New-York tribune., 1876-12-07

grandfather, who is the janitor of the building in
which they i've and who probably receives his rent
free for keeping the building clean. Christian Yeth
was said to have had large seal ring, with his
initials cut on the stone. The other two had neither
watches nor ewelry on their persons and it is sup
posed that their remains Will be unrecognizable.
THE STORY THAT EYE-WTFNESSES TELL.
FIRST IxT4MATIoNs OF DANGER-HIDDES PROGRESS
OF IHE FLAMEs-cOHDUcT OF THE ACTORS
TIE SUDDEN PANIC-A STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.
From the hundred accounts Of tuesdays calamity,
detailed by those who were in the theater when the
fire broke forth or by those who, from a securer
position without watched the escape Of the fortunate
and noted the progress OF the flames IL has been
found possible to make connected and generally
consistent story. Early yesterday morning the ac-
counts were so conflicting that the greatest uncer-
tainty prevailed rs to the origin and circumstances
of the congagraton, and persons sitting almost
side by side in the theater held opposite convictions
Reflection disproved to the minds Of many their
earlier impressions, and last evening there was
general agreement upon the features of the
catastrophe. The following narrative Is combined
from the statements of eyewitness OF the
tragic event:
good sized audience, of which larger propOr-
ton than usual was IN the galleries. was witnessing
Theater on Tuesday evening. The piece had pro-
gressed somewhat slowly through the first four acts
and when the curtain went I'd for the last act, the
hour was so late that the performers continued the
representation with increased rapidity. At 1110
o'clock persons sitting the stage in the parquet
heard cracking behind the scenes as though some
thing unusual were going on, and several called the
attention Of their next neighbors to the noise.
1t was regarded, however, as nothing mora
serious than the repairing Of curtain or the
arrangement of scene. From this moment until
the flames appeared, many persons in proximity to
the stage recall no suspicious sight or sound. but
others aver that the first intmatiOn of alarm behind
the scenes was followed by loud and confused talk
ing among the actors and employees, and that al
though the play went forward the persons on the
stage appearing undisturbed and the audience re-
naming quietly in their seats they apprehendcd
that something serious was occurring. Within two
or three minutes a thin smoke curled downward
through the flies, and almost Immediately afterward
light fame darted ont where the smoke had ap-
peared.
Up to this time the audience had remained il ig-
n0rancc Of the approaching tragedy but behind the
scenes there was excitement and alarm. From there
part of one of the flies seen to fall into bOr
der light and to Immediately catch frc The stage
carpenter and his assistant went up to put 1t out,
but while the assistant was reaching ont to grasp
tho fly a dr0p-scene caught in the feeble fame and
blazed brightly out into the cOmbustible material
which surrounded it. Actors and scene-shfters now
endeayorcd to put out the fire or to pull down with
poles the burning scenery and it was at this moment
that the audience saw from their seats
the smoke and flame. And stin many per-
sons to whom the startling scenic effects
of modern theaters were familiar believed
for n moment that they were witnessing only the m-
tations Of the stage At this time Miss ClaxtOn Mrs
Farrcn Mr. Murdoch, and Mr. Studley were the only
actors on the stage. As the fame darted from the
flies and many Of the audience rose anxiOusy to
their feet and uttered exclamations Of alarm, Nh
Murdoch and Mr.. Studley advancing to the front OF
the stage endeavorod to quiet the excitement. and
Miss Claxton, almost at the same moment, cried;
"There's no danger; the flames are part of the
playD As she spoke, bit Of flaming canvass dropped
at her feet before the audience In instant panic
had seized tho spectators. and amid the screams OF
the terrified and the shouts Of those who hoped to
prosorve order, the crowd, suddenly stricken with
dread and horror, surged toward the doors.
few, whose presence of mind had not deserted
them, remained in their seats, believing that tho
fire was less to be feared than the crush, and the
four actors in the scene still standing on the stage
called to the audience that there time TO escape
But the instinct of self-preservation had overcome
reason and the struggle for life became fierce and
uncomfortable. Even the promptngs of affection
we're forgotten, and men trampled their wives and
children under their feet not realizing what they
did The wonder is that so few of those who bad
been sitting in the parquet were killed or
injured. that so many over whom the crowd
pressed toward the doors, struggled again,
bruised and bleeding to their feet and
eventually escaped. If the scene in the body Of
the house was thus appalling language is made
alate to describe the horror Of those in the gal
leres, between whom and safety were narrow flights
of stairs With the first alarm they rushed into the
narrow passage from which the stairs descended,
but, as the experiences of yesterday prove, only
those whose seats were nearest the doors escaped
About 400 persons were in the galleries and while
nearly all of these blocked the starcases the Others
for whom there was no room, driven by their fear
and crazed by the increasing heat and the ap-
preaching flames, crowded upon each other
into the narrow space. Those in the par
ouct had nearly all escaped when the fran
staircases leading from the upper gallery gave way
and fell CARRYING MI with them to the floors below
which yielded to the enormous pressure ana Weio
carried down ono after another into the cenM
beneath thu lobby. The top floor, from when sn'
upper staircase descended robbed in part OF its sup
norts and weakened by the flames which now sur
rounded it, crashed down upon the struggans
victims below, bnrying them in its ruins.
II could not bo ascertained last evening that NOR
than one person nlado his way over the heads OF ~
crowd upon the gallery stairs-a lad who could ~.
tell Just how he escaped. but said ths'
did not even once touch the staircsss
his descent Those who escaped unns,ne
were in many instances so overcome with nisa a.,
TO fancy themselves dangerously injured, ana -
views Of what transpired arc worthless bus -.