The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1876-12-12
Terrible Conhagration.
The Brooklyn Theatre Fire.
TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY
FIVE BODIES RECOVER Ed.
Three Hundred aud Fifty Persons
supposed to Have Perlshed
In the Flames. Ii

New YORK, December Harry Muir.
doch, one Of the leading actors in the
Brooklyn Theatre Company is missing
and is thought to have perished by the
burning Of the theatre last evening.
THE FIRE BROKE OUT
durirg the performance OF the last act
Of the Two Orphans" in which Miss
who plays the part of the her
oine, lies on the boat house floor. In
five minutes more the audience would
have been dismissed and there would
have been nothing more serious to re-
cord than the destruction Of the prop
erty. The house was about two thirds
filed, those below sitting well forward
toward the stage. For those in the fam
lily circle, dress circle and gallaries there
was no way Of escape except by Wash
ington street. The panic stricken peo.
pie rushed pell nell towards and down
the stairways The main entrance be
coming choked up and
SCENE OF TERROR,
confusion and distress ensued, which
beggars description. The police from
the Station House next door were
promptly at the scene, but owing to the
manner in which the people were piled
upon top of each other and massed to-
gether. They could extricate compar-
ativelv few, and these were all burned,
bleeding and MANNED.
Kate Clayton at the preliminary irqui-
ry of the fire marshal, said: CAT the be.
ginning of the last act and just as the
curtain rose up heard rumbling noise
on the stage, and two minutes after l
saw the flames. The fire seemed to be
all on the stage Mrs. Farreu, myself,
Mr.. Shidley and Mr.. Murdock were on
the stage at the time. We four remsin.
ed there and endeavored, as best we
could, to quiet the audience, and pre-
vent panic. l said to the people, "Be
quiet; we are between you and the fire i;
the front door is open and the passages
are clear" Not one of the audience
jumped on the stage. The flames we're
then coming down upon US, and l ran
out and jumped over top OF several peo
pie.
REMOVING THE DEAD.
In some instances whole families have
perished. The bodies present every
form OF contortion, just as they stiffened
in the last agony, when the floor gave
way and they plunged down into the
binding smoke and flame; arms and
legs are bent and twisted in every way,
hands are clenched and reach out as il
grasping for help.
The Post says that at about IL o'clock
A HORRIBLE DISCOVERY
was made. In the middle of what was
the lobby Of the theatre lay an immense
pile of rubbish, smouldering beams and
other things. The heap was nearly op,
posite the principal entrance to the au.
ditory Of the theatre. Beyond it was
another heap, marking the place where
the stairs which led to the gallery fell
Under the heap first mentioned dead
body was found, and the fremen dill
gently prosecuted their search in this
direction. With mucn labor some of
the heavy lumber was removed, and q
horrible sight was revealed Beneath
that mound, the corpses lay in rows,
heaped one upon another, and packed
together with fearful soli1ity, which told
Of the great pressure to which they had
been subjected. How many lay there,
or what their sex or age, no man could
tell, and at noon only guesses could be
made. Another actor. Claude Bur
roughs, is now reported missing. The
Brooklyn Argus states that up to ont
o'clock ninety-four bodies had been ia
ken from tie ruins, and others were still
visible lying in layers four deep. Tht
morgue is completely filed, and the
bodies are now carried to the old Mar
ket building in Adams street. They
cannot be recognized. At two O'Clock
lis bodies had been recovered, anG
there are probably as many more with
in the ruins. Some persons assert tha
no one in the upper gallery Of the thea
tre escaped The last man that left th,
stairs before they fell says that behint
was helpless, half suffocated crowd,
Up to this hour, 9:40 P. M, 13(
bodies have been removed and other,
are still in the ruins. st
At late hour tonight, 2S5 bodie,
have haen recovered Nv tho fro Rat,
Claxton loses $4,000, Ida Vernon SS,
600 and Shook & Palmer, the lesses
$50, 1000. The city authorities we're il
session to day, to make arrangement
for the interment in Greenwood Of tn,
dead not identified. Fire Marshal Ready
who has made exhaustive examination
of the circumstances of the fire, is, o
the opinion that at least $50 perished in
the famea. 5.4l