The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1870-05-05

RlcHMoMo,s FIRST CALAMITY.
The Burning OF the Theatre fn 1871 The Ter.
rible Panic Among the spectators, and the
Horrible Loss Of life.

The following account Of the burning of
| the Richmond theatre Oh the night of Die.
81, 1911. will be read with mOurnfUl in-
| tcrest in connection with the details OF the
accident on Wednesday.
We quote from the Richmond EhYHirsr
| Of Dec. 70. 1911
'In the whole course ofour existence, we
| have never taken our pen under deeper
gloom than we feel at this moment. I
| falls 10 our lot to record one of the most
distressing scenes which can happen in tie
whole circle Of human affairs. The read
er must excuse the incoberenCe Of the mar
rative; there is scarce dry eye in this
distracted city. Weep, my fellow citizen,
for We have seen night of woe, which
scarce any eye had seen, or ear hath heard,
and no tongue can adequately tell.
How can we describe the scene' No
pen can paint IL no Imagination can con-
ceiye IL, a whole theatre wrapt 10 flames
"A gay and animated assembly suddenly
thrown on tie very vege of the grave
many Of them, oh how many, precipitn-
ted in "A moment into ctornity--youtb and
beauty, and old age and genius over
whelmcd IN one pfomiscuou' ruin
shrieks groans, and human agony ia every
,hnpe-this j. the heartrending scene that
under the effect. Reader. excuse our feel
ing, for they are the feelings Of - whole
city.
fIn, ~ collect our ideas n we'll ~ We
can. On Thursday night "a new play ami
new afterpicce were played for the benz
eft ~ Mr.. Placide. Crowd. swnrmccd o.
tho theatre--itwas the fullest house tLIs
.cason--there were not less than 600 prrs-
ent. The play went Off the pnntominc
began. the first act was over. The whole
scene was before ~, and all around us was
mirth and fc.tvity. Oh, God what
horrible revolution did one minute pro-
duce. Tha curtain ro-e on the second act
Of the pahtomine, the orchestra Wa. IN full
chorus, and Mr.. West came on to open the
scene when sparks u Are began to fall on
the back part ofthe stage, and Mr Robert
.nn came out in unutterAblc distress,
waived his hand % the ceiling and uttered
those appalling words: The house j. on
hrc HIS hand WAS Immediately stretch
cd forth 10 the persons in the stage box 10
help them on the stage, and aid their re-
treat in tina, direction. This !. all that
we caught Of the stage; the cry Of Fire.
fire, passed with elec trio velocity through
the house--every one flew from their scat
10 gain the lobby and stairs. The scene
battles all description; the most heart
rcndirg cries pervaded the house; save
me save me wives asking for their hus-
band. females and children shrickug,
while the gathering element care rolling
on, IT, curling flame, and column Of smoke
threatening % devour every human being
ia the building Many We're trod under
foot. Several were thrown back from the
windows, from which they were strug-
Cling ~ leap. The .tairway- were iinm'-
diately blocked up the throng wa. 80
great, that many were raised several fee,
over the head, OF the rest the smoke
threatened an instant distraction. We
cannot dwell On this picture. We saw
We felt it,--like Others We gave .out..lf az
NJ Loot. We cannot depict Il. Many
lehped from the window, of the tir,, story,
and wero saved. Children. and female.
and men, Of all desc riptions, were seen t.
precipitatc Themselves on the ground be-
low Most of these escaped, though sever
al of them with broken logs, aud thighs,
and hideous COMMISSIONS Most, II not all,
who were in the pit escaped. Mr. Tay Tor,
the last Of the musicians who quilted the
orcnest n, ssinding hi- retreat by the back
way cut o1, leaped into the pit, whence be-
entered th. scni-circular avenue which
leads 90 the door Of the theatre, and found
!, nearly empty. He was the last that e.
captcd from the pit How melancholy
that many who were IN the boxes did not
also jump into the pit, and fly IN the same
direction. But those who were IN the
boxes, above, and below, pushed for the
lobbie. Many, as has been said, escaped
through the windows; bat the most Of
them had no other resource than 90 de-
scend the stairs. Many escaped in thi,
way, but great was the pressure that
the, retarded each other until the dcyour-
ing element npproach ned 90 sweep them into
eternity. Several who even emerged Fl, IA
the building were 50 much seorched that
they have since persisted. Some even
jumped from the second story window;
some Others had been dreadful y burnt.
The fire flew with rapadity almost
beyond example within ten minutes after
IL caught the whole house Wa. wrapt in
aames. The colorcd people in the gallery,
most of them. escaped through the stairs
cut of from the rest of the housc-,onic
have no doubt fallen victims. The pit
and boxes had but one common avenue,
only through which the whole crowd
could escape, save those only who lraped
through the windows.
"But the scene which cnsucd IL is impo.-
sible 10 paint-women with dishcycllcd
hair, fathers and mothers shricking out
for their children, husbands for their wives,
brothers for their sisters, filled the whole
area on the outside Of the building. \
| few who had escaped plunged again into
the flames TO save some dear object of Their
regard, and they persisted. The governor
| perhaps, shared this melancholy fate.
| Others were frantic, and would have
rushed Ia construction but for the hand uf
n friend, The bell olled-almost the
whole town rushed TO the fatal spot"
THE flames must have caught 10 the
scenery from some light behind, Robert
son saw it when il was no longer than his
arm. Young saw il on the roof when il first
burnt through. Every article of the the
atrc was consumed; as well Us the dwell
ing-honse next to it but what is wealth
in comparison to the valuable lives which
have gone forever. The whole town is
shrowded in woe. Heads of families ex-
tinguishod forever. Many and many is
the house in which CHI has been made
that never can be filed up. We cam, I
dwell on the picture. Sixty-ive persons
including Gov. Geo, W. Smith, persisted
in the flames
1.-THE funeral Of those who lost their live,
took place on the 2sth Of December, the
order of procession being as follows
Corpses, clergy, mourners, and ladies, ex.