New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-10

B1DBBl lOgUg sa'
[ eeaop bodiee vsFs stiAened in almpqt dttipl
picture, md Q the wagons were driver
Idly up the street, tAaie Aeods nodded 4
| md fro beneath tho blankets, or protEodinl
hnbs quiveyed horribly. as$
Tho sight caused many strO1K men T.
turn away from the spot with tearfal eyes
Mrs Kste Cfsxton said That, - the tune
tho ire broke out, she 49, reclining ~
nattTess ON tho stage atthe opening q the
pAame." She Wa lying without . pillow,
faee upWards, with her eyes closed, but
hearing the confasion, she partially opened
her eyes, and could see, through tho canvas
cover of the house represented % tho stage,
the lance above. Tie scene proceeded with
the knowledge on the part Of the actors
that there was fire on tho stage, but all
were hoping that it would b extingu ishod.
Tho actors on the stage ut the beginning Of
doch. Mrs. Tarren and Mr.. 6tudley also
took their parts soon after, and the scene
was abeut half played when the scenery
Was seer toll in flames. The peopiein the
psrquetto also became alarmed ct the
confusion on tho stage and the fire, which
was now plainly seen. The four actors
ranged themselves in y line across the
stage close to the foot lights, and - far az
possible from the flames in the rear. Mr..
Studley begged the audience to 10 quiet,
saying that there was no cause fog alarm.
Misc Claxtor cleared her throat and shout
cd, 'sWill the people keep their seatsY We
are between you and the flames. and we
will be burned fret. Will the people IN the
front seats sit downa" Misc Claxtor il of
the opinion that had not the act0rs re-
NAMED firm in q line across the front of the
stage, the people would have leaped upon
the stage and attempted to escape by the
rear where the fAaes were raging In Q
moneot or two, however, the alarm seized
upon the people in the balcony and gallery,
end . rueh was then. m ade fOr the doors.
Al paaDc ensued. MAB. Farren was the fret
to leave the stage, end soon aftecMiss Clan
ton retEed upon one side of the stage and
Messrs. Studley ard Murdoch upon the
other.
The lstter's dressing. room, as.wcal a. that
Of MIR. Burroughs, was on the second floor,
and before MI. Muroseh, who west to his
room. coald return, it, 10 supposed that the
stairway was in flames and his retreat cut
or Mr.. Dorroughs' Sad fate il supposed to
have been brought about in the same way,
while Mr.. Studley, whose dressing room
was underneath the stage, was so fortunate
"a to,escape. Miss Clsztsn called for Miss
Msude Harrison, who was in the green
room, and, with Mrs. FAeren, ran along .
private passage to the stair way leading to
the boz office. The flames could be dis.
timely. seen under the eeege ct this time;
and the smoke along the passage way was
almeststifling.
FostunateT the door ~ the head o. the
stairwsY had been left unfastened, and the
ladies thus made their EFT into the main
PASSAGE whore the eager crowd wore
struggling and jostiing one another in their
described heS passage throsgh the thrO1g.
She was several times thrown upon her
knees and byuised. but, by skillful efforts,
she succeeded h making her way out in
safety. AZ sAe emerged from the door che
cast : single glance back into the theatre.
The fye had barst thr0ughis in . sheet Of
fame. and, it seemed like q grand tra0s-
formation scene. Miss Cla1t0n spoke IN
high terms Of tho presence Of mind din
played b. the ladies in the cadence. It was
the first time, she said, that she had evss
Witnessed such . scene, and her GOODNESS
surprised, her afeerward. Thinking of the
danger, she felt herself e. coward, and
trembled. Miss Claxton cane to Brooklyn
on Moudsy forenoon to fill three weeks
engagement, after which she was to 20 %
Washington. AL her trunks except one
were taken to tho theatre, and her property
was oil destroyed. She ives reluctant to
speak of the amount of her loss, but her
friends estimated it at about $1,000.
It was for leog time supposed that the
occupants of the upper gallary were tbs
only viotime, and that all in tie second gaa-
lery OF dress circle were saved. There is
no evidence of this beyond the fact that the
exit from the second gallery was wider,
and that escape thence was easier. Among
Al v~t~~ not n-w
been likely to take seats in the upper gal
lery. Richly ieweled opera glasses, kid
gloves, etc., foand on many OF the bodies,
are iudicatio2s that they were in more ex.
pensixe part of the house. Il the people IN
these two galleries shared q common fate,
their number can not be estimated, even
approximately. 1t will be known only
when, one by one, the poor mutilated bodies
have been taken from their pyre and the
tainty. The entire pile of bodies covered
an area Of fifteen by thirty-6ve feet Evil
IDENTIFY the flooring of the vestibule at the
end nearest the stairway had given way
when all were standing upon 1t. or, after 1t
fell, those in the rear were pushed or pressed
forward in the abyss.
Dispatches of the Western Associated
Press say:
Two lives were lost-two young men in
the flower of their professional ite-Harry
S. Murdoch and Claude Burroughs. These
two young men were playing respectively
Pierre, the cripple, and Picard, valet to
the Chsvslier. At the moment when the
fire was discovered Murdoch was before
the curtain playing with Miss Kate Clax-
ton. As soon as tho panic occurred, and
the general rush was made to escape, Mur.
doch and Burroughs ran to their dressing
rooms to get clothes to wear in tho street,
their garments being very scanty in the
play. Their dressing SaOme were on the
same side of the stage-the right wing, az
viewed from the auditorium-and cOnse.
quently farthest from the stage door, even
had that means of exit not been locked by
Q panic stricken jaaitor. The dressing
rooms were arranged in tiers, approached
| painters bridge which spanned the stage
Murdoch's room was on the second tiez
and Burroughs on she third. Before they
| emerged, the staircase was one sheet Of
| flame, so eagerly and so rapidly did the Ere
| do it's work. All chance of retreat cut of
| the unfortunate men were driven back by
| the roaring flames step by step. till, sup
| poeing in the agony of their peril that, BY
| some chance . neaDs OF descent from thu
other side of the bridge might offer, they
| q cended to the trembling structure. Here
they were last seen by j. II. Studley, {
member of the company, who had left hi
dressing room few seconds before them
and fought his way through the flames to ,
place of safety, from which he was enabled
to make his escape. Oaoe on the bridge
their position was hopeless. They eoul'
not descend by the way they came up
There was no other means of escape but t.
leap.
At half-past ten o'clock this evening tn
| hodioa of the two men were dipged iron