New-York tribune., 1876-12-07
SEARCHING FOR THE DEAD.

SEARCHING FOR THE DEAD.
THE HORRIBLE DEVELOPMENTS AFTER FSpTNG THE
FIRST BoDY-IHE VICTIMS FOUND IN HEAPS
THE POSITIONS SHOWING THE AGONY OF THEIR
LAST MOMENTS.
Early Yesterday morning when the fire had been
SO far subdued that fromcn were able TO enter the
vestibule of the Brooklyn Thcater, The body oI
well-dressed lady was found near the 6ox-oiDce IL
was standing, reclining against the wall rs II the
unfortunate victim had there bceu overcome with
smoke while pressing toward the outer door Inc
body WAS removed to the Morgue and careful search
was made for others who might have shared
similar fate Up to this time it was not known that
any had persisted in the burning building, and few
persons had called ut the police stations to inquire
for missing friends.
II was not long before a ghastly heap of coTpses
WAS discovered in the cellar, underneath the vest-
bule. and The work of exhumaton was begun ana
continued without intermission throughout the day
and evening The news that there had been heavy
loss of life spread rapidly through the city, and
every undertaken in Brooklyn sent wagons and as
sistants to aid in removing the dead. Boxes wer"
passed down through the Aoor the bodies were
placed in them as fast they could he taken rom
the heap a blanket was thrown over each, the box
was carefully raised tc the sidewalk, placed IN a
wagon, and driven away.
Soon after the work of removal begun a TRIBUNE
reportor entered the thcater by the private starr
way and passing through the treaSnreTs ROOM
| looked from a window down upon the mass "l VIC
fins The window was directly at the head of the
| stairway down which the occupants of the family
circle would have passed If they had been able I"
| roach if. The stairs were cbarred and weakened.
Int had not fallen: all the flooring of the Veshue'
| Of the three stories was gone together with all the
interior OF the auditorium. There were three doors
leading from the family circle to the vcstibu!e. but
only one stairway leading from il to the street thiS
was less than seven feet in width, and had sharp
curve at the foot Of the first flight. All the oc
cupants of the the upper gallery seem to have reached
| the yestbule and pressed toward tic stairs down
| which a few-it is not known how nany-escaped
| The clouds of smoke pouring from the stage either
| sutfocated the rest 50 that they were unable TO
| struggle toward the open air, or Tia" narrow door
| WAY became blocked so that they unable e.
escape. Whatever may have been the cause, large
p7oportion OF those on that floor were in the vcs-
| bule when it gave way, and all were hurled IN
conupingled mass into the cellar beneath, wher"
they were soon covered with burning timbers, and
burned and charred or blackened with smoke beyond
| all scmblance 20 humanity.
1t was for a long time supposed that The occupants
of the upper gallery were the only Victims ana tha'
all in the second gallery dress circle were saved
There is no evidence of this beyond the fact that The
exit from The second gallery was WIDER and that cs-
! cape thence was easier Among the missing are
| many who would not have been likely to take seats
i'm the upper gallery; and rich jewelry opera-gasscS
| kid gloves. &c, found on many OF The
| bodies, are indications that they were ID
| more expensive part OF thc house
| If tbe peoplc in tho two galleries shared COM
In lao I'd a.
Approximately; it Will be known only when, one b.
one the Door mutilated bodies have been taken FROM
their pyrc and the horrible aggregate computed
| with certainty From whichever gallery they came,
they were preciptned upon nearly the same spot,
and lay as they fell the entire pile covering an area
of Is by 3j feet Evidently the flooring of the vcs-
thule at the end nearest the stairway, had gwen
way when all were standing upon 1t, or after 1t fell
tbose in the rear were pushed or pressed forward
into the abyss.
! Looking down from above the sight was horrible
beyond description. Men, women. and children
were packed together closely as possible, their
| clothing burned from the bodies and in many i'll
stances the flesh from the bones; the limbs distorted
with agony bent out of shape by the positions IN
! which they fell; the faces sbockingly burned and
blackened and in between the bodies and covering
the whole piles of ciudeTs aad still smoking tim
| end those who were compelled to perform the task
of removing the bodies had look of horror on their
faces and spoke tbe few words Which were necessary
| TO be spoken with bated breath. Hour after hour
the work progressed, and every new horror gave
fresh evidence Of the extent OF the calamity which
had fallen upon Brooklyn At first the number Of
killed was estimated at 3D. then al 80 then at lJO
and then all waited until the whole truth should DC
known, yentuFing no further cOnjectures. As body
after body was extTicated from the seething mass,
others were found buried beneath, and the sad
work continued, the end to he known only when the
ruins of the theater have been carefully examined
| in detail.
| Three additional bodies recovered during the
evening Two of these found in tho cellar, un-
derneath the corridor, and were evidently the re-
| mains of boys who in the gallery. Further
search in the debris under the corridor resulted III
| the finding Of 10 more bodies in that part OF the
| building, and about 10 o'clock tho men were re-
ieyed A fresh force Of men was set TO work III the
vicinity of the stage and at the side of the main audi
torium toward Floods-alley, with the purpose Of
| discovering the bodies of Murdoch and Burroughs
| the two missing actors In removing the falling
timbers of one Of the dressingroo near tie alev