The New York herald., 1876-12-07

stage the flames were then coming down on US and
the others also quieting people, used re
on the Stage in the play: could not tell what caused
the ire; the nrst alarm OF the re when saw IT,
J. y. srUDLkr TESTIMONY.
MI studey, who was playing Jacques Frochard IN
the play Of the 1.-TWO Orphans" said:-l was on the
stage at the time OF the rc cannot tell The cause;
discovered u by restveness among the people back OF
Inc stage; tried TO quiet the people, and nnay made
my way out. but how Is conundrum that have not
solved M yct do not think that any OF the actors
were hurt, but cannot be positive about that when
first saw the lire It WINS over heads the AUDIENCE
were pretty well out OF the lower part of The mouse
before we !ch the stage; think the last TO leave
the stage.
mrs. rAgaKs's TESTIMONY.
Mary Ann Farren aud ;cstincd:-I live
Mt Nos 2j3 and 255 Washington street played the
part ot Frochard IN The 1.-TWO Orphans at The Brook
lyn Theatre last evening" about III. beginning OF the
last act looked up ana the root the en-
closed scene ON ire carpenter then was trying TO
bed she said, us Il not on fires" said am AFRAID
so; Mss claxton, Mr. Stutiey and, think. Mr..
Thorpe. camo 10 shc ooiights ana begged the audi
ence TO be quiet, but The audience paid no attentions
Mr.. Murdoch Was there then, but when OF where he
went could not say; walked OF the stage, went
down to my dressing room and grabbed a waterproof
cloak and cloud, and was gong back when met Nike
Sweeney aud he said mo, ladies back Go the other
way" then came through an underground passagc
into tho box flee, and through 10 the lobby Mr. Rush
lord told mo the fire caught from 'Dorder light"
but this is all know about The origin OF the are;
some gentleman whom do not know took mo out OF
the theatre; 'hs audience were IN great confusion
when lett the stage have been acting At the theatre
since the nrs night mo curtain this tho
only fire over saw there; but am told there was
slight hrc in U curtain there recently; Of no
consequence: 1t was IN the box office or in the window
that looks on 10 tho lobby; Mr.. Murdochs dressing
room up stairs, and think he went up there:
could not say whether there any the stage
when lett think The border lights were all covered
win wirc screen; know all tho lights down stairs
except the foot lights, and they set low down
they were very strict about the use OF FIRE IN this
theatre and we always onsidcrcd IL very safc.
THE STAGE MAsAGEks TESTIMONY.
Nr. j. W. Thorpe, the stage manager OF the Brook
the fire in tho lower part OF drop or scale that
hangs from the rigging lott near the centre OF tho
STAGE was then mere handful Of nrc and had jast
caught; there must nave been three or tour men IN
the Aesn At the timc; the carpenter, Mr.. Weaver.
and Of his assistants up to put The frc out;
the assistant climbed out tho groove and tired
roach the drop Tint hre, but before he could
do so the had icatcd with the other
and drops less than ten minutes the whole was ono
mass OF flames
CAUGHT FROM a BORDER LIGHT.
The fire must have caught from border light which
is placed between tho 0ordcrs there our OF these
lights the stage; tncy were all protected the
top by tin covering, ventilated with circular iron
hoops and wires they we're called the safety gas
such used IN all the first class New York
theatres they were the only lights between The bor
dcrs; there ono which was up In tho DOME which
wes protected by elobular wire SCI cen did not
allow smoking, tho OF matches any open lights
on the stage except when used in play the gas
lighted by electrcity tho fre broke seventeen
or twenty minutes past eleven o'clock had iair
house; appealed TO The audience 10 keep quiet and
quietly" or something to this effect
EXIT
There were five separate means OF exit from the
auditorium two on tho Washington street side and
three on Floods alley; there two separate
means Of exit from tho stage in addition to those
IRON the auditorium, making seven ali: The small
inside OF the stage opened nwardy. ant also the
storm door, the large double doors leading The
stage to Johnson street opened outwardiy; think
those doors were opened last night but cannot
say positively; nobody IRON the audience could get
through in that way we had small 1re from a cur
sntr rho hown nf tV0 AoIla
was being played then
SAVING HIS FAMILY.
| went out through my dressing room into tho pr
vate box and through the auditorium and box office
up TO the apartments occupied by my family tho
principal entrance 10 the theatre; We all wen. out
through the private door; there then great
fusion among those rushing down IRON The dress
circle on their way TO the street; could say
many people were In tho building at the time of The
nie
THE JASrroR's STORY.
