The New York herald., 1876-12-12
What the Debris in Floods Alley
May Conceal.
ADDRESS BY THE MAYOR.
The Fire Marshal's Inves-
tigation.
THE RELIEF FUNDS INCREASING.

NOW that the victims OF the conaagrayon have been
consigned to the grave, and oncal zeal has combined
with individual feeling in q suitable expression OF
sympathy and bereavement she community that re-
manned awestrckcn as each dreadful development un-
ravellca itself consideration of the dis
awakened at this moment against all houses or
ncnt and indeed Of public resort will be only tempo
rary aud will no doubt pass away long before
The memory OF tho horrors which cngcn-
dercd H.; but the inquiry Il has set on
loot into tho safety OF such places and the determine
lon evinccd by the public to SEQ their resources
tested and their dcnccnccs supplied will inquest
ably be OF actual service TO the community Already
IL has had the effect OF causing the custodiaps Of
sembly halls to turn their attention TO the OF
egrsss available in Of accident and has led the
trustees OF places OF worship To take the temporal
safety Of their congregations into consideration
well as their spiritual wcll-beng This hue and cry
against passages and unstable stairways
Is unfortunately it may be feared, The exponent OF
nero ephemcra activity. into which the public has
been spurred Ly spectacle Of unprecedented horrors
Accordingly It behooves the community make the
most Of II while IL lasts and to insist upon every place
OF resort being amply provided possible with
pedicnis against u like disaster.
In Brooklyn, yesterday It seemed II the routine
Of everyday HE which had been interrupted and stag
mated were in presence of the city's great nfic
tion again taken up and but for the fags floating
nj halfmast and the funeral drapcry public places,
little LETT to recall the weeks tragic history. or
courss the confagraton and its victims still the
nilbsorbIng topic, but conversation seemed to
have expended itself upon the horrors of the dis
aster and to have settled into u channel tending
toward the achievement OF some practical good. 1t
is doubtful II the burned theatre will to be a
focus OF public curiosity for weeks come; bu, cer
lain It is that tho Of johnson and Washington
streets had little less than usual quota Of sight
secrs at times during the day.
THg RUINS
The charred tmbers ana shattered walls Of the
burned structure looked melancholy indeed
nnder tho bleak sky yesterday. Tho towering
dome, all blackened and guttcd by the flames,
rose into the air sombre and drcary with half.
lowered sreamcr ut the top floating out in memory OF
thosc whose lives had gone the pit Of FIRE which
Oh that dreadful night yawned beneath It, Around
the corner the passing crowd stopped at the mouth
Of Fioods alley glance AT the reminders OF
SAD event which strewn along IL, and many
gathered on johnson street to gaze up ut tho
Jagged and gaping masonry. Tho appearance OF
the ruin in Keeping with the events
Of which Il had been tho scene. and IL looked all the
more drcary yesterday, when the snow lccxed the
shivcrcd windows and covered up the wreck Of tho
rharnel house which lay beneath them. Fears
expressed by residents in the ncghborhood that the
walls. which swayed and tcmbcd In the gale OF Satur
day. would fall to the ground, but is that
such as arc weak and unstable have been properly
secured.
The rumor which circulated tho day after tho fire. to
the effect that three doors opening Floods alley
shut, thought 10 have been thoroughly dis
posed OF by the testimony OF tho chief usher but
has since been corroborated by Mr. Marsh, whom
Mrs. Conway dismissed janitor OF the theatre. He
doors on the east wall leading To Floods alley-one
from the owners private box, one IRON tho parquet
IRON the Cloak roofn-were pred open from
tho outside.
The owners OF the building awaiting a
permit from the Department OF Buildings to take
down these walls, and receiving II they will
begin the work OF removing them. The work In The
were employed in removing tho stage deorls and in
digging under the vestbule IL feared that the
charrei WOOD aud ashes we're removed some new hor-
might be unearthed, and tho workmen werc fully
that they had ccme upon another
layer dead when tney yesterday found fragment Of
burned flesh lying in the ashes AT iater stage OF the
word more portions oI burned bodies iound
but u is likely they parts oi the limbs OF the dead
Already taken out which lad fallen from them among
Tho iimbers ut the time OF their Underneath
The vestbuIe the workmen Will be engaged to-day, and
work will probably begin upon The debris OF tho
Dpments may result from the prosecution of
tns work It is difficult TO conjecture but 1t is
have been discovered. Nevertheless there arc some
people, and numbers OF tho police are among them,
who believe that many Of the escaping audience were
crushed by the falling walls reaching this open
saXe only the removal Of tho debris collected
will satisfy them OF he iasencss OF their convection
happily, IL be unfuunded.
inc cast wall overtops the Post Oaice and ON
Saturday night fragments OF It fell through the
glass the light shafts that building. No serious
damage done, but IL has led the police 10 look
with apprehension on that section which ovcrooks the
station house
having been temporarily secured by guys and braces,
The ropes were removed from Washington and Johnson
streets, permitting traffic toe be resumed and the Dc
kab avenue cars TO run.
The occupants OF Deter's Hotel were permitted to
return yesterday morning to look their effects,
but the building found TO be in a amcntab con-
dltion The sew, cold has the pipes 10
burst and some OF the rooms are flooded. The whole
building is IN an unsafe condition. aud Mr. Dieter has
determined 70 abandon II.
THE YIRE xARsnAL's INVESTIGATION
Tho Investigation Instituted by Fire Marshal Ready
stili continues Mr.. Ready says he intends ascer-
tain the bottom facts In the matter. and Will
In his labors until hc accompshes what he has under
taken. During the proceedings yesterday Mr.. William
G. Kingsley, one Of the owners of the building, and
Mr. John r. Smith, who q manager OF the theatre
during Mira Conway's regime, were examined
Mr.. Kingsley testified that when the theatre was
built the instructed erect nrst class
building In every respect" that he believes that
these directions were carried out
M Smith gave evidence OF tho strict system force
Ing which time flro occurred.
Tho following rs u summary Of tho proceedings
TESTIMONY Ex-MASAGER SMITH.
John p. Smith gave the following important evi.
doncc IL live at NO Is Prospect place. was manager
Of tho brooklyn Theatre for year and half under
Mrs Conway, and OF other theatres in this country
for several years; am now manager for Miss Clara
Norris; during Mrs. Conway's time tho closest aten-
tiou given TO Tho apparatus Tor cxnguishns fire;
wchad the rigging Ioit buckets constantly Iled with
water, and there was large coil OF fire hose Chcd 10
the drant at the Of the stage the
storm door; this could have been used
ments notice, and explicit instructions given to
employees 10 place no obstruction IL at any time;
thls hose would have reached from the back the
front tho STAGE the orGcrs were 10 stage hands
turn tho at tho least indication OF nrc;
never had occasion TO use IL; lett thcro In good
order IN June, 1914. and saw II when Miss Morris
PLAYED there last, think about the week commencing
kuv,mber o; Mrs Conway took every prccau.on
against nrc; l presume Messrs. shoo~ Palmer
strict, as | know them 10 DO thoroughly prac-
wBs lenu-