The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-12-14
KATE CLAxTON,s ESCAPE.
The Life Ofan actress Saved by u
Cool Head and Thick w0OIIen Pet


IicOat.
NEW BRUNSWICK, n. j., Dec IL
Miss ClaXton whose real name Is Kate
Elizabeth Cone, and whose father, Col.
Spencer w. Cone, well known New
York journalist, lives iniNew Brunswick
has given her family much fuller ac-
count of her experience in the Brooklyn
tragedy than she gave to any of the re.
porters. 1t is about as follows:
When | saw how the flames had
eau '"'",; "~cry part of the scenery
behind and alound me- | made up my
mind that 1t was my last hour on earth.
Strange AS it may seem, felt no sense
of fear, not even the nervousness Ethat d
slight thing would provoke under or.
that | had no hope OF escape, but there
flashed also through my mind the splen.
did lines:
whether upon the scaffold high,
OR in the battles van,
The noblest place for man to die
Is where he dies for man."
II seemed that 1t was small thing tor
one to die ii many ght be saved. So
when Ispoke to the people felt that my
voice rang out as it never did before in
my life, and that it was so clear and calm
it must have controlling power. 1t
had; for one dear, brave woman close
down on the parquet answered back TO
me cheerily. "You are right, Miss Clsx-
ton" ard sat down and helped stay the
panic and save many lives. | am sure
that woman is alive. Oh, l hope she is.
If she is | want to see her and know
her; for ner heart must be brave and
true. While was talking | took the
precaution to tear Oft the ragged muslin
sleeves from my dress, but quietly; they
were perfect stinder; under my Louise
dress had on an extra heavy woollen
petlicoat.
There never was q Drawer man on
earth than Studley. He stood beside
me cool and collected as the best man OF
the Six Hundred. and kept the falling
fire off me. When the flames swept
down upon us and flight WAS imperative,
and no good was to be done by staying,
| gathered my woollen petticoat firmly
10 each hand, and fought the fire from
me as | dashed through 1t, stopped
only once, and that was to seize poor
Murdoch, and try to drag him of; but
he was pulled away from me. Then L
fought my way through with that wool
len petticoat; it was my salvation. L
either heard Maud Harrison in her room
and got her out, or met her at the door
of it, Then l remembered the under
ground passage to the box office, and
went for it, for the burning stage began
To fall on US. The horror OF the few
minutes in that dark place only wide
enough for one to pass at time--is IN
descrlbab!e. | knew that the door at the
end was usually locked, and might be
now. but the Good Providence that dl.
reefs even the fall of the sparrow made
within of NINE the means of our escape.
In the morning of that dreadful day,
merely for fun, had insisted upon nav
inc the door opening from the box othce
to this passageway unlocked, aud l went
through it 20 my dressing room instead
of .oing round to the stage door. Inc
kew was reluctantly given to my agent,
Mr.. Stanly McKenna, with many IN
functions TO lock the door behind. him.
He promised to do so, but dropped the
kew into his pocket instead OF putting IT
in The door on the inside, as he should
nave done. He said that his fingers
we're cold, and that when he put
them into his pockets he vowed
he wouldn't take them out
for all the keys in Brooklyn. Those
cod fingers, by Gods mercy, saved all
our lives, for after we had stumbled
through that passage and up the stairs
the door yielded and we tumbled INTO the
hoy-ofice. The smoke was sutfoca'lng
Beyond the office were the crowd tread
in" over each other. l gathered that
drsr old woollen skirt around me-
,lptcbed i. in one hand so as to have my
limbs free Gave it twist and tuck
that turned it almost to girdle' ana
leaned from shoulder to shoulder OF the
narkod ard sitting crowd l
literally walked on their heads,
or rather sprsng from one
coirn of vantage to the other over a nv Nv,
inc mass of surging human beings. IL
seemed to me that in three leaps WAS
in the street.