Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1876-12-18
LETTER FROM NEW YORk.
Special Correspondence.
NKw YORK. Dec. -, 1876

Special Correspondence.
NKw YORK. Dec. -. 1876.
The particulars of the second author
lied case Of cremation. or burning OF
human remains, known In this country
which was that of the noted free
thinker Baron de Palm. whose pagas
funeral rites in this city l noticed some
months since was just occupying pub
lie attention when New York was start
led out of all interest in inanimate OBJ
jeets by the speedily confirmed rumOrs
of the most hideous holocaust of living |
men and women in the history of civil |
ration. On Tuesday evening the 4th /
inst. during performance of the we'll |
known Two Orphan" at the Brooklyn
I Theatre. some canvas flies at the top
of the sage caught FIRE from gas jet.
and in hardly more time than it takes
70 write these words the whole structure
was one vast roaring furnace-so like
lightning was the spread of the flames.
The last act of the play had been reach
ed. and there were four actors upon the
stage. Of whom two. Miss Kate ClaxtOn
and Mr.. H. ). Murdoch are well known
throughout the country. During the
I g. sa.apIa a. he
cry of the fire and the grand catastro-
phe these four ladies and gentlemen
displayed rare GOODNESS and self-control.
From Miss Claxton's vivid description
it appears that at first they thought the
danger would be averted. and consequent
ly went on with their mimic play. giving
no signs Of their consciousness Of the
4 horrible reality soon to burst upon the
> vision Of the unsuspecting audience.
: But this hope was only mOmentary. The
= flames were observed and then the four
u actors sprang simultaneously to the front
II of the stage and. assuring the audience
that there was no immediate danger
E as the only chance of delaying the dread
&c ed panic, told them to pass quietly out
a. But this presence Of mind was of n,
y avail.
There was moments hesitation, ant
l. then, as seems always to be the case, tn
ID fOrked tongues Of the fire proved to
IT. much for the nerve Of the assemblage
Us and with one wild rush for the entrance
le- the shrieking throng threw blindly ava
Oh their one possible chance of salvation
y. No words could describe the scenes tia
followed. With death in its most tel
-, rible shape roaring hungrily benin
~ them, the terrified mass from which il
- tolcrable horror had driven every huma
attribute save the one instinct Of sci
preservation, surged onward to destruc
Zee ion with blood eurdling desperate
Gu which no battle charge in history ca
ier parallel. Shrieking and trampling eat
" other under foot. the narrow exit so
became clogged, and from that insta
Of every living creature in the buildil
ma. was doomed to fate which it max
all ones flesh creep to contemplate.
: to The frightful agony of that fate. no
and ever. was mercifully brief Probat
,r,.L;r 6c,aor ,,,r,.oe of ~ l.-a.-z
of Of the flames every man or woman "
Ools had that evening entered the doom
ats. structure was either in safety or beyO
r to all possibility of suffering.
the So brief was the whole catastrop
ending with the fall of the buildil
aid that the extent of the calamity was
mill even suspected by the survivors.
has spite Of the crowd. which remained
,hs- night on the scene. no discoveries W
4 70 made. and the press Of the follow
morning in chronicling the event reps
-. ed the possible loss of one or two liz
= Before the evening Of that day over
hundred charred corpses lay upon
r. floor Of the Morgue aud the old ADJ
street market. and still the ghsi
!, mine showed no signs Of exhaustion.
Up to this time nearly three hund
bodies have been recovered. and
''O@u considered certain that over that u
e''ei Der persisted, some bodies being undo,
'u'A edly reduced to ashes. OF the ac
participating in the play. two. Ne.
Pu" Murdock and Burroughs. found
e'"'e grave in the falling theatre. 1t is
posed that they went 70 their dres
ues- rooms TO rescue their valuables.
iemo- were sufOcated before they could
r. u their way out.
ralIty The fearful catastrophe has give
: on terrible shock to the community
Does awakened the deepest sympathy for
posed hundreds Of bereaved families. mauJ
bon Ehon lthe majority Of the dead ha
been FROM the humber ranks Of sOci
In all have been deprived Of their sole dep