The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-05
Another Great Ftre-BurnfnR of the
Metropolitan Theatre.

The ruthless spirit OF conAagr ration seems deter.
mined to desc ate our city and leave blackened
engines had hardly ceased working on the FIRE at the
corner OF Third and Elm strt cts, when they we're
again called out to stay the progress of fire, as
sudden in its outbreak as mysterious in its origin
and almost as disastrous IN the extent of loss
A few inutes past O'Clock Yesterday afternoon,
smoke was seen issuing from the upper windows of
the building known as Wyman's Hall or the MeGro-
potan Theatre on the south side of Market street,
near the corner OF Fourth aud in few minutes the
flames burst through the windows and roof; and
long before tbe engines reached the spot the whole
upper part of the bui ding was roaring mass of fire.
The arm was promptly gwen by Oficer McCor.
mick and another policeman from the box on Elm
street, and the engines reached the scene about
twenty minutes atler the outbreak of the fire. In
the meantime the whole theatre was in flames, and
vast crowd bad collected in the streets and the
widest confusion prevailed. Notwithstanding the
ceaseless labor of the preceding night the fremen
set TO work with the utmost YIgor, and few minutes
after their ARRIVAL had got things INTO working order
and were pouring STEADY streams of water into the
burning building. lhe scene at this time was wild
and exciting to the highest degree, the vast con-
course of people in the streets, the crowds on
the housetOps and on the dome of the Court
House, the titanic couPhings of the laborng
engines, and the wlndhke roar OF the flames that
STRAINED upward, tar and nigh IN fery plumes
made up a spectacle few could contemplate calmly.
happuy there was but slight breeze stirring, or
the damage might have been tar greater. AS 1t was,
perfect rain OF SPARKS and burning brands fell on
the of the Court House. and in the square sur
rounding, making 1t dangerous to walk in the
vicinity Shortly after the engines arrived the root
OF the theatre fell ID and the intense heat and fall
ing masses OF lire set IRE TO the adj JlnIng buildings
on the west side. Every effort was made to confne
the fire to the theatre building, but spite of the
floods OF water poured upon the root and through
the windows, the flames sUread rapidly and soon
the upper stories OF the adjoining houses burn
ing feIcely. About hait-past O'Clock the west wall
of the theatre tell outwaros, crashing through the
root and bringing down the walls of the stores ad-
joining his, after the vast vOiumes OF smoke and
dust had cleared away, gave the fremen more room
to play upon the flames, and by O'Clock the water
streams were obtaining the mastery. he loss In
buildings and property cannot be far under $50 OO0
The theatre building was the property of General
T. l.. Price, and is insured, we learn in home Offices
The other buildings extending from the theatre to
the corner of -Four h. belong to the estate OF David
Chambers, and with the exception OF the corner
store. are leased by Mr.. Nicholson.
Immediately adjoining the theatre was the store
OF Jacob Blattner, optclan. Mr. Blattner's stock
worth about 500 OO insured 1or $l5, ,OO0-S5O00
in Hope Mutua, and the balance in other city com.
panies. Next was the boot and shoe store of F. s.
Breed-st0ck valued at $15 OO0 on which there IS
only $4,000 insurance In tle Home hu ual Adjon.
ing this was ithe grocery OF D. A BiVgers & Co,
the value of whose stock and insurance we We're
unabe TO ascertain
George Schaaf, whose loss Will be about $230O; IN.
sured for 1880 IN the st Louis Mutual.
On the corner was the store OF Horwitz Cohen
merchant taOrs the value OF whose stock IN the
neighborhOod of $50 U00 insured for about $4,000
in the South st. Louis, Etna, Merchants and Manu-.
tacturers', Arctic, and Home, OF New York; no one
policy over 5000.
1t was impossible to ascertain at the time of the
fire the exact amount OF individual loss, but most o
the parties named Will suffer almost total loss OF then
property.
The fire was prevented spreading to the building!
on the east side, though c. Freund contechOner
and j. J.. Donnegan, dry goods merchants win sutieI
little from water and hasty removal. We hear tina
the latter FIRM had wagon load OF silks stoeI
during the excitement of the fire, irresponsible
rascal urivlng Off with the same.