National Republican., 1873-01-29
THE FLAMES.
DESTRUCTION OF IHI NATIONAL THEATRE.

Anair-Good Work Of the Fire Depart
ment-somo Suggestion. for the Future
History Of the BuildIns-Thc Last
Night nj the National-NIectinEo OF Citi-
zens to Make Arrangements for n Tcsti-'
uonini to Manager sayiiic.
For some years past the District Of Columbia
has been resting In fancied security against loss
by irc; hut from this dream the residents were
yesterday rudely awakened by the news that the
National theatre was on IRE. How or by what
accident the flames were started Ia not known;
but this Is certain: that the wide streets, excel
lent 1re-plugs, and good supply Of water, which
has been so much talked Of are not Of them
selves suflcient to prevent extensive connaRra-
tons, and In this respect the nrc has not been
without lts good results, for such a lesson can
hardly be passed by unnoLlccd.
on F1RE.
At about 1880 O'Clock a. IN. smoke was dis
covered by some parties issuing from the win
dows In the rear portion OF the stage Of the
theatre, and In moment after Mr.. John Bayley,
one Of the Board Of Fire Commissioners, who
was passing by, turned In an alarm from box II,
at Willaris hotel. While this was going on
Messrs. Sheehan and Gross, the machinist and
carpenter Of the theatre, who were in their room,
had noticed names in the "niesn among the
scenery, and had given an alarm to the en-
STAY its progress the names had broken ont In all
their fury and enyeoped the rear building In one
vast sheet Of hre.
so sudden was the outburst that the dense
volume Of smoke was noticed by the men Of No.
2 engine company, and, without waiting for an
alarm, they hooked up, and were quickly on the
spot, taxing position on the corner o. Thirteenth
ment and had stream ready 10 fight the FIRE
from the front.
Soon thereafter engine No. had responded to
ha m aud thaN nnaillnn ag ha
ner Of FoTrtcenth ard n Streets and r. nun ma line line
| Of hose from that point down the alley, midway
Of the square, to the rear Of the building, and
were soon doing their hest In that direction.
The chief engineer was quickly on the spot,
| and ordered that general alarm he turned In,
which was done, aud, responding thereto, quickly
came the several other engine companies aud
| the hook and ladder, the former taking the most
available positions and the latter driving directly
to the front OF the burning building.
THE crowd
had, by this time, increased to thousands, and as
| IA usual on such occasions all had theory Of
how the fire could be subdued, and In the excite.
ment OF the moment took care that their plans
should be ventilated. and after they had men.
toned them TO nrst one, then the other, and saw
| that they were disregarded, they at once became
abusive and made point OF nndlng fault with
| the chief engineer, as well rs his subOrdinates
While all this was going on the frcmen were al
work doing their very best. All the members Of
the FIRE commission, the lieutenAnts and re.
| serves from each precinct, the chief and captain
| Of police, and the members Of the detective
corps, had reached the spot, and between then
a plan TO bring order out OF chaos was soon lie
cided upon. The rnpes were stretched, Ofiicer,
placed to keep the crowd beyond and som,
chance gwen the boys to work.
| GAINING IEADwAY.
All this had been the work Of hut a few mo
mentf; the two elements were engaged In tho
conflict at all available points, but as yet the 1rt
had the hest Of II, aud with redeemed faces and
heated blood the men with the pipe moved from
point TO point, and directed the stream OF watei
against the qaicky leapinE names. In the rear
there suddenly carle the cry "stand from under,
soon followed by the crash Of the falling wall
In second the fremen had rallied and the ngh
was renewed, three two-lnch streams playing
with their fearful force against the fiery foe.
IN TuE FRONT.
The members Of No. company were work
ing like beavers The business men occupying
the front portion OF the building had bec0mt
alarmed, and were removing their goods, ant
turn where you could might he seen men ant
boys bearing In their arms candies from RocOs
clothing from koppel,s, and liquors from Miller
Jones', and WAmbOld's. As soon as this "gut
ting" process was commenced, all self-possessIOI
was lost to the crowd. Windows were broken
goods scattered ruthlessly about, and II Ii safe
to say In the brief space Of half an hour there
was more damage done by breakagr and theft
than would have occurred had all been allowed
to remain in their places, A funny incident O
this period was the carrying out Of the stove,
from the several stores, while the glass Window
Of the cue cases from the bianl-rOOm up-stair'
were thrown out Of the window.
IN TlE IMPERIAL.
