The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1876-12-14
fHB. brooklyn BAKING.
Euii Account CT the Great Loss
OF Life.
.TEsgIBLE HOLOCAUST.

NEW YORK, DecenlotI ".
the BROOKLYN Theatre last night was az
tended by an appalling loss OF lie, and II
ia thought that not less than one hundred
nersons were killed in the rush for egress,
or burned to death, being unable to escape.
THE FIRE BROKE OFT
during the performance Of the last scene oil
the 1.-TWO Orphans" in which Kate Ciax-
ION. who PLAYS the heroine, is on the boat
bouse floor. In Eve minutes more the au-
dience would have been dismissed, and
there would have been nothing more seri-
ous than the destruction Of the property.
The bouse was about two-thirds filled, those
below sittipg we'll forward toward the stage.
For those in thefamily circle, dress circle
and galleries there was 10 way oil escape
except By the Washington street entrance;
The panic-stricken people rushed Peii-meii
toward tie doors and down the stairway.
The main exit became Immediately choked
up and a
SCENE OF TERROR,
confusion and distress ensued which beg
gars description. Just above the landing
place Of the stairway woman, In the
crush. had her foot pushed between the
baunisters and fell. The crowd behind,
forced forward by the terrified people still
further behind, fell over her and piled on
top of each other four and five deep. The
notice from the station house next door
were promptly at the scene, but owing to
the manner in which the people were piled
on tan OF each other and massed together,
they could extricate but comparatively few,
and there they were all bruised, bleeding
and MANNED.
AFTER TIE FIRE.
The fremen got to work on the ruins
shortly after daylight. They succeeded In
getting as far a. the dress-circle, when they
found q great number Of bodies, and imme-
diately began the work of removal, and up
to / o'clock
sIXrY-EvE BODIES
had been recovered, and what appeared to
be 20 or so more, were seen in the basement,
into which they had been precipitated by
the falling OF the burning floors. At the
police station, adjoining the burned thea
tire, the names OF Sc persons, missing from
their homes, have been registered. Kate
Claxton, in answer to to the preliminary
inquiry of the Fire Marsh, n, said that sat
the beginning Of the last act, Just as the
curtain went up,I heard a rumbling noise on
the stage, and a minute after 1 saw flames.
The fire seemed 10 be all on the stage.
Mr.. Farren, myself, Mr.. Studley and MIR.
Murdoch we're on the stage at this time.
We four remained there and endeavored, as
best We could, to quiet the audience and
prevent a panic Said / to the people, be
quiet we are between you and the fire, the
front door is open and the passages are
clear Not one of the audience jumped
on the stage. The flames were then coming
down on us. / ran out and jumped over
several people. Mr.. II. S. Murdoch, after
endeavoring to calm the fears OF the panic
stricken people, went 10 his DR. ssing room
to get his clothing, and must have been
suffocated."
The work of identifying the dead will be
difficult, for most Of them are
BURNED BEYOND RECOGNITION.
The only mode of identifying them will
be by the personal property found attached
to the bodies. Thus far it is evident
that the flames made common havoc with
men, women and children. Shortly before
9 O'Clock, Rev. Father Hanly visited the
theatre, and among the bodies recognized
that of the brother Of Rev. Father Hylie.
Father Hylie was present, and identified
the body OF his brother. A body was taken
from the ruins, charred and blackened be-
yond recognition, in the breast pocket OF
whose coat were a number of cards bearing
the name of Abraham Barnatt, in German
text. The bodies are constantly being re-
moved from the ruins, and are being taken
to the morgue as fast as possible.
LATER.
1t is rumored that a numter of the at
taches of the theatre were burned. 1t
seems certain that Charles Latt and his
son, who were stationed in the upper GAL
lery, are among the lost. The actors and
actresses escaped from the stage into John
son street. J. W. Thorpe, stage manager,
states that
THE FIRE OCCURRED
in this wise: A drop was ignited from
border light by some means inexplicable,
as one was guarded from the other. He
directed the stage carpenter,
Weaver, and two supernumeraries to en-
leavor to e1tinguish the flames, but the
difficulty was to reach the part on fire.
rne stage carpenter, with the supernumera-
ries assayed to effect the object by lowering
he drop, and in so doing added fuel to the
lanes.
The scene at the last Of the play en-
,raced ceiled apartment, and the instant
he burning drop came In contact with the
ceiling, it served to spread the
lanes.
INA FLASH,
IS though powder had previously been scat
cred about the scenery, the entire proper
les were in blaze. The usual avenues of
scape were thus summarily closed at the
ear, and an exit. ii at all possible, had to
'e made by way OF the box entrance. All,
kept perh aps one or two, thus escaped. 1t
5 now believed that
THE NUMBER OF DEAD
rill be about l25.
Wagon loads of rough boxes are arriving
n front of the theatre and the corpses are
'laced in them and covered with tarpaulin
nd then carried to the morgue. The
Gene grows more terrible every minute.
lien and women are crowding around the
tation house and theatre entrance, making
Inquiries for missing friends. In some in
tances
WHOLE FAMILIES HAVE Persisted.
The bodies present every form Of con-
ortion, Just as they stIffened in that last |
gony, when the floor gave way and they
we're plunged down in the binding smoke |
md flames. Arms and legs are bent and |
visited in every way hands are clinched
nd reached out as if grasping for help.
HORRIBLE DISCOVERY.
The evening post" says that at about |
l O'Clock horrible discovery was made in |
he middle of what was formerly the lobby |
{ the theatre. There lay an immense pile |
{ rubbish and smouldering beams, and
of girders and other things. |
his heap was nearly opposite the entrance
D the auditory of the theatre, and beyond
/ was another heap, marking the place |
here the stairs, which led to the gallery,
ell under the heap first mentioned,
HIRE A DEAD BODY
ras found, and the fremen diligently per-
sted in their search in this direction.
With much labor some of the heaviest tim
er was removed, and horrible sight was
evealed. Beneath mound Of
orpees lay in rows. heaped one upon the
ther, and packed together with fearful
,lidity, which told of the great pressure to
hich they had been subjected, How
lany lay there, Whist their sex or age was,
o man could tell, and at noon only
uesses could be made. Another actor,
laude Burroughs, is now reported missing.
hus far, but three corpses have been iden-
fed, being those of Hugh ]. Davis and
Iichael Kelley, of III Hillary, and John
foods, OF lOl Fleet Place.
NINETY-FoUH DEAD.
The Brooklyn "Argus" states that up to
Ne O'Clock p. m. ninety -four bodies had
zen taken from the ruins. and others were