The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-12-09
A THEATRE OF DEATH.
Afrighting Details Of the Memorable
Holocaust. ,.
THE DEAD AND MISSING.
Two Hundred and Ninety-one Bodies
thus far. Recovered---The Number
Killed and Missing Probably
Three Hundred and Fifty.
THE INQUEST.
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[Condensed from tho New York papers of yester-
daTl
Hour by hour the awful disaster at the
BROOKLYN Theatre takes on proportions
more appalling. The busy scarchcrs fer the
dead unearth new victims, and exhibit in
all its horror the fearful tragedy which has
brought. mourning to 30 many homes and
spread deep gloom around the hearths OF
the community. In every household OF
the land there will he shed abundant
tears for the bereaved ones whose homes
in the merry Christmas time have been
turned to houses OF sorrow, where, amid
wailing and unavailing tears, the mourners
are gathered about the charred and black
ened biers Of the dead. And, alas there
are those who must weep over memory;
for loved friends who in the iullness Of life
went forth and never returned, and left no
trace behind-victims whom the savage
flames killed and then devoured. What
words can picture the grief OF those afflicted
ones from whom envious Death snatched
even the remains Of its victims?
DIscoNsoLATE sEARCHERs.
Yesterday these upfortunates wandered,
with tear-flled eyes and faces haggard with
sorrow, through the soul-appaling scenes
OF the Brooklyn market and Morgue, eager
ly scanning the fre-scorched and blackened
forms that seemed to defy even the eyes Of
| love to recognize. Woe-stricken women,
wives and mothers, passed in sad array
through scenes Of horror that make the
blood curdle in the veins Of men accus-
toned to witness human misery in all
| its dread forms, and, failing to find any
trace Of those they sought, left more grief
stricken than when they entered. At in
tcrvals piercing, heart-rending shrek told
| that some searcher had discovered q hus-
band or 4 brother in q blackened mass that
had once been Humankind then the search
ers, startled for moment, went on again
absorbed IN their own sorrow. There were
ghoul-like beings, too, who came to glut
| their morbid curiosity, and some, alas !!
were women.
TIE INVESTIGATION.
From the evidence adduced before Fire
Marshal. Ready there is reason TO believe
that over 400 persons persisted. Blinded
BY smoke, and panic-stricken, the people in
the gallery so blocked the exits that almost all
persisted. Witnesses who escaped estimate
that not over twenty or thirty occupants OF
the upper gallery made their way to the
street. and the boX-oficc returns show that
there were in this part OF the house over
AGO persons.
1t is probable that the exact loss of life
will never be accurately known, for many
of the victims must have been reduced to
ashes in the terrible furnace-heat when the
flames had gained complete mastery Some
Of the mystery that enshrouded the catas-
trophe from the FIRST will continue to cling
around 1t forefer, filling the measure OF its
horror.
CAUSE OF THE DISASTER.
How the fire spread so rapidly through
the theatre as to cut off all escape in few
minutes has been one OF the questions most
frequently asked by the public. That ques-
ton has been answered with terrible clear
ness in the investigation by the Fire Mar
shal. There was no provision on the stage
or in the theatre for the occurrence OF fire.
Not drop Of water in the flies, not hose
on the stage, not precaution taken to COM
Dat danger that is always imminent on the
stace-the outbreak OF fire. And to this neg
lioence rinuuestionably is due the terrible
calamity that has fallen on so many homes.
There is the more blame attaching to
those responsible for this negligence be-
cause, according to the testimony of the
architect, provision for 4 water supply was
made in the erection of the building, but it
seems TO have been forgotten in the lapse OF
time. How fatal the want OF water proved
NAV be Judged from the testimony OF the
chief machinist, who positively asserts that
had there been water at hand the fire could
easily lave been eXtinguished when first 1t
was perceived.
THE NUMBER OF DEAD.
The number OF dead by the Brooklyn
disaster is officially reported by the coroner
at 292. The precise total will probably never
be known, owing to the fact that the dis
membered limbs OF many were scattered IN
the process Of digging in the ruins. The
number identified and removed up to last
evening Thursday was LIS. The lists which
are published show total OF $40 lden-
tilted and missing, but it is impossible to
avoid duplication in many instances, and
this will account for the unnatural excess.
Many bodies will have to be buried at
once, without further attempts at Identified
ton, rs putrefaction has already set in. The
ccroner's Jury was yesterday Thursday
empanel!ed and commenced an inyestiga-
ton: Preparations for the private inter
ment of many bodies were begun yester.
day., and the arrangements for the burial Of
the unidentified, at public expense, will
probably be made to-day [Fridayl.
PREPARATIONS FOR THE INQUEST
Before permits could be given for the re-
moyal of any OF the identified bodies by
their friends it was necessary that the coro'
ner should empannel a jury, view the bodies
and the scene Of the disaster, and adjourn
to future day to take testimony. Accord
ingly Coroner Simms yesterday morning
made up a Jury composed OF the following
PROMINENT citizens of Brooklyn: Ripley
Ropes. Daniel Chauncey, William Richard
SON. Samuel Mclean, Charles S: Homer,
Robert G. Anderson, j. T. Marten, Joseph
B.. Willis, Franklin Woodruff, John ..
Drake, Enocti Grove, and John j. Stud
well. ';".arI'
The coroner and the jury proceeded from
the coroner's Office TO the Morgue, and
thence, after brief examination, to the I'M
/ provised morgue ong Adams street. After
q brief stay here, they visited the; ruins OF
the theatre, which they carefully examined
IN all its parts, and listened to minute de-
scription OF the building as it was before
it's destruction. Some OF the questions: put
in regard TO means Of egress, facilities for
extinguishing fire, &c, Indicated that q few
Of the, jury were not disposed to allow the
horrible tragedy Of Tuesday night to- pass
A without serving as o lesson for the future.
4 The legal formalities having been observed.
permission was given for the removal OF
the bodies OF Messrs. Murdoch and Bur-
roughs, and they were taken In charge OF
MIR. Basnum, the undertaken, OF Washing
ton street, under the directions OF Mr
Shook. Mr.. Murdoch's remains Wil De for-
warded to Philadelphia this morning, &C,
companied by Mr.and Miss Williams.
Ripley Ropes the foreman OF the coro-
ner's fury, stated that the jury was en- en-
! panelled yesterday at 10 An. by Coroner
| Simms, and that they immed iately proceeded
to view the bodies at the adead--lhou y