The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-12-08
3l5 Bodies Taken
from the Ruins.
GENERAL GLOOM
IN THE CITY.
Measures for the
Relief of the Suf-
ferers.

NEW YoRL, Dec Tt is stated that the
men employed in digging bodies out of the
ruins of the Brooklyn Theatre were dismissed
at o'clock this morning, having recovered all
the remains there were, being 315 bodies.
An intense gloom pervades all classes in
Brooklyn. At the regular Wednesday evening
church meetings last night, sermons were dis
pensed with generally and prayer meetings or
ganized, the great calamity being the subject of
earnest supplication to the Almighty for grace
to bear with Christian forttude this awful wish
tatOn.
The papers here are filled with personal mar
ratves of hair breadth escapes, and mournful
tales of bereaved relatives and families. In
Vulnerable incidents of various kinds are also
printed.
The undertakes of Brooklyn were Of great
practical service yesterday and last night, as
they combined together and volunteered their
services in behalf of the sorrow stricken fami-
lies. They were of very great assistance to the
police in preventing professional mourners from
robbing the dead.
One woman recognized her brother when she
discovered stud in his shirt bosom. Another
woman. with small piece of cloth and piece
of shirt bosom, identified her husband, and
say ing HE has one hundred dollars in his
pockets" put her hand in his vest pocket and
took therefrom that amount.
People in the region of the calamity all Gay
and night spoke in whispers, and several prom
inent ladies yesterday afternoon organized and
kept up till dark continuous prayer meeting
within two blocks of the disaster, which was
crowded with attentive worshippers.
The police as they came from their duties at
the ruins and at the Morgue would frequently
burst into tears at the thought of the fearful
scenes they had witnessed.
Shops are draped with mourning emblems,
and the public buildings will be draped today.
There is hardly working mans organization
in Brooklyn but has lost from one to dozen
members.
Expcriesse of a Survivor.
Only one or two people who were in the
crowded gallery are known to have escaped.
One of them. Mr.. Coin, keeper of lunch
room in Myrtle avenue, relates the following
experience: An advertising agent and a bill
distributor Of the theatre, invited him to see
upper gallery. The entire space here, Mr..
Coin says, was closely packed, and it was not
easy to obtain even standing room. Mr.. Coin
and companions made their way to the side
and watched the play until the close of the
first act, when they went out The second act
was just commencing as they resumed their
former places. and as it drew toward the final
scene Mr.. Coin noticed some confusion on the
stage and the audience seemed to be growing
restless and excited His interest in the play,
however, prevented him from paying particular
attention to these circumstances, and it was
only when several of the spectators were hur-
ried by and crowded toward the doors that be
began to think something was wrong. Then
Mr.. Studley advanced to the front Of the stage
and seemed to be arguing with the audience,
but the noise of shutting feet prevented his
voice from being heard in the gallery. 81 WON
dered,' said Mr.. Coin, "what the people were
running for" The actors words, however,
seemed to have some effect, and many who had
arisen resumed their seats. The play went on
confusedly for few seconds, and then sparks
and burning material began to drop upon the
stage. Probably this was the first intimation
that most of the people in the packed gallery
had of their peril. Certainly. Mr.. Coin, up to
this moment, had not suspected the presence of
a fire in the theatre, and he now found himself
in an exceedingly bad position for effecting his
escape. He tried to reach the door, but in the
desperate struggle for life going on all around
him, he was not at first successful. AT last he
was carried out with the moving mass upon the
stairs, and here he caught momentary glimpse
of a woman being borne along aud crushed
against the wall by the crowd. In second
she had disappeared, and he did not see her
again. She was the only female he noticed in
the gallery. Before gaining the foot of the
first flight of stairs number of persons fell
and were trampled under foot.
The passage way was blocked, and Mr.. Coin
was falling over TIE PROSTATE forms In front of
him, when quickly realizing his danger, he
flung himself forward desperately, and tumbled
nearly to the foot of the stairs. Regaining his
feet quickly he found himself slightly relieved
from the pressure of the crowd and attempted
to make the best use of his opportunity by
getting to the door as quick as possible, but fell
again, hurting his knee and ankle, and had
great difficulty in rising. He could hear the
shrieks of women and children in the par
quette and family circle, utcould see nothing,
as a mass of binding smoke was pouring into
the passage. Quickly gathering his coat about
his head, to avoid being suffocated, he hasten
ed forward and gained the street. 1t was not
thirty seconds after that. he said, before be was
in bis lunch room, where, moment later,
man staggered in without any boots or hat, and
with his hair and clothing scorched. His last
recollection, he said, was being IN the top
gallery of the theatre, and the interval between
being torn out of his seat by the terror stricken
throng around him and walking in Myrtle
avenue was an utter blank to him. AS far as
Mr. Coin could learn, his two companions lost
their lives.
Aid for the Sufferers.
Mr.. Boucicaut starts al subscription for
the sufferers with five hundred dollars. The
Soldene Troupe will give a matinee next We'd
nesday in Baltimore, aud Poole and Donnelly,
lessees of the Grand Opera House here, will
give the entire gross receipts of all next week
A meeting of actors and others was held this
afternoon at the Park Theatre to take action in
regard to the calamity. A committee was ap-
pointed to arrange plays to be performed in
different theatres tor the benefit of the suffer-
ers.
Resolutions of regret at the loss of the two
actors Messrs. Murdoch and Burroughs, and
of coincidence with their families, were adopt
ed.
An Inquest
An inquest on the bodies OF the victims will
Saturday morning.
The City Hall, Brooklyn, was ordered by the
to be draped in mourning out of
respect to the dead.
METRO ROLOssICAL.
FOR THE NEXT TwENTY-FoUR
HOURS.
WAR DEPT, OFFICE CHIEF SIGNAL
OFFICER, Washington, DC,