Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1876-12-13

Fireman Charles Is. Farley particularly
distinguished himself in saving lives. A
olrcinan who WAS stationed in HE gallery
WIS seen try in- TO keep the frantic crowd
IN RIDER that tIcy might get out; when
last seen he WA, sill trying to help others.
and l".ri>hcd in the performance of his
dnly- One ftnlIy lost five of is mem
ber> by Ire ::rr.
III" coroner reports two hundred and
-cventy-iN dead bodies found, ana the
naine> OF two hundred and scvcnty-onc OF
the victims are known. e+pcornized
were claimed by friends. and were buried
during the week. There were fltv-four
bodies not recognized and these were
buried on Saturday. the city giving them
an official burial. The funeral of Bur
rough> and Hitchcock (vhosr stage name
was Murdoch, his mothrr'>) took place in
New York, at the Little Church around
the Corner. The several theatres in tha,
city devote their proceeds for some time
to the aid of the sufferers, and large sub
scriplions have also been made for the
same purpose
This disaster is the greatest of the kind
that has occurred in this country in loss of
life. but 1000 persisted in the burning of =,
theatre at Saragos>a. Spain. in i7112. as
many in IN Italian theatre in l794. 800 at
the paIai> Royal in Paris in 1881. 800 in
IN Amsterdam playhouse in the same
year with the Sarawos~a catastrophe, and
1000 the largest number on record in The
bulnino of Il cathedral ut Santiaoo. Chill.
III lS63 The IIolyokc disaster of a wear
and Il half ago Will ut once occur t. many
OF our rcadrrS as possessing many points
of slmll rty. where - persons lost their
lives III Il panic caused by the burning of
the French Catholic Church. Theatres are
particularly ll,bc to- be lost in this way
from the man Der Of lighs used in drl-
m.tlc representations and the lnllamnlabe
tturc OF the scenery and ether 1lXlures.
and no less than liU large theatres have
been destroyed bv fire in this country
since lI91. The mos famous contlarra.
ton OF this sort WAS the burning of the
richmond (Na.) lheatcr, in 1911. at which
the governor OF the state. e.. W. Smith.
and % others lost their lives. The thea re
was Il PLAIN building, rectangular in form.
and about 900 people OF the best society
of Richmond had assembled to witness a
new and gorgeously mounted pantomime
on the benefit night OF one of the most
popular actors nnmed Placide DuIinr
The fist act. some OF The light scenery was
sWayed by the wind against the large chan
dtllrr. which was then used to iiyht the
stage, but the audience did not know il
TIL one of the ac;or> tul! them. The flame,
quickly caught in the woodwork of the
stage, and The Audience. rushing in II mad |
pr he Tor the single narrow door, which |
wt> the only exit in front of the house
We're wedged incxtrcably in II Struggling,
helpless mass, sutlocated by the smoke
ana burned by falling flake, of wood and !,
canvas. Those in the rear peri he'd mis-
rahiy. while many who escaped died of
lirlr injuries OF were MANNED for life.
he M"numental Episc"pu church, built
~ the friends OF tie Victims commence
a-c> the disaster and lis size to tn, dav.
mo so "erp WIS the feeling created bv the
ccident that no ojlier theater Was olened
II the city Tor II years. Sinyularlv eiouuh
grandfather OF Miss Kate ClaXton. Spcn-
er II. Cone, WAS one of the actor, on this
OCCASION. and had "A miraculous escape =
rom being burned alive. He afterward {