The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-12-07

taken out utto'day WereremoVeui they lal
in piles apparently where they had beer
pitched into the cellar when the aool
and staireway gave way,
As night approached two calcium light
were placed in position and the work o.
removing the ghaStly forms OF tho dead
made more so by the light-waS continued
They were under the galleries, but nj
estimate could be made Of the number
The charrcd remains Of tho victims wer,
taken out In the front and rear Of thl
theatre and rapidly loaded in boxes and
placed on the undertaker's wagon; still
the pile Of bodies in the cellaS did moi
diminish,
Although the fire originated on the stag
the loss otlite among the theatrical com
pany was not 30 extensive as it might have
been imagined. Two lives were lost
Two young men who were In the flower o.
their professional life, Harry s. Murdoch
and Claude Burroughs. These two younu
men were playing respectfully, Pierre
the cripple and Picard Valet to the
the Chevalier. At the moment when the
FIRE was discovered Murdoch was before
the curtain playing with Miss Kate Clax
ton. As soon as the panic occurred a
rush was made to escape. Murdoch and
Burrows ran 10 the dressing room to gel
their clothes to wear in the street, their
garments being very scanty in the play
Their dressing rooms were on the same
side Of the stage, and the right wing a'
viewed from the auditorium, and conse.
sequently furthest from the stage door
even had not that means Of exit been lock.
ed by the panic stricken ianitor. The
dressing rooms were arranged in tiers,
approached by q narrow stairway which
led to the painters bridge which spans
the stage. Murdoch's room was on the
second floor and Burroughs on the third,
Before they emerged, the stair case was
one sheet Of flame, SO rapidly did the
Gre do It's work. All chance Of
retreat was cut Of, unfortunately the
men were driven back by the roaring
flames step by step, until, supposing in
the agony of their peril, that by some
chance means Of descent from the other
side OF the bridge might Offer, they scram.
bled to the trembling structure; here
they were last seen by J. H. studley, a
member of the company, who had left his
dressing room a few seconds before them
and Tough. t.his.way through the,aames to a
place Of safety, from which he was ena.
bled TO make his escape. Once on the
bridge their positions were hopeless,
they could not descent by the way they
come up and there was no other means OF
escape than to jump.
At half past 10 this evening the bodies
of the two men were digged from the ru.
ins and both were identified by remnants
OF the dresses worn on the stage. Only
the trunk Of Murdock remained. There
were 1900 persons in the theatre
500 in the galleries. This even
ing, notwithstanding the populari'
ty OF Miss Mutton, the latest
play at the Union Square Theatre, the
proprietors ordered that the theatre be
closed, and a placard draped in morning,
was placed at the entrance. stating that
in consequence OF the terrible disaster in
Brooklyn, there would be no perform
auce this evening.
AT a late hour tonight 2s5 bodies
have been recovered. BY the fire Kate
Claxton losses $4,000, Ide Vernon $8,'
900 and Shock and PaImar the leSsees ol
the theatre S30,O00. ..