Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-12-06

'StSN a. ocot We COOl
to quiet The audience and prevent
u panic. said to the people: BE quiet
We are between you and the ERE. Tn
front door is open and the passages ar
clear Not one Of the audience IumpeI
on the stage. The flames we're then com
ing down on US. l ran ont aud jumpe,
over several people. Mr.. H. S Muir
docb, alter endeavoriDg to calm the fear
Of the panic stricken people, went to hi
dressing room to get his clothing an,
must have been suGocated."
BROOKLYN, December 6, q u. = Th,
/ number Of bodies thas farrecovered frou
the ruins is about seveuty.fVe, and it il
believed that as many more are still ia
the rims. They are mostly those Of the
occupants Of the family circle.
The Brooklyn Eagle furnishes the fol.
lowing in advance of publication; THE
work of identifying the dead will be diff
cult for most Of them are burned beyond
recognition. The only mode Of identify.
ing will be BY personal property found
attached to the bodies. Thus far it is
only evident that the flames made com.
mon havoc with men, women aud chill
dren."
Shortly before 9 o'clock Rev. Father
Hanley visited the theater and among
the bodies recognized the brother Of
Rev. Father kyle. Father kyle was
present and recognized the body Of his
brother. The body was taken from The
ruins charred and blackeued almost be.
yond recognition. In the breast pocket
of his coa we're a number of cards bear
ing the name Abraham Barnett in
German text.
The bodies are constantly being re-
moved from the ruins and ara taken to
the morgue as fast as possible.
1t is rumored that a number Of at.
taches of the theater are burned Il
seems certain that Charles Lott and his
son, who were stationed 10 the upper
gallery, are among the lost.
The actors aud actresses escaped from
the stage into johnson street.
J. W. Thorp, the stage manager, says
the fire occurred in this wise: A drop
was ignited from a border light BIZ
some means inexplicable, as one was
guarded from the other. he immedi.
a:ely directed stage carpenter Weaver
and two supernumeraries to e~ndeavor to
extinguish the fame, bat the difficulty
WAS to reach the part on fire. The stage
carpenter, with the superuumeraries.
essayed to effect the object by lowering
a drop aud in so doing added fuel TO the
d lanes. The scene, the last in the play.
embraced a ceiled apartment, aud the
instant TIE burning drop came in e1n-
tact With the inhammable ceiling ee1ysd
t. spread the existing flames in a fash
as though powder had previously been
scattered about. The scenery and the
entire properties we're in a blazs. The
usual avenues OF escape were thus sum.
marily closed at the rear, and an exit, if
at all possible, had to be made BY wav
ct the box entrance. All, except per.
'hsps II or two, thus escaped. 1t is
now believed that the number of dead
will be about one hundred and twenty.
fge.
The courts adjourned this morning
without transacting any business. There
Is Intense excitement in the city, and
business is partially suspended. The
Park Theater has been closed for the
week. a meeting of the theatrical pro
fession has been called for Thursday to
concert measures for relief. Hon. Henry
c. Murphy, a distinguished citizen of
Brooklyn and wallkuown throughout the
country, is among the missing.
Wagonloads of rough boxes are or.
irving in froOt of the theaier and corpses
are placed in them and covered with
tsrpaulin and carried to the morgue.
The scene grows more terrible every
minute. Men and women are c%rowdinp
the %station-house and theater entrance
making inquiry for missing friends. In
some instances whole families have
persisted. The bodies present every
form of contortion, just as they stifened
in the last agony, when the hoor gave
way and they plunged down in the blind.
ing smoke and flames; arms and legs are
bent and twisted ia every way, hands are
clenched aud reach out as if grasping
for help.
The Post says that about IL O'Clock a
horrible discovery was made. In the
middle Of what was the lobby of the
theater lay an immense pile of rubbish,
snoldering beams, fragments of Orders
and other things. This heap was nearly
opposite the principal entrance to the
auditory Of the theater. Beyond It was
another heap, marking the place where
the stairs which led to the gallery fell
Under the heap fret mentioned a
dead body was found; and the
iirsmen diligently prosecuted their
search in this direction. With much
labor some of the heaviest lumber was
removed and a horrible sight was re.
vesled beneath. Corpses lay in rows
heaped one upon the other-packed to
Rether with foo rfpl sof;d;tu IL.