The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-12-07

the small roof Of the police station and was
rescued from the billiard rooms Of Samuels by
persons who saw his wretched plight. Flesh
dropped from his hands IN shreds. Those who
were the last to come out we've chased rapidly
by the flames and in not few instances severe
ly burned; but many more were injured by the
press of the crowd. If one fell down there was
no possibility of raising him, and others behind
rushed over and trampled upon him.
The following are the actors and actresses
who appeared in the play: Chas. R. Thorne,
Jr. j. B. Studley, 81. S. Murdoch, Claude
Burroughs, Fl. f. DAILY, and Miss Kate Cax-
ton, Miss Fanny Morant, Miss Ida Vernon,
Miss Kate Gerard, and Mrs. FarreD.
The theatre cost $3.50, 900, and one of it's own
ers says the insurance is $4,000.
SEARCHING THE RUINS.
sickening scenes-The Dead Found i'm
scores-Every Hour Adds more Names 10
the Death List.
Between and o'clock this morning the
flames had subsidized sufficiently to permit the
fremen to make an investigation near the main
entrance to the theatre chief NevinS took
lantern and accompanied by two truckmen
passed over the trembling floor of the hallway
toward the inner doorway. They were several
times driven back by the flames and smoke, but
with indomitable energy and courage they sue
ceeded in getting as far as the green door, just
beyond the box Office. Inside the doors the
flooring had fallen in, leaving deep pit OF fra
and flame, from which dense smoke and
steam assembled. Here sickening spectacle
met their Mortified gaze. Close up to the fam
ing furnace and clinging to the splintered verge
of the demolished flooring was the body of
woman burned to a crisp Her hands clasped
the framework of the door in desperate grasp.
She had been powerful female and had fought
hard for life. Evidently she would have escap-
ed had not the flooring given way beneath her.
The remains were those of a large sized wo-
man. All the clothing was burned off and the
al IL
able Her underclothing still chung to her
scorched and blistered body, and with it was
the fragment of a waterproof cloak. When
the fremen made the discovery they were hor.
ror-stricken, but the Chief and his assistants
succeeded in securing tie remains and trans
porting them into the open air. An immense
crowd gathered bout the remains, but the curl
osity-seekers were forced back by the police and
the body was removed to the morgue where it
awaits Identification.
after daylight this morning They succeeded
in getting as far as the "falp' of the dress cir
Gle, where they found great number of bodies.
Altogether there were about fifty bodies; three
were recovered.
1918 A. Mt is now stated that thirty
three bodies are in the morgue and at least fif-
teen more in the theatre yet Most of them
were IN the dress circle. Their means of es-
cape was cut off, as the stairs were burning and
they were suffocated.
rior OF the burned theatre repyrts that 65 bodies
have been removed, and that he saw pile of
twenty or thirty more as they fell through to
the basement with the dress circle, burned be-
yOnd recognition. The loss of life will prOba-
bly, exceed one hundred.
1t is stated that Murdoch, after endeavorpg
to calm the fears of the panic. stricken audi
ence, went to his dressing room to get his cloth
ing and must have been suffcated.
Ills A. M.-Nothing but smouldering ruins
remain fOdaV fa show WHARF tho Rrookluv,
Theatre stood. The loss of life turns out to be
appalling, 1t is now believed that the audito.
rum and galleries had been cleared, and those
who persisted went down with the flooring in
the lobbies for the bodies of the victims were
found this mornisg in heaps within dozen
feet of the door, a majority being burned be-
yond recognition. The scene is shocking and
the air is filled with the cries of friends, eagerly
watching for friends who are supposed to have
lost their lives, while thousands of spectators
from all parts surround the ruins. UD to $50
o. m. there were fifta bodies, men, women and
children, removed, and 1T is believed as many
more have been sacrificed. At the nearest po-
lice station to the scene Sc names have been
registered rs missing.
The report now is that the bodies found will
reach IT'S in number. There is no doubt but
that Harry Murdoch, the actor, persisted.
Worse and Werse-245 Bodies Found ND
to 5 O'Clock p. MI.
NEW YORK, Dec. 6--5 P. M.--There have
been 245 bodies taken thus far from the ruins
of the burned theatre.
Horrible Scenes.
The Argus gives the following thrilling &C.
count OF what was done at the ruins Of the
Brooklyn theatIe today:
ruins the work of overhauling and tearing
away the debris, which was piled up in what
was the vestibule few hours before, twas Wig
orously begun by the firemen. The flooring of
the vestibule was whole from the street to the
spot where the ticket taker had his stand, a
distance of perhaps 80 feet, but beyond this
not piece of whole timber remained in posi-
ton, either below or above, and the clear sky
appeared overhead. 1t was in this space, Is |
feet in width and 40 in length. that was be-
suit of hour after hour of hard labor terribly |
realized this expectation. 1t was known the |
gallery had been packed during the perform, |
ance of the Two Orphans and the narrow
III contriyed entrances to it would hardly justi-
fly the belief that the majority of the inmates |
would escape the spreading flames which, with |
lightning like rapidity, swept through the |
tinderlike material. The rearmost might have |
gained the gallery door, but they never prssed |
beyond its Threshold. The crash of falling |
after the crowd below had fought its way into |
the street, was undoubtedly the death knell of |
over one hundred human beings in the gallery
vestbule. Then the one terrible roar tt at i'm
aglnation might attribute to fiends fighting in
agony, which numbers in the streets recollect
as having swept up and out on the midnight
air, ceasing as suddenly as it had begun, was
probably the united walls of these victims as
they were precipitated into the red hot furnace
beneath.
As timber after timber was removed by the
fremen, in their search, body after body was
brought to view, burned beyond recognition,
here an arm missing, there leg and then
hand. The sigha of the half-roasted, charred
trunks was sickening, and drew forth the sim
cerest expressions of horror from even the fire.
men whom long years of service had, in de-
gree, accustomed tn such spectacles, In MANY |
cases the clothing of the dead was partially |
consumed, while again it was as charred as the
limbs which itlenveloped. and which Welded to |
the touch of handling The clothing will prob
ably, in number of instances, lead to an
which otherwise would have
been impossible.
There was large pile of ashes and debris
exactly opposite the first door that opened into |
the theatre from the vestble; suspiciously sug.
gestive spots were noted around its edges and
the stoutest nerved themselves for the trial at
hand ShOves were brought into regusition
and carefully as miners at work under an inn
pending embankment the work of unaarthing
was begun. First head was uncovered, aud
then the direction of the trunk having been in
1icated, the ashes were still further removed
and the form of another human being was add
I'd to the list of the dead. In one part of the
pllo several UouiSc WcIo cLuucuuou together. |
Here leg prOtruded, there an arm, and the |
,earch was for few minutes subordinated to |
that of removing the bodies to make room for
urther examination.
The bodies found were mainly those of men,
,ut occasionally woman's charred form was
and a dozen hands were stretched
orth to save it from further injury if such a |
hing were possible, and wrapped in blanket,
t was tenderly moved to the rear. A singular
eature of these discoveries was the position of
be bodies, Invariably they were buried face
lown, while the arms seem to have been
tretched over the head as if in mute appeal for
mercy. Not one in twenty of the victims
probably met death outright from asphyxia
)verpowered by the mercless element at their ;
Jack, in front, above and below, they were lit
rally roasted to death and that almost in the
ime it takes to tell of it,