New-York tribune., 1876-12-12

'' .' 3, "a copway,s time and which the present
management thought IN use, had been saoy neg
Iected Of late.
Jobn Cummerson tho hy-man. who was very sc
,sousy injured by burns and bruises received az inc
Dire ed ON Sunday at $50 p at the Long Island Col
lege Hospita TO which he taken on Tuesday night
His antenortem statement made to Marshal keady
was as follows
live at No. 1874 Prospectst was employed in the
Brooklyn Theaer, and had charge OF the Mes saw the @
frs break ont VI began In the rigging lott among the
ofders or drop curtains think the draft D0ugne ne
border In contact with the back OF the light Ihere Ta t
a wire covering the light but these wires arc hOV
snt e Iopder tonebins tie light The bOrer5 went
right enough when camo 10 let them down @ h they
IL broke Nothing broSe before the dre This was the
commencement OF the trouele nad sOS @ INC stSs
that night was unfastenng te goCyHs & y, noe bHt
te men we O% Wy had no fire hose attached or other
wise saw irohydrants in the building under % anu on
sree o fonr years and she kept fire hose there and
always kept pals Of water tull to DO @ nsea IN IN
Shook & Palmer Mr. Thorpe about fire. We had Two
oter fires in theater shortly before this as one Une
ON the stage occurred about three and the other
about six weeks ago. S aos @ SSr 5SS 5n1e ead1 e1s to H john
son-st were oh clear the stage do not think me
border lights were as Ts to a aimSv for me
They looked If they wanted new :" knlttng:o @ e.
The alarm was gwen the poee pretty soon aIler % tne
fire was discovered The audience was not n0tlneG OI !.
for three fOar minutes. kept the curtain uoMh ds
In the building We had no apparatus OF any KIND u9r
putting fire except the Stationary nydTants ouNS ms
stayed longer than should nave doe ana ana e1a9 m . no.
get out ON the sadng an, oo neI saw him % drop from
tie heat and smoke. He looked TO me as
Jumped out Of window on Floods Alley. leading from
the first landing. Messrs Murdoch ana Burroushs nss
the heat zoo great they went up stairs again The other
stage hands got out the back door on JDhhsOhst anu
t On o6r Se Ptssf S 3 link G s anu and
tired to got cut through the auditorium II had had
have put out the fire before it gained such headway u
baEed mp very rapidly. ny man BI % SAXON, & ssT Tt
IsaW of It.
The testimony of John r. Smith, acting Of the
Brooklyn Theater under Mrs Conway was taken late on
Sunday. The most important part is as follows;
was entirely familiar with the stage arrangements
and with the entire Brooklyn Iheater; pald espscla
attention tohe appliances for the protection OF ne
dutipg Mrs COnway's time had In the rigging loft
buckets filled with water ana at the back OF th9 stage,
near the storm door coil OF nre nose attacneH 10 @ e
been used at all tunes al moments notice. anu IL was
the express and explicit instructions OF th9 I'm
that no distractions should DC placer at OF near it tS
hose any time, to prevent IT'S beng useu necs
eary; the orders the stage hands were to turn water
Immediately the least Indication OF re we never
had occasion the hose we also had nHntoef OF
cent IN sso Of fire under Mrs Conway every possible
preoaut0n was taken against the danger of re no oD
stage doors leading to Jomsonst; we considered
the means Of egress from bne stag 'e5 nd dre
circle were as good as any ever other heaters
there was one main stairway leading from Washington
St t0 the gallery this was the only OF exit from
the gallery; it larger than the general run OF gallery
stairs and furnished much better means OF eNit tnan
found from the galleries of several other tleates which
Ihave been in throughout the United Sates my idea Is
that soon after the re commenced some one broke open
the storm doors J0hnsonst ana this increased tle
draft and fastened the progress Oh me ne Te; S S @ U
the fire. should say was caused ny dlsarIahging Ihe
borders while raising the pieces OF scenery used as
ceiling for the mimic house.
The investigation was resumed yesterday Dy FIRE
NJ boi g.
follows:
am OF the ownsrs Of the Brooklyn Theater It
was built BY the Brooklyn Building AsSoc%anIh % ln co dono
mended 10 man of great ability ana experience ~
s IN bTIgnS tbsaters and large pubic build
iugs than any other architect in the vicinity we
knew that nc had been the architect OF WaacE the
Albany Tbeater the Boston Theater, the present Acad-
emy Of Music IN New-York, TaInmany Halt and many
thsater TO be respects the work done
under the personal attention OF Col keeney VINO gave
paying them by the day and not by contract the Ealne
aud Gl the s6s gqS S the afstect rep edy rs
That IL of the most substantially built complete
ooInforable and safe theaters that he knew Of; the
means OF ingTess and exit were thought to be ample
superior TO those OF most heateIs, churches or pubhc
near tic large double doors 2lsinch waier-pipe
und FIRE hydrant; purchased hose ana mad 7 at
there and when Mrs Conway took possession turned it
over 20 her another hydrant with smaller %sCeIpPe %
scenery IN the scenic these afforded facilities for
obtaining an abundant OF N@ASi Oh thc st<'tC'
william H. Field, inspector OF the Brooklyn Gas Light
COMPANY testified that he shut of the gas from the
theater by means OF a stop cock in the sidewalk in Wash
Ington-st at a. He was sure the gas was not shut
bf before
stage but there might nave been some IN the
Ernest BEDFORD Of New-York in the gallery with
friend named William Norman Ihe latter was Just
drinking from bottle when the fire broke out, ana was
Knocked down by the crowd The witness was aIsO
knocked down and several ie on nl ne say ~ 40 many i
40 people piled on The first landing Oh the STAIRS
n the alarm had been given when FIRE nrst broke OUT he
thought all would have escaped.
Edward LoOny, detective engaged IN the theater,
saW fire In the box Office Nov. 25, when the cur
lain took fire. Some cried Firel hre!" ana tne
Audience rose TO their feet but sat down again Mr.
Murdoch and Mr. Burroughs were playing IN Our
Jahn Caslow testified as follows: engage in the
Insurance. business, and am attached to the faIragut
insurance Company surveyor; IN 1871 or lSIZ was
attached TO the Fulton Fire Insurance Company, New
York and made an examination OF the Brooklyn
rheater; considered it good risk; examined with
reference the In which the lights were placed and
the facilities for putting ont fire. the surroundings &c
lached 70 IT the lights were well protected by IRE
creens: pals of water In the hies; the rsk was
accepted held up to the time OF the Chicago fire
oassing in and out frequently since have noticed moth
tDg TO indicate careessness; II there had been two
aeipIent fires in the theaeF few weeks ago and no
xra precautions taken against fire after these
occurred 1, an insurance man, would think the
management very careless; believe tnat when the
performance begins there ought TO be hose stretched
ln the stage ready for use, With practical man In
tharge OF H.
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST FUTURE FIRES.
ACTION TAKEN BY THE BROOKLYN BOARD OF
ALDERMEN.
At the meeting of the Brooklyn Board of AL
aernen Yesterday communication was received from
Mayor Schroeder stating that he called the attention Of
the Department Of Fire and Buildings, March 81,