The New York herald., 1867-03-24
ANOTHER THEATRE BURNED.
THE WINTER GARDEN IN Ruins.
Tho Southern Hotel Greatly
Damaged.


Damaged.
OTHER PROPERTY INJURED.
Another destructive 0rs occurred yesterday morning
in Broadway, between Amisy and Bisscksr streets BY
which the Winter Gardsa theatre was burned 70 the
ground and the Southern Hotsl greatly damaged,
especially on the upper aoon Ths nrs originated at
about twenty minutes before nine o'clock In the north
western end Of the theatre. usder the stage noor At
about nine o'clock smoke visible outside the
budisg bet occasionally long, wide Of fame we're
nuns wildly into the cir, - high thirty forty feet
above the roof. and then disappeared suddenly The
nrs after breaking from the basement spread rapidly
the whoe theatre being whsmed danes few minutes
after it discovered. number Of the carpenters
who there had great difficulty in escaping suoca.
tes, the smoke black and thick snvsloping them and
greatly jeopardsng their lives. The stage carpenters
who had returned there to resume their usual work.
the first to discover the fire. From Of these the fol.
lowing statement was obtained e TO its commence
ment:-
STATEMENT IHonAs ncREApY.
The nre began between eight and nine O'Clock; enter.
ing the theatre the morning, noticed in it,
and SAID to the head stage carpenter George Wilson,
there unusual smen Of smoke in the building;
said there must be nre somewhere; he said, ssNever
mind, 1t 10 nothing" 80 went up stairs: the stage
was man named Richard Good who sang out Sire 70
few minutes afterwards all Of then rushed from the
carpenter shop on the stage, which by that time
nlled considerably with smoke; thinking the fire
underneath the stage foor pulled up the door Of the
centre trap, when the smoke whirled in thick
masses; rushed at to the steam pump and got
the hose aud began to play into the opening there but
the smoke so thckened around US that were COM
PEELED to eave up stairs but the smoke flied the
building and was almost sudocated would have died
IL had not taken piece Of there and knocked
window open and pushed my head through for air;
then ran down stairs but just reached the entrance
door Mercer street fell down insensble and
carried away; the other entrance door after
wards opened for the hremen enter the buding the
IRE quickly envelopsd the stage, rolled violently up
through the scenery and then the Of the building
occupying twenty thirty minutes before the
was encrcled in names nothing removed not SIN
gle article.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS
As II discovered that The ere had started
the alarm given. Fire Engine Com pany No. 33,
which located the block ADJOINING, having received
stl alarm stretched line into The private entrance
way and soon got stream the flames. be, the fire.
men were speedily compelled 10 retreat owing to the
excessive heat and the rapid spread Of the flames The
fire bells soon after sounded tho alarm, which
promptly responded to, but before any OF the engines
could get fairly to work tho whole budipg
Of famea
As soon ss the theatre was discovered on fire outside
the greatest CONSERVATION alarm created in
sputhern Hotel There being only three feet between
the wall Of the hotel and that OF the theatre the
smoke driven into the upper windows Of the hotel
could manage to make their escape. Several Of the
attaches OF the hotel started for the upper noors and
broke open the OF each room where they found
several occupants still asleep Some compelled
make their escape without their clothing, for fear Of
being suocated by the smoke Most of the night watch
OF the hotel had also RETIRED and had escape
Bsfqrss4f>1s "a lesslzs l.aasia shs flames we're
long before the upper story Of the hotel took nrs The
wind was blowing very strong at the time from the
northeast and the sparks from the burning building
carried great distance Several OF the buildings In the
immediate vicinity took fire. bat through tho efforts Of
the nremen they were soon extinguished. second
alarm rung about nine o'clock, which brought an
force 70 the and In about half hour they
succeeded in arresting the progress Of the flames
Had the wind been blowing from the northwest there
doubt bnt that the whole Of the Southern Hotel
and the fremont HOTEL which Immediately adjoining
would have been reduced to mass Of ruins. The ef
forts OF the hremen TO the southern Hotel
antrng. and to Engineers Brandon. sullivan and
Rhodes much credit Is due AT the main entrance
Stationed which prevented the flames from extending
through into the hallway. AT one time the hrcmen
were driven back some nteen or twenty teet but they
regained their foothod succeeded in maintaining
their position. On the upper floors OF the hotel En- neer
Brandon kept several streams, shifting them almost
every moment from window 70 acother,
thus keeping the fire confined to the upper story
and roof: The flames at one time made ratb.
feared that II would totally destroyed; good
steamers streams were soon twisted upon the roof
through the adjoining building, which finally the
means of preventing It from extending
THE WALLS
which fragile characteristic OF the
theatres recently burned caused considerable damage In
their fall The coping only Of the wall on Mercer
street fell which, with blackened, charred tmhers and
roohpf c0led and rolled into masses blocked the
considerably with the ruins The northern wall
then toppIed and fell with terrific crash crushing
| IN the roof Of . frame tenement house and bar
ber's shop, occupied by John Paul, and cut
| ting on the rear section Of the house all the
way down. 1t also crushed in the chimney and
brick work and hurled Il crumbled massca even 70
The front door Amity street. Another building, on
drns,ns saloon Sy John 3 Worden, was considerably
damaged IN the portion Of the roof shedding and
fences crushed 70 the ground These houses stood
at distance OF twenty. feet from the wall, the
| terveung space being an open lot Al the eastern
| end of this space we're twelve barrels Of whskey,
liquid contents completely, with the exception Of
Darrell which, lying underneath, was not damaged The
/ loss OF tnese Is estmaed ~ xl.VV lne Wluus
vailed heavily from the northeast that, strange to
say, the frame houses which stood SO near and which
partly crushed by the falling Of the adjacent WALL
were scorcned BY the heat The front wall Of
the theatve which divided 10 from the hotel WIS not
but through the windows Of this the flames were
waited into the top OF the southern Hotel, re-
sutng their destruction and the burning Of the roof
The wall Mercer street still stands, though
portion Of the upper structure has fallen, and II Is
cracked in several places TO make dangerous 70
passers by
| MARROW ccAyER
No one was seriously injured at this FIRE, although
several OF the ircmen Of Engine Company No Is were
cut slightly BY the Of the roofing. man. In walk.
ing out Of the hotel shortly after the Gre began was
struck the head by heavy Of roofing. which,,
strange TO say did not any decided injury boy
from the building by the density Of the smoe but sus
taned no njsyy rhe carpenter, who nrst discovered
u0ncnfion tviceL M before