Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-12-15

out. In q few minutes more the IaIncS
would have consumed them. He saW two
men carried out from the stage.
STATEMENT OF A POLICE OFFICER.
A police officer who was on duty in the
family circle says that he heard a cry of
fire, then came a cry, "sit still; there is no
fire." All that could be seen at this time
was a few sparks falling down from the
top scenery. The people were very much
alarmed. Then came a great burst OF lire
and the panic was intense, one piled on
top of the other. The landing was COM
pleteIv blocked. The cries and shouts
: ere perfectly terrible. Men and women
fell powerless. The crush. was appalling.
Men trampled on the woman. and big men
rushed wildly over the smaller ones. 1t
took fully ten minutes to empty the dress
circle, but it seemed Like an hour. Many
men end women Were injured, some OF
them severely hurt. Numbers OF women
tainted, and we were obliged to carry them
out. Fortunately there were few children
present. The draft Of air through the
theatre was terrible.
DISCOVERY OF VICTIMS.
The first victim was discovered between
two and three O'cl ,ck in the morning. In
the vestibule of the theatre the bodies lie
on the floor, and are piled up like cord
wood. In the cellar a considerable num-
Der Can yet be seen. The corpses lay among
the cinders and ashes packed one Upon the
other, as though they had been trampled
under foot or had fallen in a mass when
the floor gave way. The bodies presented
every form of contortion, just as they had
stiff ned in the last agony when the floor
gave way. and they plunged down in the
binding smoke and flames. Arms and
legs were bent aid twisted in every way;
hands were clenched and reached out as if
grasping for help. A force Of firemen were
taking out the bodies. Wagon loads of
rough boxes were arriving in front of the
theatre. and the bodies were being PLACID
i'll them and covered with t%aTpaulin and
carried to the morgue. Mel ard women
were croWding around the st%aJion-house
and the theatre entrance making inquiries
for missing friends. To the extent Of a
dozen feet from the door the flooring of
this the ruins, which are in the rear of
several brick buildings, are presented.
just at the end Of this passage-way the
bodies were being taken out from the Gel
lar, a depth of Is or 20 feet. Ropes were
alta ched to the remains, and they were
drawn up and placed in rows in the pas
SCENES AT THE MORGUE.
The Brooklyn "Argus" gives a fearful
description of the scenes at the morgue.
Great crowds pressed for admission, and
every one was in great grief. The first
body arrived at 2 O'Clock in the morning.
The clothing was burned almost entirely
off the body, and the physicians at first
supposed the body to be that of a female.
A silver watch and chain, such as worn by
the other sex, however, decided the matter.
The second body did not arrive until
about 8 O'Clock. This was also a male.
finger Of the left hand was a plain silver
ring. Nicholas Kieley's body came next.
This young man was a brother of Rev.
Father Kelley, and the priest, with tears
in his eyes,, recognized the body. Upon the
third corpse was found a gold open face
watch; attached was q thin gold chain. On
the back of the watch was inscribed the
words, ga mothers gift" Body No. 4
was that of one who in life had been q stall
wart person. The hands were fixed in front
of the face as though warding off the
flames. The next was that Of a negro, but
the features were unrecognlzeb bic. The
head of the next body was almost entirely
burned off, and no article of clothing re-
manned on the body. No. had both arms
burned off, and the features were SO char
was visible on the body Of the next person
was a gold button. The body was of d
man about five feet eight Or nine inches in
heigt. The body Of No. 9 was a female.
The limbs were drawn up, twisted, and
the features contorted beyond recognition.
No. 10 was a boy four years old. No. IL
had on a checked shirt, and was evidently
a person in poor circumstances. Body No.
u had on a checked shirt, ribbed pants and
q black necktie, with purple stripe. The
features were charred beyond recognition.
Bodies Nos. IS and IA were females. The
clothing was burned almost entirely Off the
bodies. The last of these had on what is
known as a ''piccadilly collar" The bod
les of three young boys followed next.
They were laid among the others on the
floor. No. Is was the body of a full grown
mnn. A watch was found in the vest pock-
ct of this body. Nos. 10 and 20 were Il boy
and girl, respectively. On the next corpse
was found Il n~unting-case silver watch,
No. 1874, with a gold chain and q piece
OF He'll Gate Geographic wire attached as
q charm. The time piece WIS still going,
and fonnd to be correct. The body is about
five feet eleven inches in height, and is
surrounded with remnants Of a beaver
o~vercoat. Tie next body was a lad. The
corpse and clothing were SO completely
consumed as to make recognition almost
impossible. Another male corpse, also un-
recognizable, about five feet ten inches
high, also almost entirely consumed. A
young woman's body was next brought III.
Around it are unconSumed portions of a
purple and white striped merino dress and
a jack ct of the SAME material, trimmed
with black lace.
RECOGNIZING DEAD.
At three O'Clock in the morning there
were at the morgue sev~enty-nine bodies,
mostly those of young men. La front of
the morgue, even at that early hour, were
gathered q large number of people, many
women being noticeable among the crowd.
Every room in the morgue was filled with
bodies, and ever the dead-house attached
to the city hospital was used to hold part