Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-12-14

loss of life, has not YET been
realized, but enough Is known to make
IL certain that the catastrophe ranks
among the most fatal of the kind ever
recorded. According 10 the statements
of all parties who profess 10 know any,
thing as TO the origin of the fre, il be-
yun on the stage. Mr.. Rogers, the
business manager says that a piece oil
canvass out OF which trees are made.
was broken from its fastening and hung
from the flies Immediately over one OF
the border lights, near the centre OF
the stage. The canvass has bugun TO
shoulder and points on it to crackle,
and the carpenter was directed to as
cend to one of the grooves and remove
the dangerous object, but he could
barely reach it with his hand and he
drew it hastily up. The rapid motion
through the air of the half igRited and
highly infiamable canvass caused 1t to
burst into flames, which rapidly spread
to adjoining material equally combus.
tible. All efforts to extinguish the
flames were abortive, and the carpen-
ter had to retire to save his own life.
The scene in the gallery after the alarm
was raised is described as something
horrible even to contemplate.
Up to noon to day 315 bodies had
lbeeD removed from the ruins. vi
ithese 50 are identified, some by re-
mnants of Ofclothing, Others by watches,
lchains and such articles, but few by
their features. The actors Claude
Burroughs and Henry s. MurdOck arc
. among the identified.
What are accepted as the bodies OF
the two actors are simply two black
lcinders. Around the trunk OF one was
a sooted and scorched buckskin under
shirt, aud beside the other was pieces
of braid, apparently a portion OF MS
/ stage dress.
This P. NJ. q number of men will be
lset to work to clear away all the wreck
lin the auditory, heithertO these labors
have been chiefly confined to the space
formerly occupied by the lobby and
, stage. 1t is feared that when careful
search is made in the auditorium, the
bodies OF a good many men who leap
ed in their frenzy from the galleries
will be discovered. The police allow
no person to go within the walls of the
theatre with the exception OF the men
engaged in the search of the dead. The
under parts of the ceiling and floors ol
o the theatre are yet remaining In an un'
= safe condition.
The Brooklyn EdgLe publishes list
!. of names of those Unidentified. A. M
Palmer, one CT the lessees of the thea'
. tire, gives the following statement o
= the number of persons in the theatre
" Tuesday evening: 405 persons in the
! upper gallery, 500 persons in dres'
o circle, $50 persons in parquette, 2
!, actors, 20 supernumeries, 10 stage
= hands, II musicians, total 10lS or in
= cluding dressers and other subordinate
= in all about 2050.
. A fault in the construction Of th'
; burned building, and one to which
: there is reason to believe the dreadful
II loss of life In7the gallery, is in larg'
!, measure attributable, was the use o
= painted cloth for the ceiling. The can
, vass caught and burned rapidly, ant
: the flames followed it to the ventilato
at the top, making the dome funne
q of fire right over the heads of the peo
4 pie in. the gallery. 1t seems more thai
. probable that the smoke and fire in In
q midst of which they were placed, des
II troyed the lives of many persons VIII
:, = might else have escaped, even by tn
, inadequate stairway provided TO
% them.
!. DEC. S-Brooklyn is literally walk
e ing in the vally of the shadow of death
b The funerals of such of the victims o
d the theatre disaster as have been iden
,e titled are taking place, snd through th'
|. streets in every part of the city hearse
IS are moving bearing the remains to tn,
, cemeteries. About thirty-five men ar
e at work on the ruins, and it is hOpe'
v that the full extent of calamity will b.
d definitely ascertained within the mex
: -ltwenty-fOur hours. They have no
e yet succeeded in uncovering the dres
It circle, and it is therefore still uncertain
e how many if any of the spectators in j
h perished. One mans body was fount
l. this morning in the parquette, and al
so two or three fragments of flesh
3 which may possibly belong either t
A the bodies which have already been re
+ moved, or to others which have beel
rs almost totally consumed. The bod.
j. was so charred and disfigured as to b
,r unrecognizable. 1t was evidently tina
% of woman, and piece of hoOp-skir
1t adhered to the Iemains. The article
10 taken from the dead have been depOs
D. tied for Identification, and are guarde'
J. by number of police officers. Sine
70 III o'clock, when the articles were al
,e ranged for Identification; they hav
a been examined by large number Q
e persons. The remains of Mr.. Muir
e dough and his brother actor, Claud
d Burroughs, are in charge of underta
IS kers. A meeting of the surviving
% members of the Brook lyn Theatre ant
e Union Square Theatre was held thi
al afternoon to make arrangements fo
j. the funeral of their late sociates. Sew
At eral bodies were claimed at both tn
x Morgue and the market to-day. On
body, on which was gold watch, wa
r claimed by no less than seven persons
ID In the temporary MOrgue there
d quite pile of legs. arms, and frag
r. ments of flesh. The Police Centrs
lie Office and City Hall are heavily drs
re ped, and the large business establish
I'd ments are putting on the habiliment
Or of mourning, and number of tn
es stores are closed, and on the door nc
le tice reading, "Closed in consequence c
r. death in the family.
st The following testimony Was take
id by Fire Marshal to-day:
70 John Doyle was in the gallery at tn
re time of the fire, and said when tn
Is alarm was given all made a rush
D. About one hundred got out before h
did. He first saw it in the flies owe
m the stage, and the cry of fire was raise
e. behind it. Murdough came to tn
" foot-lights and requested all TO be seal
of ed. / saw others sit down again an
IS Saw the flakes of fire falling ON tn
10 stage and thought it was in the play
T. got up and went out when it increas
r. ed. Some one fell, when % or 80 fel
L. L
to then came through like a whirlpool
st John Turner, an old fireman said
ID ''Look out for yourself! the place is a
ir ablaze!" The people were panic
b stricken, and cried out that the stair
40 upra falliDu hahinl than, Tbox, bo,