Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-12-10
M0sT DNLEFCL HISTORIES

FORMING the procession Was caused py the desire OF
persons IN the Adams street m0Tgue 10 continue
their efforts for The Identification OF their friends
and several additional bodies were recognized. The
tbTUng about the market very large, and the ut
most excitement prevailed. Shortly after one O'Clock
the ghastly procession started through BOerum
place, and then entered ScherTnerhOm street. Hun
dreds OF men, women and children followed. Hlsh-
Ing along the sidewalk, in state Of great agitation
When the horses and wagons reached ScbeTmerhoTu
street, they were formed In parallel lines and there
Was delay Of more than half an hour. Although
the weather was bitterly cold and the cutting vi I'd
blowing gale the neighb0rhOOd Of Schermerh0n
street and Fld;Jush avenue was crowded with par
ticipaniS and sympathetic spectators. The sadness
In the faces OF the women waiting on the payenents
was ven marked. The soldiers who were awaiting
orders to move, suffered intensely from the cold. II
expected that an entire division OF militia would
parade. but at hail-past eleven order caused by
the extreme severity Of the cold, promulgated,
that only the regiments OF companies previously vol
unteering were expected to parade. 1t was twenty
minutes 10 two when the order to march was given.
The procession Immediately moved from the head
OF Schermerhom street into Flatbush avenue, amid
GENERAL MOURNING,
and timed by the measured roll Of drums and by the
tfui sobhing Of the almost broken hearts within the
houses and without them Far along the wide
avenue and across the broad streets many an eye
TsTs T Sf borne to @ peen%ood leaving behind 81 s them
sacred memories and cruel poverty too, which will
not be efiaced and by their very stiffness and secu
sion appealing more loudly than the noise Of words
I'm behalf OF their stricken and furnishing loved
ones for wise and generous charity. The following
was the order OF procession:
A mounted squad of policemen.
A number OF carriages containing clergymen.
Hearses and other vehicles, with bodies of the dead
An escort of several regiments OF militia, Major
General Thomas 5. Dakln IN command
Relatives und near friends Of the victims, all In
carriages
Officers OF the city government and others in
authority
As the hearses rolled down Flatbush avenue, one
OF the most conspicuous and often occurring sights
was an old large pastgT with the OminOus announce
meDt: Brooklyn theateT-LaSt night OF the TirO
OrDhaES-DOOrS ODen az half-paSt seven O'Clock 4"
Compared with other funeral PROFESSIONS the great
procession OF TO day mad many characteristics of its
own. The number and appearance of the many
CRfsP1D AND DIsMEMBERED FORMS
the occupants OF carriages, all Of them the nearest
friends OF the dead, none of them, is often the
case distant relations and mere acquaintance with
fearless aud conventional sadness, were distinct
and terrible features but the one feature which per-
yaded the scene, and lent to Ii distinctive, deeply
touching significance, was the manifestations OF
popular sympathy and sorrow. A community had
been afflicted, and sadness was common. Many OF
the private and almost all of the public buildings
were heavily dTaped All the flags were at haf-maSt
and torn By the wind almost into shTeds, as If the
great occasion had right to all the service they
could ever render. An immense crowd had assem-
bled I'm Flatbush avenue, just beyond Its junction
with SchermeThOrn street. and as the cortege fled
into the former thOrOughfare, the great mass Of hui
manity moved with IT. The intensely cold weather
seemed now to have little effect the people
They were there men, women and children, com!
pletely blocking up the avenue, and surging out in
the carriage way. The police Kept a wide space
open for
THE PROCESSION, WHICH MOVED SLOWLY
up the avenue, the people pressing on and endeaf-
Orng apparently, to approach nearly as possible
to the hearses and wagons bearing the fragmentaTy
remains of the victims of the playhouse tragcSF.
The windows of the houses were filled with Specta-
tors, and far ahead the avenue was black with hu-
man beings Arriving at the Sixth avenue, the col
uTnn proceeded down that avenue past the private
residences with their peoped windows, couTtyards
and stOOpS. vast crowd accompanied the pre-
cesSon, which then turned into Third street and
moVed down toward Fourth avenue There was q
perfect gale blowing, and when the procession
reached Fourth avenue immense clouds Of dust were
driven across its dreary width, and progress was
made with considerable difficulty. Thence the line
Of march was continued to Twenty-iifth street. and
up Twenty-ifth street to Greenwood, the beautiful
city of the dead. There was a tremendous crowd ut
Greenwood. As the c0rtege passed through the gate
the bell in the tower tOlled mOuTnfully On either
side along the pathways on the hlsldes and invading
private plots people were there Turning to the left
the funeral party proceeded directly to Battle ave
enue where about one hundred and fifty yards from
the entrance Of the cemetery, trench had been pre-
THE RECEPTION OF THE DEAD.
