieutenant Orone OF
the night WATCH to break open the front gallery
They seq ID their clothes and into the to
cape sufocaon. fter dressing hastily they returned
to the apartment 10 OF the valuable tfc's
and while engage in this GJrt which only partial
ly successful Prof Hewitt burnt his right hand badly
AID had his hair ana motsacSe snged-his appearance
yesterday, indicating that he made escape Mr.
Ogden rec ived slight scorchipg They sssistsd
il their f.rt The money, books and papers Of the
establishment by Mr. Frank Riley and Mr. White, who
occupied room in the yicriy and aroused BY the
cry OF fire. in lime to render this aid which they did by
Obtaining ladder and placing it under the window Of the
nsgers room. By this means, box containing several
hundred dollars aud sundy account books papers etc.
were saved but with this exception the contents Of
the necessarily abandoned 10 the devouripg
f-e. Nothing else In the building saved. The Ices
sustained by Prof Hewitt cannot be calculated by dol
las and cents Ora:oros, plays songs, etc. of his
composition the production OF life Time together with
the library and manuscripts Of the ssabshment which
b. repac 3D. all destroyed Behind the pros.
cenum the costly wArdrobes, funHre, scenery,
and spponmen valued thousands Of dollars
and in various parts of the building the less vAu
able but collection OF portraits Of professional
lsbrides and representations dramatic Much
of this property formerly belonged Messrs Kunkel
Co. but had passed into the possession Of Mrs Ma
gill; the owner Of the building The members of the or.
ehes,ra lost all Of their Instruments, including bass
vol three yillus two French horns valued ollcc.-
lively $500 Prof Loebman the leader lost large
collection If music the accumulation Of years. estimated
TO bs worth $500 All OF the company and ATTACKS
suffered more less by the disaster, but Miss Jeanne
Tylor sustained the most serious oss her wardrobe,
jeWslry, etc being valued at 81, 200
Soon after the fire broke the wind chsnged from
the southeast 10 the noth aud blew the spIrks in the
direction Of Grace street. The steam fire engine
stationed al the plug opposite the Theatre, and the Ere
in the aeJ In the Of the Theatre the oh
ct 10 placing them there being to prevent the extension
o. the Are souhWardly aod especially TO the large
carpenter shop Of Messrs Green and AGn the combus-
ton OF which would doubtless have d. 6sd the efforts Of
tie frtmen 10 avert a calantous hsgraion Though
this shop was sav,d the thirge rcof Of dwelling on
Grace street was ignlted by burning cinders aud
soon IN baza stream from one Of the hand
gines directed upon H. after tim had elapsed
ard the building saved. Mr.. Jno N. Lindsay &C.
cup'ed one OF the tenements and Mr.. Thomas Lawson
e other. Their furniture was much damaged BY hssty
removal. Oher families In the neghboIhood had their
furniture damaged IN the way the apprehension be-
ing general thar the FIRE would get beyond the contro Of
the hremen.
While the steam engine stream was preventing the
spread Of the FIRE smoug the stables reds and kitchens
in the Theatre alley the brick building Broad street.
separated from the Theatre by alley took FIRE
10 the roof and little effort being made t.
the flames extended 10 the lower a1oF and bsEsd
uatl there nothing to burn. The store f or
occ1pied by Mr., Ovid A. Blown, IA die and bar
mAker who, with the sssisanos Of ciz ne suscesd
ed in removing the greaer portion Of bis stock
tures The upper put occupied by Mrs. Jackson
maniua maker, and several lodgers, or sub ten nis,
whose names We did not learn They saved mos, Of their
ffsctg.
Between and o'clock, the FIRE communicated 10 the
roof Of the adjoining building occupied By NJ. VIII
Davidson, and known the "darshall Hotel Tho main
stream then brough. to the 'front.' and taken into
this building but the smoks in the garnet bei0g confined
by the sa roof the ppsnen we're ordsrei into Broad
street, frorl whence they plsyed through tho windows
upon the ;re, sad at last succeeded In oorquetng it
rbe roof however burnt Oh, aud the building much
damaged By water Toe out build Dgs In the we're
destroyed Ia one OF them were three dogs which be-
ing chained were burnt 10 death.
The Theatre belonged to Mrs. Elizabeth Asgil, hav.
log bsel purchased by her, putlic action, the
l0h May, 1888 Toe building irs1red TO the
amount OF s25 900 in the following offices Redmond
Fire Asocii tou So 900; Albeparle S. 600; Jefferson,
s. O00; Lynehbufg Hose, SIS 900, and Merchants,
$1,000 The contents Of the building which, With the
exceptions men iored were all destroyed were unin
srred. The loss Is estimated OF the round sum OF
S25 600 but this probably embraces the eItTusic value
Of OF the property. The Gre was undoub edly the
work Of a malicious incendiAy Various speculatiops
- =. Ill. A.
p,trAtOr. We have heard IL stated tha, the FIRE
predicted week ago. The prop'ietTess taS already,
We lsarD resolved TO rebuild the Theatre, i'm.
proved plan, the work 10 bs commenced at early
day, IL the necessary arrangements can b. made.
frame building In the Of the Theatre, oocu.
pied in part b. William Wild, as military button fac
'ory, crushed in by the falling q the rear wall OF
the Theatre. Loss incoDsderabls The buildings on
Grace street. damaged by fe, belorg TO DR.. O. Taylor
and we're insured
The building on Broad street. next to the Theatre, be-
onged to Mira Riwings and insured In the Mutual
OGice. Il was worth shout s. 000 The al ,inng
baildng occupied BY Mr.. Davidson, Was owned by Mr..
]. NJ Lynemsn and insured 10 tho Mutual Office to the
amount Of "a 600. Toe damage can be repaired for
81 200 We did not ascertain the OK ent Of Mr.. David.
soas loss, but presume 1t will not exceed $1,000 Mr.
n W. Nelson srs.sined loss Of about $500 in the
movAl Of his goods aud furniture. Thieves took advan
tlge Of the excitement to help thmeves TO clothing un
der the pre.ence Of removing IL 70 place OF safety Mr.
Nelson's house and stock amply insured but the
damage done to either by FIRE and water trivial.
frame building in Of his store, was consumed loss
$500.
Res9isisesHess.
The singular circumstance that the Theatre
was desire ycd Just fy years and week after the
burnipg OF the Theatre whose site is occupied by the
Monumental Church, that memorable calamity having
occurred on the 28.h December 1911, aud the FIRE
are recording the % OF January 1862 AuhDri-
les diftr TO the orginadop Of the late Theatre. Mr..
Mcrdscai, in bis interesting work. "Richuond in BY
Gone Days" states that after the dreadful catastrophe
IN 1911 Q, ndon Of theatrical amusemsns ensued for
several years. but such the change and accession Of
population during that period that whilst the Norum
tai Church under corsiruson another Theatre 1.-The
one just Destroyed was erected and occupied almoss
socn ii the church was consecTaied From another
source have arned that tie church conse
before the Theatre vas determined upon, aud that In
cons qusnce Of the very in which the