The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-12-14
BILE to witness and impossible to
describe. 1t is believed that q number
of the EMPLOYEES lost their lives,

BILE to witness and impossible to
describe. 1t is believed that q number
of the employees lost their lives.
THE FURY OF THE FJAMEs.
If every bit of scenery had been
drenched in kerosene the fire could
not have spread more rapidly nor furi-
ously. Even before any fire engine
had responded, the auditorium was
sea of fire. Flames broke through the
roof and gathering force by this event,
shot up into the air, carrying pieces of
scenery to distance of half amile.
In ten minutes the fire had spread to
every part of the theater. The entire
block, it was thought, must be des-
troyed. The Argus building and Post
office were threatened with destruc.
tion. At midnight the fire was at its
height. The great auditorium was n
volcano of fire. The roof had been
scattered to the winds in cinders and
flame.
New York. Dec. 7th.--The dimensions of
the awful calamity which has befallen the
city of Brooklyn in the destruction of its
principal theatre by fire and consequent loss
of life has not yet been realized. Enough Is
known, however, to make 1t certain that the
catastrophe ranks among the most fatal of
the kind ever recorded. According to The
statements of all parties who profcj< TO know
anything as to the origin Of the fire, II began
on the stage. The business manager, Mr..
Rogers, says II piece of canvas, out of which
| trees, etc, are mcde was broken from Its
| fastenings and hung from the flies immedia-
| tcly over one OF the border lights near the
| centre of the stage. The canvass had begun
| to shoulder and the paint on it to crack lie
| and the carpenter was directed to ascend to
one of the groves and remove the dangerous
! object. He could barely reach 1t with his
hand and drew it hastily up. The rapid
motion through the air of the half ignited
and highly inilamable canvas caused it to
burst into flame, which rapidly spread to ad-
joining material. All efforts to extinguish
| the flames were abortive and the carp enter
| had to retire to save his own life. Theisccne
in the gallery after the alarm of fire was
| raised is described as something horrible
| even to contemplate
Up till noon to-day 3l5 bodies had been re-
moved. The mortality will probably reach
$50 persons. OF these tifty-nine are identified,
| some by remnants of clothing remaining,
| others by watches, chains and such articles,
! but few by their features. The actors Caud
| Burroughs and Harry $. Murdoch, are among
| the identified.
| This afternoon number of men will be set
to work to clear away all the wreck in the
| auditorium. Hitherto their labOrs has been
chiefly confined to the space formerly oc-
cupied by the lobby and stage. and it is feared
that when careful search is made in the audi
| torium the bodies of a good many men who
leaped in their frenzy from the gallery will
| be discovered.
New York, Dec. Sth.-Brooklyn is literally
walking in the valley OF the shadow of death.
| Funerals of such of the victims Of the theatre
disaster as have been Unidentified are taking
place, and through the streets in every part
| of the city hcaases are moving bearing the
remains to the cemeteries. About thirty
five men are at work on the ruins, and it is
| hoped that the full extent Of the calamity
will be definitely assertained within the neA'
twenty -four hours. They have not yet sue
ceeded in uncoverng the dress circle, and II
is therefore still uncertain how many, if any
OF the spectators perished.
The public funeral Of the unindentified
dead will take place on Saturday instead o
Sunday as previously stated. Memorial ser
vices, however, will be held sunday. The
procession will move at l o'clock The ser
vices in the cemetery will consist of prayers
addresses and singing by choral societies
All places Of business will be closed between
the hours of andS. The lot in the cemetery
is on the summit ofan elevation it is circular
and nearly sixty feet in diameter. Tie
ground was presented by the Cemetery As
ISOLATION and the plan for the arrangement o
the cofii ms was made by Comptroller Perry
A circular trench fourteen feet wide will b'
dug completely around the inside of the cir
cumference, and this will leave the circle o
the plot for "a monument. In the trench thu
bodies will be laid with their feet towal ds th'
centre an as close as may be necces
sary. All the collins are to be alike. They
Will be plain but tasteful in construction, tn,
only ornament being q double row q
dlamond-headed tacks. 1t is supposed tina
not more than 100 vehicles will be needed.