The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-11
THE FALLING OF A THEATRE IN 1928.

wick Theatre, London, in February, lozo:-
While they were still talkng Slt was tben
a strange noise was heard above, like
slight crash OF timber. 1t sounded like
a beam which some carpenters I'd
let drop, and as builders workmen were still in
the theatre, no one paid any attention to IT,
Another similar sound came, and was also dis
regarded. The third seemed 10 shake the chan.
delier aud was accompanied by dtscordant
rumbling noise that lasted several seconds: Tne
next moment MIR. Farren, looking up 10 see
where the noise came from, saw the cnanueller IN
4he act OF falling. 0beymg the momentary IN
stinct he threw himself under shelter aud chung
to pillar of the proscenum. Mr.. Maurice rushed
To the centre of the stage. The rooi came down;
an avalanche OF iron instantly TORE walls walls aua
gallery down will it, aud swept before it
scenes stage, orchestra, boxes, and actors. 1t
was tornado of girders. bricks, and tlmbers.
A cloud of dust hid the scene OF deaf for a
When perception returned, Mr.. Farren found
that the pillar opposite TO that part of the box to
which he clung alone remained; the rest was
mountain OF confused ruin. On sudden ne
saw something move in the Rubbish near him.
and Miss Yates, girl of about twelve years OF
age, daughter of Mrs. Vaughan, the leader OF
him. her head streaming with blood. She
cried, 40 Mr.. FarTen, save meW Farren
dragged the poor girl over the box, though by
no means certain of his own safety aud ofged
her to thank the Almighty for their preserva-
tion. They remained in that place blocked up
for half an hour. After this awful interval of
penters their faces bloody, wading and Chamber
ing among the ruins to gain the street; for the
font wall had fallen, and there was passage
left, though dangerous one. Farren callei to
them, rejoicing also that others had escaped,
congratulated them, and inquired il the danger
had quite passed, and If his present retreat was
but another wall might soon fall, and If the beam
which had defended him then gave
way, he must be instantly killed. He then felt
he had no time to lose. He broke quickly out
L. lt,4n otN IUyiNh
Guilty through the ruins with the little girl
(whom, we believe, he eventually married), and
escaped without injury. Once, to his horror,
on looking down, he found he had set his foot
on the face of dead man, Mr.. Gilbert, q
fello W-actor, whom he recognised.
Mr. Maurice had almost escaped, when he was
killed in the street, close TO his own house. He
had darted to the extreme line of the falling
fragments, when torrent of bricks struck him
oblquely on the head, bent him TO the pave
ment and buried him, all but one foot, which
Alr. Campbell, one OF the performers, recognized.
His body was instantly dug out. 1t was living
with the head towards the theatre, aud was on
its stomach. The watch in the pocket was still
going. The corpse was first Identified by the
handkerchief in the coat While the crowd was
gathering, Mr.. Maurices wife came CRYING,
'Where is he? Take me to him. Let me see
his dead bodyw But some friends, passing by
IN coach, prevailed upon her 10 leave the
spot
The escapes were all remarkable and varied
ip their character. MIR. Goldsmith, one OF the
+.
actor, at the time, when, by an indescribabe
presentiment, he removed to the rght-hand
stage.book, exactly opposite where Mr.. Farreu
was sitting. AT that instant the lustre trem.
bled, and the crash folio we'd His first feeling
was to rush into the street, but nevertheless
he stood paralyzed till the ruins fell. He
then leaped into the stage.boX, where large
beam, forced down by the weight of the galleries,
formed a defense against death. He saw the
roof sink, with dreadful noise and confusion,
and bury his friends, While strugglin.: through
the ruins, he shouted for help, and two sailors
rushed in and assisted him TO escape. Outside
the ruin he met Mr.. P. FarIen, Miss Yates and
MIR. Wyman. Mr.. Far1en cried Out TO him
'Good God Goldsmith! ! have you escaped
We are the only persons who are LETT to tell the
story. Let us fall on our knees and thank God
for his protection"
Another escape was scarcely less miraculous,
Shaw ara bis wife were employed in the count
ipe-house, forty feet above the stage, and in an
instant found themselves below the stage, with
n large plank across their bodies. Releasing
himself and wife from this plank, the man car
ried his wife up a staircase still standing, aud,
having gained window, lowered her into the
street by means of rope, and then followed.
They were both much bruised, aud were at
once carried to the London Hospital.
MIR. Carruthers, at the time of the accident,
was sitting on chair on the U. T. side OF the
stage. His legs were crushed by the ruins, but
ne was extracted in about an hour and a half,
with the loss of his shoes, stocking, and small
clothes. One OF the actors, hearing the walls
crack, and seeing the chandelier loosen and
and rushed into the street about asecond before
the roof fell in. A moment afterwards he heard
the shrieks and groans of the wounded and
dying. He was too terrified to give the alarm
when he fed, aud was so pancstricken that be
ran onward without thinking of what he was
about, till he reached Covent Garden Theatre,
where he had a relative performing. He re-
NAMED there for short time in state of great
agitation, then returned to the dismal scene.
Mr.. Dillon, an actor, threw himself out of
window at the first alarm and, as he algh ted
was all but overwhelmed by the falling rubbish
He called loudly for assistance, but the persons
near were afraid to venture, till one or two of
the more daring ran in and rescued him. Lynch,
the pantaloon, seeing the wall crumbling under
She roof, and the latter sinking fast, took a n.y.
1ng leap through q window into An adjoining
yard, and fell upon his legs and escaped. Joseph
Roberts, smith, was at the time, with man
named Purdy, fixing hand-rail to geometric
staircase leading to the dreSs-pOXes. They heard
noise, when Mr.. Purdy caught him by the
hand, and said, "Come, Joe, it's all over.n They
ran to the door, but could not open it; but
Roberts forced il with q chisel, When they
reached the street, the two men were separated
by the falling of the portico,, which killed Mr..
Purdy and buried Roberts. When the latter was
dragged out, his shoes and stockings had TO
be left behind. Another man, named George
Hoare, observed the wall giving on Tuesday,
and thought the house would fall. Just before
the accident he saw the wall "go out
his tools, he was carried away to the bottom OF
the house, and remembered nothing more until
he awoke in the London Hospital.
The indirect escapes were numerous. Mrs.
Vaughan, the mother OF the little girl
whom Mr.. Farren rescued, had been
sent for by the manager, but did moi
attend, aS she had been AT all the previous
fehearsais. Mr.. Campbell, one of the actors,
had been to the rehearsal when he Temem-
bered Mr. Maurice had asked him to deliver q
I'm niglh plNngA IIa I,.,I. a l.