The New York herald., 1865-02-18

Mr. Green Il once despatched the stage caupen
some Of the audience were alarmed BY cloud Of smoke
descending through the aperture named and the Of
Are raised Mr. Green implorsd the people 70 rs-
main q quiet possible snd 70 leave the theatre In
orderly manner They could for themselves that
was the ceiling alone which had at that time caught
and wss ssv ,'d M n ssSs
and collected manner. The audience, on the whole,
It 10 said, followed this very sensible edvcs, and
enabled leave the place unhurt Al the time
tho last few people were leaving the flames burst with
great fury through the csling, which was composed OF
q sme caught the drapsry running round the boxes and
the prosCenum and stage curtain, from which ~ once
sxtsnded 70 the scenery, and she whole stage became
OF aAme 1hs tho stage and In the dressing
Of the theatre this time terrible The actors
and actresses who had been engaged In the panomims
the
the theatre TO avoid an explosion turned on the gas In
the back portion e the theatre Witch vas thu, ", is a IN
Of their own livss, pulled the women and girls,
employed In the pantomime, through tho burn
conveyed 70 their homes in lightly clothed
and faining state In cabs provided by the police
The LAST persons brought out Of the burning building
several Children who had been representing the
Characters OF fairies In the transformation The
clown and sprte having reported TO the stage manager
ire they made escape dressed they had been
while playing <heir respective parts no persons engaged
p the paSsoms & having had time 70 change e,. % dress
OF the engines could be brought into play the whole
interior OF the theatre completely burned out the
roof galleries and boxes falling IN rapid succession and
nothing left standing OF the building but the pogco
and iroot wall facing Blackfrars road; Among the
crowds the actors In their stage dresses rushing
about among the aremsn and police Grimy supers
with tin foil helmets on, were seen aboring at the en-
gnes, and some lettering sorrowfuy about IN the mud
while princes and generals and soldiers in costumes and
uniforms unknown 70 every day life were picking their
way furtvely the hose dabbling through the
water which flooded the roads
The whole OF the property In the theatre belonging 70
both sssees and performers has been and the
salvage will be mere tr1e Mcssrs. Anderson Shep
herd the essecs only sufferers by the dssruc-
on Of the theatre TO the amount Of thousands but
tho whole or their valuable theatrical wardrobe and
dresses destroyed; and Miss Pauncefot and Miss
Webster, che two 'eading LADY, actresses also
sufferers, the latter adys wardrobe being Of
very extensive and valuable character The pantomim-
iss clown harlequin pantaoon, columbine, sprte and
the ballet girls lost the whole Of their private dresses
having barely time to makeSher escape from the burn
Ing theatre In their performing costume Mr. Shepherd
estimates the value OF the theatre and Its contents At
about twelve thousand pounds 1t Is supposed by
some '< the employed about the theatre
that the gas by which the chandelier lighted
having been lowered for due effect the
great power, and the upward draft carried the hea,
through the apertures In the ceng composed OF shin
boards and oil painted and set light to the edges
from which tho fire communicated to the workshops
The theatre situated the southern end OF the
Blackfrtars road Externally was modest unassumine
structure, and could accommodate probably from about
two thousand twenty Ave hundred people orig
nally opened the 7th OF November 1882 by Messrs
Hughes Dibdin In opposition TO the elder Ashley.
II then called the Royal Circus, and was long
successful speculation This theatre burned to the
stroyed built the Site and opened Easter
Monday, 1905. For many years aourished under the
successive manasements Of Eiston, Tom Dibdin and
Davidge, theatre noted for the production OF the
tory, and here, IN 1922 produced Jerolds Black
eyed Susan, which enjoyed such siengtheued run