The great crowds which were met near and just
within the cemetery were formed about the vast grave,
the site being the slope Of the hill and complete
ly exposed to the cold. which was almost insuteTa-
ble but still the people held their places. There
was no delay I'm removing the remains from the
hearSeS and wagons and depoSting them In the reg
ular trench. Then the services were begun. Rev.
Noah ii. Schenck read the beautiful burial services
Of the Episcopal church, which WAS listened to at
tentiYely by those who were within reach Of his
voice. There was ineXpreSSible sadness, mingled
With SOemnity at the scene, and hundreds of people
Wept the tears freezing on their cheeks as they Is
sued from the eyes. After the reading OF the ser
vicees Rev. A. p Putnam. of the Unitarian Church
OF our Savior, addressed the assembage. Rev. A.
Stewart, q WEIGH Baptist clergyman, offered fer
vent prayer at the conclusion Of Mr. Putnam's re-
marks, and the services were then brought to a close
with benedictiOn by Rev. Joseph 0dell. Previous
IL naF f.1nfr g1aa. .lagars.
ties sang, Say. What Troubles Thee?" and above
the Tree-TOps IS Rest" The people nov departed
and all was ended, except the enduring agony of the
After the funeral the coroner's jury met and ad-
iOuned till Wednesday next.
RELIEF COMMITTEE.
The committee OF bankers and merchants of New
York met al DelmOnicO's and appointed Mr Benia-
treasurer Of the relief fund II was reported that
majority Of those lost were poor leaving relatives
depending on them. There were about seventy-five
cases of absolute destitutiOn, and one hundred TO
two hundred requiring partial assistance.
THE MEMPHIS THEATER IN CASE OF FIRE.
EDITORS APPEAL-With the greatest respect to our
chief Of police, beg 10 differ with him in his policy
OF having axes placed about the theateT as alXii
iary OF escape In case of the theater being on fire
They are we'll enough on steamboats, and the like
hut are quite out of place In theater The remedy
Hes In different direction, and that In the c0nSrc
iiOn, more than anything elSe and In this the rem
edy lies And also with the legislature of the State
70 enforce certain requirements in the construction
OF public buildings, places Of amusement and
churches In fact. all classes of buildings wherein
there are likely 10 be large gatherings of people "a
building act for the better construction OF public
buildings, places OF amusement. and all such other
buildings wherein large c0nc0urSe OF people are
likely 10 gather" Having proper inspector and TO
rigidly enforce the law. This would prevent the
erection OF fImsy buildings for mercenaTy motives
preventing the sacrifice OF life I'm such iire-tTaps
With regard to our own theateT, said the remedy
does not lie IN access that is little to prmeyal-a
certain alteration I'm the construction should be en-
forced, and when so altered am certain compare
tive security VIII be Obtdned-in order 10 explain
this alteration, viii first call attention to the con-
dtiOn 0f the theater as Ii now StandS-cOnsising OF
four brick walls and timber roof; the whole inte-
nor mass OF timber, canvass and palnt the stage
and its appliances HAVING the greatest share Of the
combustlble material; the auditorium divided of
from the stage by lath plaster and pained canvass
screen. and the auditorium a vast funnel for the
flames 10 escape into, combustion chamber for the
lTe 70 receive greater lie and actylty-theSe two
conditions are necessity In all theateTs but 1t Is
noticeable that In all theater con-
fiagratons the fire first takes place on the stage
among the scenery, and in a properly constructed
building could be confined there. The remedy being
In building up the proscenium wall out of brick
with Iron door frames and doors and having reYOly
Ing iron curtlln- by this arrangement we have In
case OF fire ireprOOf screen between the stage and
the auditorium, and In majority Of cases It would
De sufficient 10 cOnilne the flames 10 the stage DOT
tiOn buf I'm any event would give ample time for the
audience quietly 10 make their exit without being
panic stricken. The next remedy Is in having ample
most favorable conditions it takes at least ten MIN
uteS 20 empty the tEeater, one exit for all. There
should be separate exit for the dress circle for
the parQuette, one for the family citcle
and one for the galleries. The doors ought
TO swing OutTards, and the stairs wide. All these
are conditions OF construction, and such conditions
should be enforced, Again, ample and convenient
Water-supplies should be made all over the thedseT-
staudUlpes Ia the auditorium and also in the stage
portion With outlets for hose and the hose always
attached and ready. The iron curtain should be so
arranged That by simply pulling lever Il would des
ceDd OF Itself The water should be always On. and
requiring but the turning Of a valve 70 food the
thedteT. II these conditions would be att nCed to
comparative security could De obtained, and the use
OF axes dispensed with.
ONE OF THE PEOPLE.
The Turf in California.
SAN FRANCISCO, December a.-The nrst race OF
the California Oaks was run az Bay District PARK
this afternOon-fOur miles and reDeat for purse OF
$4,000 The weather was fne, the track IN good
condition. and the attendance large. MOllie Near
tiny. Matte A., Balllnette, Emma, SkaaEs and Lodi