New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-12-15
BRooKLYN'S DISASTER.
TIE r1pE MARsHAHs REPORT.

|
| TESTIMONY TAKEN FROM sIXrY-TwO WITNESSES
| rup coSc1usIoNs DRAWN FROM TUE EVIDENCE.
| Fire-Marshal Ready of Brooklyn yesterday
roeened 70 the Police Board special report IN REFER
oo 10 tba cause circumstances, and origin OF the hre
Mr. Kcady was prompt and painstaking In conducting
his investigations beginning his examination the cay
! ofer the fire occurred and taking evidence
| from 81 witnesses. The written testimony pre-
| scented to the board with the report covers
2O3 pages of legal cap paper The report that
the night OF the fire the audience consisted OF about 1000
persons-250 the parquet $50 in the dress circle, and
AO5 regular admissions, with free tickets to the
! gallery No alarm OF fire given and 10 water was
used although there ample supply on the stage
The advice the actors the audience was intended to
allay excitement and prevent panic but il did neither
There could be for advising audience to re-
main a burning building. All the people in the par
duet saved, the means OF exit were reasonably
good II could not be ascertaned whether all In the
dress circle escaped the witnesses varied In their
statements The exits to be used in Of emergency
from tine dress circle were used by any large number
OF people The greatest confusion occurred In or about
the gallery stasthe only means Of exit from that part
of the house. The report says:
There were doors hung there It was simply an
opening about six feet WIDE with partitions on eacn
side, against which the ends OF the seats aoutcG dne
younger members OF the audience jumped from the tops
of these partitions the heads OF the crowd struggling
for egTess the passage below Those VINO uiu reach
impossible to move Meantime the fire had reached the
roof gallery at this place. quite near the heads OF
the audience. Donse volumes Of smoke rolled up from
! the stage The lights went out and in few momgnts
the struggling crowd became heap OF ee less srgt
crowd being heaped up in an angle ON the platform ~
pOsite the boxoihee This was only one ugpt rO r
street and the stairs were unoDstructed al tne way HUN
| thai pOlnt down.
The Fire Marshal that the most significant feature
Of the whole calamity the rapid spread OF the hnes
! from the stage scenery which was very dry to the
gallery The ceiling composed OF thin boards COW
cred with canvass The dome fell before the people had
time to leave the dress circle. strong draught was
caused by opening OF the doors ON Jonsons Ihere
was evidence that the gas was turned OH by any en-
pov Of the eater before the flames reached the meters
aud melted the lead coupling Of the pipes Ihen ioo"S
the official list OF dead taken from the reports OF the
! Board Of Health L. contains 2si names with the
residences The loss Oh the theater was Sl2sOOOi ln-
surance $40 900. Loss OF A. W. Dieter, 800; lnsur-
ance - 900. Loss several houses on John'onst''
81 $50; insurance, $1,000 Loss on No. 295 Washing
| ton-st., $50; insurance, $l,66O Loss on No Soi
| Adams-st. 800; insurance, $1,000. Shook Palmers
loss 200; insurance, 5000. Total loss Sl5liooi
total insurance S0O,l6G The loss Of the actors and
| actresses could not De asctrtaned.
Mr. Keadys conclusions from the evidence are as fOl-
| lows:
building only short time previous 10 that on Tue ON
inst one place Nov - Ia curtain III the D1H-
Dnicc aud sufficient 10 cause more or less OF pane
| among The audience many Of whom stood up TO leaFe
tBc building. The other TOOK pace ~ vi app,t , ~"
gasp.pc the stage Few weeks before cannot "a!
tnat tie cssces OF the budihs khe" OIL 'neSe Hie' u
S,Co,J PT1per precautions against fire DO seem TO
have been taken By Shook Pimcr or theh GmpiOyes
after these two warnings. Ih,y did not sec that snch
fIita n. ,yrr nrOyrd by the owners Of the building
for the cNtn-using OF hrcs were hcpt N proper Oael
and really Tor immediate use IL seems thGrc Wls lIs
Lydrant ruug near the stage, Dut ~ uots nor
appear that there Vas any ireose attL,nyu 20 ~ on nS
night Oi the ire OF ltt any % tLe olbio!'s AHo" "
| 60 use IL, or that they attempted To use IT, ILL, -
TAtrd: There seems To he want OF discipline among
me tsc hands rs 20 What they should DO In such eases
Instead Of Il ing the alarm immediately 10 W. poco VI
MIN IpIe Tucrc was IRE enguc-One OF the best aud
quickest In me ciiy-wiin two short blocks but the
much heldway. Immediate notice 10 tue liic Depart
IL thr INST step necessary ia case OF hl' D ,nis
docs not 60 have been understood ~ the mpoycs
" ttI IL SEEMS 10 me tlrttf the audience had been
pefiIed when The ic Wa discovered by the stage
haUds They could have gO Ult Oi DMIuhb sael nv
omission 20 do tiis uS'ictty made uT pane az ,no
greater when the people sa" te ARE lie cucct OF the
request The actors 10 tc audience to ~ dow" may De
il prevented greater pau.c others thai the delay caused
thereby greatly incIas iAc 'oss 81 ne however "e
meant think the Eject oi such advice Oh ~, occasion
vas yc disastrous both to the audience ana lh' 4otoS
I'm. he means OF ext from The gallery. while good
cuuIgh JOG ordinary purposes ana be'tI 'Gth ~ INV INV
! and Brooklyn, were not good enough IA case
! of fro OF panic. The means OF cNt. HOn iAc
0tgcl wise the loss Of c would have been iI greater
tlaH II Is. OIc witness, Charles DJusntil, hho "ds
Tor Ventilation AID HuO VA, probably tue Lass InaA w.
leave There awe, Gays Tie people WoG,d nor my .u
two stairs, each side oi the gallery Instead VI
Srfh: The fire was caused b. the bordcr,-a portion
of the sccneryakng hIc from the border hghs Ihese
T. were covered Wiz. tIu Oh Iu side iaciug the audi
| cu,r and with wire netting OH tue other side
SecfnN There Ought 10 bc now tuor0ugh overhaul
lug of ali our pubic budinR schools churches, ucade
mics hospitals, thr.itr,, places Of large assem-
blagJs Il cannot lee doue moment TOO SOON II th's
is not done, lessons Of tbs ru and those Of The NE
Ia tho Home for sine Aged, n Bu5a~lci4Nr on May Z,
1876 when Is persons were burned 10 death VIII he lost
The report viii be pres ntcd 10 The Brooklyn Common
III Inn !Tl f.sFFu