The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-12-28
Burned Theaters.
[ New York Timesl

Architects and insurance men say
that eyery theater in the country is
fated to burn down. This sweeping as
sertion is, as a measure, justifable as q
piece ofprophecy by the inhammable ma
ture of the stage properties and the gem
eral interior fittings of theatrical build
ings and the nightly exposure to the
peril of ignition from chandeliers on the
stage and many other gas jets behind
the scenes, and the greater danger from
the frequent introduction of fire as a
dramatic accessory in conflagration
scenes, or in the form of colored lights.
History, too, largely verifies the pre-
diction, for, as a matter of fact, theaters
are frequent victims of fire. The first
notable disaster of this kind in this
country was the burning of the Rich
mond theater on December 26, 1911, ac-
companied by the loss of sixty-one lives,
number which seemed appalling at
that early day, before railroads or steam
boats or war had accustomed the people
of the United States to great sIaughters.
The written accounts OF this lire are
meagre and written in poor details, but
the event has lived in the memory OF
those who were then young men and
women, and will be called wildly to
mind by the elder generation of the
present day. The play was panto.
mime, a new and g0rgeously mounted
piece, and was presented on the evening
in question for the benefit of Mr.. Placide,
popular actor of the day. The build
ing was of plain rectangular form, and
an audience of about five hundred peo-
pie, comprising the fashionable society
of Richmond, was in attendance. Dur
ing the first act of the merry panto.
mime, the light scenery at the back OF
the stage was swayed by the wind against
the large chandelier, and instantly
caught fire. The fact was not at once
perceived by the audience, but was
quickly announced to them by Mr.. Rob-
ertson, one of the actors. The flames
quickly caught the woodwork of the
stage and the ceiling, and at the sight OF
it wild panic seized the audience.
They rushed in mad mass for the mis-
erably narrow door, which was the only
exit from the front of the house. Great
flakes of burning wood and painted can
vass fell among them, and dense suffoca-
ting smoke rolled over the packed throng,
The choked passage bafiled their frantic
efforts to escape, and the rear of the
struggling, helpless mass was overtaken
by the flames and about sixty victims
persisted OH the spot. A few more died
of their frightful injuries, and many
who survived were manned and crippled
for life. The event created profound
sensation, and is concentrated in 9
pamphlet published at Philadelphia
in 1872, which gives drawing of the
building. 1t also furnished a text fol
a terrible arraignment of play-houses anc
their evil tendencies from the austerely
moral, and for some pertinent sugges
lions on the construction of theater
from people of broader and more prac
tical views. So deep was the grief fo
the loss sustained by the leading families
of the city, that it was seventeen year
before another theater was opened ii
Richmond. On the site of the building
now stands memorial church, built b!
the relatives of the victims, and hard b.
is monument bearing their names.