The New York herald., 1876-12-20
THE THEATRE CALAMITY.

CONTINUATION OF THE INQUEsT-A STAGE
MANAGER WHO NEVER CALCULATED ON
ymE-THE BUSINESS MANAoER's THEORIES
THE RELIEF MOVEMENT.
Tho inquest into the late calamity at the Brooklyn
Theatre last evening the Kings County
Court House, before Coroner Simms and tho jury.
The attendance was not numerous In the lobby.
rHk BUSINESS MANAGER.
Lorraine Rogers, the nrst witness called, testified
that he had been theatrical manager for fifteen
years; business manager of the Brooklyn Theatre
since September 4; the duties Of q business man.
ager 10 look after the financial interests and look
after the comfort OF the audience called upon
I" 80 on tho stage except upon occasion Of being called
TO confer with a .star'' TO business duties;
gave no instructions to the Stage hands during their
performance or rehea.sals; my supervision Of the
stage was connned to auditing bills and TO tho purchas
ing of materials for tho stage; engaged OF tho
attaches behind the curtain, only those throughout tho
house. most Of the hands had been engaged previous
to my joining the theatre thero were hvo depart
mens engaged-namcly the business, tho ushers, the
stage carpenters the gas mons and the dramatic SO
far as the stage management was concerned it was
under control OF Mr. Thorpe; the working Of the
theatre in front Of tho curtain under my charge;
the OF the fire appliances under my control;
have been actor as boy, and have yet
been in theatre where there special attach6
corps responsible tor the control of ire; each
responsible Tor his own duty; to the obscrv-
OF rules in the OF nre matches TO be
lighted in the theatre, no cigars were 10 be
smoked building, and such and such tools were,
according TO Mcssrs. Shook x Palmer's rules, only to
be used IN case OF nre Mr.. Thorpe always duty
The stage whom the troupe was therc on the aIght
the lire lett Tho theatre hvc minutes after eleven
O'Clock; when saw the tire fastened to the scene,
81 th.
Cane, ana remained there until about hapas three
O'Clock; saw Mr. Smith there, and, in answer TO
question, told him about how many
in tie house that night; there was some dis
cusson about The probability OF Mr.. Murdoch's escape;
in conversation with Mr.. Kingsley and others lhere
general supposition that everybody had escaped
from the housc-ihat no lives were lost; the number
OF tickets sold for the gallery was 405 there four
or i've supernumerarles, perhaps, there; lew per-
sons who went the gallery perhaps twenty Ter.
sons-exchanged their tickets Tor the dress ciclc
finding 'nS .,oas saesy sSo iu saeTs WE'RE y my
that night the rules and regulations were
satisfactory 10 me; there were six nshers employed
including the chief; their duties were 10 DO at tho
theatre half past SIX, 10 prepare themselves
auditorium and 10 indicate what portions OF the house
wcrc reserved II their duty TO conduct The
to their Seats The chief usher was special off,
GER having authority 10 remove disordery persons;
tho duties IN event Of IRE was 10 open all the
cgress from house tho lower floors; tho special
police officer was 10 open tho doors ut the end
ol the performance; the question OF fire raroy
arises the minds Of MANAGERS except in reference to
panic; there ore detectives detailed duty and
Mr. Lott who on the salary list, there also
on duty there that gallery had been
very we'll ned Tor two throo weeks previous 10 the
ire; Inspected, ut the suggestion Of Mr. Palmer tho
condition o the property and the place generally, and
found the appliances excellent; thcro was hose on
tho wall the hydrant, on the stage; there
one or two dozen fire buckets buckets OF water on
the pant frame; there wero also twelve more
fire axes saw these appliances there sncc last Sep
tcInber in the attic OF the theatre about threo
days before the dre saw there some refuse furnure,
mattresses. carpenters shavings and other refuse OF
that charactcr The centre chandelier supported
BY large iron beam running across the DOME
q. Now, sir, how did the Brooklyn Theatre compare
with the other theatres with which you havc been
connected to construction and manner OF egrcss?