Michael Sweeney was sworn and testded:-I live
at No 46t Fulton street, Brooklyn and janiior
In the Brooklyn Theatre; was IN the lobby when the
fire occurred; had just come from the stage the nre
audience; Just heard II by the 10 the audience
the root OF the scene hid the lire, but think
then, wheroI had been helping them to that scene
there great confusion among the audience; every
body trying to get out The doors ut the
started for the through the passage under tho
auditorium; met Mrs. Farren, another lady and gen.
tlcman coming from the stage on their way OUT
PUTTING
also met the gas man his way to put out tho
gas on the stage only; had three meters ALL tho
light for the auditorium and passage ways not put
out until we supposed the audience were all out; /
think OF the men from the gas company put t
out; helped Mrs. Farren and her party out and then
take moro than Ave minutes from tho timc the Hre
broke out until the stage all In flames; could
say what caused the fire. but know II caught IN
flies"
THE CHIEF usHER's STATEMENT
M Rockford said:-I 1.-Two at No 230 Washington
street, and chief usher In the Brooklyn Theatres
he hstlx nj -Auo
eleven night, when the fire broke OUT first saw
1t on tho leis hand size Of the stage on the sny"
outside the orchestra door heard the cry OF
Sire" rushed in, but people crowded out and tried
10 quiet them, and number OF them sat down again
Mr.. Studley and Mr. Murdoch made similar requests
IRON the stage; thought then It could DO put out
TWELVE HUNDRED IN THE HOUSE.
There about l. 200 persons the house. 800 OF
whom In The orchestra, and the balance, about
900 up stairs her floors; there must have
been 500 on the gallery and these wore mainly the
persons who could not get out there was
only the gallery to Washington street; the door
from the dress circle not open; II 1t had
boon II would have blocked up the passage way and
made matters worse: remained there until I was
driven Try the IRE; had then cleared tho orchestra
and parquet out Fiood's alley in the rear; am
these departments went TO tho foot tho stairs OF
the dress circle but could 60 no further the
was then rushing down on top OF each other and SOW
eral were trampcd on thero were twenty officers thcro
helping the people OUT the stairs six or eight
feet wide on each flight and served TO give ample ac
SEVEN MINUTES TO xmrrY.
The whole difficulty seemed TO arise from the dcsro
the people get all at once; 1t takes usually
about six minutes to empty tho house: from
the time the Gre rst till the theatre was on.
veiopcd in flames not ivc minutes; there
three avail able passages last night for tho audi
ence and three for the actors We opened passage
door Floods alley last night which Is only opened
OF lire, and had never been used by audience
BEFORE If II had not been for this there would have
been 200 lives lost opened that door and have
tho key in my pocket now; IT was hung beside the
door,
LESSEE PALMER STATEMENT.
Albert NJ Palmer testified IL reside at No. 16 East
Forty seventh street, New York, and with Mr. Shook
leased the Brooklyn Theatre from Mcssrs. Kingsley
Il Keency. oil the Brooklyn Building Company, Tor
three years; was not in Brooklyn last night, but
came over this morning when heard OF the nre; wo
lost stock Of scenery, properties and furniture
amounting about $40 000 all Of which il destroyed
had Insurance. OF $5,0 900 only; the lighting
chncry OF the building lifted up four or 1--WE years
ago, and was OF tho most approved and modern pat
term spared no expense to mako the theatre per-
fccty safe; had just put IN now set OF ropes
all oI The drops and borders In order 10 make them