From the third story Of the Imperial hOte
now came the cry Of nre, followed, Of course, b,
the usual throwing out the windows Of bedding
and other furniture, An Inspection showed tina
the rear building was really In danger, for tn
distance between II and the burning theatre wa
only about ten feet, and the names had crosse,
that point, caught the window sash, and the
HOTEL WAS ON FIRE
In at least two OF the rooms. This created tn,
most intense excitement. Men who had beel
allowed to enter rushed franticay to the win
dows and screamed loudly for water, creatinI
the impression that the entire hotel was Il
names, and that theTo was not the slightes
chance Of saving Il. But, unmndful Of thei
were doing their duty below, the hotel men, VIII
were not In the least panic stricken, caught ul
the BabcOck eNtinguisheTs, with which the hOus
Is literally provided, and empted them upon tn
fast increasing flames, hut they ayailcd not, AM
time was not expended in attempting 10 re
charge them.
Satisfied that the nre In the hotel needed i'm
mediate attentlOn,th chief engineer ordered tina
one OF the ladders be placed In position for IN,
purpose Of carrying up stream from the outside
and Just here occurred the only bundeT com
mtted by the fremen during the day, and Onl
which the board cannot In Justice to themselve
overlook. The Hook and Ladder company ha
Just been furnished with q new patent ladder
and this the foreman OF the company was inoOm
petent 10 rig, the result Of which ignorance wa
that fully twenty minutes were lost In placing
ladder against the wall; this too while more tha
thousand anxious, excited spectators wer
looking on, and In the end II became necessary t
tue muse tue man nail, up tnt HtAll
way To the third-stOry, and thus conquer N
flames, which was soon done,
This mlshap caused the Utmost disgust, and
will be q long time ifever; before Foreman JohT
son can gain, or regain, the good will OF his su
, perlors and the citizens.
CHANGE OF BAsE.
On the street the men OF the company ha
been doing good service, first In one place an
then another they pushed, regardless OF smOk
and name, and At each point reIrsined Ion
to eommSniSSte with IN Ne % fTens % SSdPT eG1ehS SSd
the same time allowed the owners, with III
assistance oil their friends, TO remove all III
stock, and In some places, even the plate.glas
, fore the names, AMI drenched with watel
worked the nrenen for an hour, and then cam
the joyful intelligence that
rHK FLAMES WE'VE suBDUED,
and look was taken over the field, which sho we
that the theatre proper had been leyeed to tn
ground, and was but mass OF ruins, but tina
the hotel, the front building, and all others Ii
the neighbOrhOOd hal escaped with but CompaTa
lively little damage, fact which caused tn
greatest rejoicing among the citizens collected
who had supposed that the extent would haY
been much greater,
This Of course did not stop the work Of the frt
: men, who were soon found looking here an
there, discovering where the tiny Jet Of nam
showed itself, and promptly drowning II, ~ we
/ as pouring a mood upon the ruins so that IN
slumbering flames might not again awake Int
was turned on, the hose Teeled, and the men 4
the companies departed TO their homes
ALONG THE ROW.
ri As Is to he supposed on such an occasion ther
was q gathering OF all varieties of persons, an
! while the names were In progress Il was d sigh
to watch them, Some were cool and calm, other
excited; some interested, others dlsinterested-
hut all were, or seemed to be, willing spectators
The look was one Of long duration, and tn
crowd being kept beyond the rope were con
! pelled occasionally TO resort to the different "a
: looms, for the purpose OF refreshing themseve
Z. and ventilatlng their opinions In regard TO tn
! cOnnagratOn both of which they did to thei
? own satisfaction and tho amusement Of lOOk
{ ers-On.
INSURANCE ENTERPRISE,
II did not take long for the news Of such a
! affair to travel far and wide; and while yet tn
2 properly was burning, the agents of the severn
Insurance companies, with COmmendable enteI
prise, were on the ground taking notes aud telt
graphing the probable losses TO their respectiy
| companies. This soon became nOIsed lTUun
1 the crowd, and beside placing them In high glet
, proved cOnclusyely that there was still some us
I of paying money for Insurance.
sAYILLB AT WORK.
I At what time Mr.. Sayllle, manager Of tn
theatre, arrived upon the spot IL Is impossible
state, hut 1t Ia certain that he soon made up hi
mind that, as far as the building was concerned
8 y was TO him an entire loss and, after seein
that the books and effects OF his once weT
saved, he phllOsOphlcaly turned about an
looked the future square In the face. In an In
stant he had made up his mind that the pei
Z fOnnance must go on, and, as the most AVA
able spot, selected Wllard's hall, for the use U