Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-12-15

the doors opening ON the alley, The one
in the lobby he succeeded in opening
1t was gate of deliverence to many.
A few gallant men endeavored to quell
the panic, but human effort was vain.
In less than minute the passages were
choked up, the theatre was filled with
shouts of maddened men and the piteous
and frantic screams of women. Men
forgot that they were trampling on their
fellows, and, Indifferent to all but their
own safety, scrambled upward and out
ward. Husbands became separated from
wife or child and friend from friend.
The parguet was quickly emptied of ell
save those few who must have been
trampled down and suhocated near the
lobby.
The fire had spread with astonishing
rapidity from the proseenium to the cell
ing of the dome, and the black smoke,
drawn by draft like steady wind,
rolled in upon the galleries and added
another terror to the gasping men and
women who, still free from the jam on
the stairway, dropped to the parquet
floor to perish in the heat and smoke.
There was great peril and loss of life on
the lobby stairs leading to the dress cir
Gle. The stream of people flowed on
swiftly, crushing some, carrying Others
out on shoulders from the dress circle
until stout lady caught her foot at the
landing in the stair-rail and fell The
way was blocked. Crushed and manned
men were piled one above the other.
Three policemen, one of them stripping
off his coat, extricated the lady and
opened the way again. Those who could
extricate themselves ran over mass of
PROSTATE beings to the door.
The gallery was filled by young men
and boys. The means of egress were by
separate, angular stairway. Here the
panic was worst. A few got out in the
first rush. A jam occurred at the sec
ond landing above the lobby, and the
staircase was barricaded by an inextri-
cable mass. Some jumped over the
stair-rail, others dropped into the par
quet. Before those not killed outright
and those behind could free themselves
the stairs gave way and all fell into the
lobby, which in turn went down. 1t was
a headlong fall, the crushed and bleed
ing men and women and boys bound and
wound into solid mass, were suffocated
by the weight and the smoke. Those
who escaped this awful death, bruised
aud manned, and with clothing torn,
scarcely knowing how they came forth,
all thought that nobody was left to per-
| ish. Even in all the outside confusion
which ensued, it is surprising that the
loss of a single human life was discred-
tied and not definitely known till almost
three hours after the fire broke out. The
excitement was intensified from morning
till night of the next day, as the magni.
tude of the calamity enforced itself by
the bitter evidence on mems minds. The
scenes at the Morgue and the old mark
ct where the charred remains were taken
were terrible By nightfall it was be.
lievyd that more than hundred bodies
were yet to be exhumed The work was
continued by the light of torches and
lanterns
REMOVING THE DEAD.
! The work of removing the dead con-
tinued all of the following day amid
agonizing scenes. Many of the bodies
we're burnt beyond any possible identif.
cation, and others were recognized by
shreds of clothing not burned, watches,
badges, rings, souvenirs, &c.
DISTRESSING SCENES.
Many women whose daughters did not
return TO their homes as was expected on
Tuesday night, visited the Morgue in the
expectation that they might have gone
to the Brooklyn Theatre and been made
victims of the disaster. Every female
body was examined, but none answered
the descriptions, and one after another
hurried away to the improvised Morgue
in Adams st. Matilda Ward and her
husband, young couple, each % or %
years Of age, were both destroyed in the
theatre. They had occupied seats in the
family circle and endeavored to escape
with the crowd when the alarm of FIRE
was given. In attempting to save the
life of his wife, the husband lost his life
with her. The wife's body was taken to
the Morgue, and was identified by her
relatives by some peculiar ornaments
! found upon her person. Her face was
charred and burned beyond semblance
Of human b eing, and one of her hands
was reduced to charcoal.
Richard Curran, 25 years of age. OF