AZ IL had decided advantages over any other theatre
with which | had ever become tarniar; from tho
stage there were Two exits-one from Floods alley
and from the box oicc there WAS very largo door
opening Floods alley aad another into tho par
Quet there door opening into tho gallery
case from the dress circle; the lobby room extern
sve; the house could empty IN three minutes and the
aslcs were numerous as in most theatres the gal.
lcry stairs more spacious than most stacases
be found in theatres.
O. Is there any danger great as fire IN theatre?
A. Yos sir; there dangers from panic III oIher
ways. 1t would be well for the business manager to
give precaution TO fire, but at the lmc wo
should CONSIDER that II would DO utterly impossible
The manager To guard entirely against the outbreak Of
fre The Mayor OF a CITY could bo held respon-
s,bIc tor the prevention OF fire In that comm u
nlty; never Know "A business manager TO enter
Ihs business department OF theatre and IN
stfuct the employees 10 prepare tor frc; mover
the hose ard water buckets; the workings Of
the stage rested entirely with Mr. Thorpe: case OF
in any manner; my understanding was that Mr.
Thorpe who was on the Stage, should direct what
should be done in the event Of fire; Mr. Thorpe
the stage and all responsibility to apply the means
THE ORIGIN or THE FIRE
As to the origin OF tho lre have u theory that the
little pieces Of paper which used in the play 10
give u snow effect might have iailon underneath tho
guard Of tho gaslight which might have created a
spark which draught OF air could have taken up to
the border light; alter the Iutiie Efforts had
been made 20 put the the n,o ,., out, tho stage
sticks abandoned tho undertaking, and somebody
pulled the johnson street door open; this created
draught which drove the re through the house; this
great drausht was drawn up through tho iunncke
dome and the combustble matter up IN. the lott
smo.hered the people who bad become massed up IN
the gallery staircase the officer duty thcre had
been IN some manner overcome by the tbrong; be-
levo that these people had boen forgotten by those
who helping below TO take Tho people out OF the
dress circle.
THE STAGE MANAGER
james w. Thorpe, VINO stage manager OF the
Brooklyn Theatre, was the next witncss Ho tegtihed
that ne had been twenty-five years the business;
the stage OF the Brooklyn Theatre hampercd with
were lew buckets, which half filled with water
kept the pant gallery at all timcs there also
hose the promises; whom my attention called
to the Are II was by a voice saying .'Iook there!n
looked and saw namc as big my hand the cut
wood drop about twothrds Of the way above the roof
OF the hut;' we had Just set the scene; said 'Get
a pole" which Mr.. Weaver got and tried 10 reach the
namc: MIR. Van Sicklin let down a groove and tried
get IT. then that, owing to the TACT that thero
were six OF those borders they must get on fire as
they were close togethor spark fell the hut and
spread like ripple on tho water; told the audi
cncc 20 out quietly, but 1t was a pando-
monium in minute and a halt; in that
time. or not moro than two minutes, tho cntro
rigging lott n roering furnace OF fire; thought OF
the hose but could not have got at II; then rcmen-
bercd that my family were up stairs, and went into
my dressing room and made my way to their apart
mcnts, passing through the box door; as passed
through saw the drop curtain falling IN icry folds;
dan't soul in the parquct; didn't look into the
gallery; in the lobby saw the men trampng
women and | told them to keep cool, that
there ample room Tor them 10 get out from there;
mad supposed that all OF tho people had got out; IL
would not have been possible for to have thrown
from the paint bridge, distance OF iteon feet,
~ the border hight which nrst caught fire; leaving
the stage went up to my room which was on level
with the dress CIRCLE and took my family out through
my staircase there had been any fire there
TO my knowledge hciorc; the curtain for the last
went up at twelve minutes past eleven O'Clock, and
about fve minutes later my attention was called TO
The FIRE The witness, at the request OF the jury,