The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-12-15
FRIGHTFUL CALAMITY.

Destruction by Fire of a Brooklyn Theater
A Panic, During Which $50 Persons
Perish-Details of the Terrible Calamity.
The Brooklyn On. Y Theater was destroyed
by fire on the night Of the 9Th inst, and about
$50 people persisted in the flames. Dispatches
from New York give the following details OF
the awful calamity:
The fire originated on the stage at 11:30 D.
M. when the company was about half through
with the last act OF the 1.-Two Orphans" The
fire spread with lightning rapidity, and burst
out through the door on Washington street.
The panic and confusion among the audience
we're terrible.
The fire originated in the fiies, which, blaz-
ing, fell on the top OF the &c merry. One of the
actresses came to the front of the stage and
said: "A small accident has occurred, but
don't be alarmed. Only piece Of fly is on
fire." On the mention Of " fire" the audience
rose to their feet and made a wild rush for the
doors. The smoke soon became suffocating.
and women fell fainting in the aisles, and were
trampled over. Numbers jumped out Of the
windows and were severely injured. II is
thought that not less than 100 persons were
killed in the rush to the exit or burned to
death, being unable TO escape.
The fire broke out during the performance
Of the last scene Of the 1.-Two Orphans" in
which Miss Claxton, who plays the part of the
minutes more the audience would have been
dismissed, and there would have been nothing
more serious to record than the destruction OF
property.
The house was about two-thirds filed, those
below sitting well forward toward the stage.
For those In the family circle, dress circle, and
galleries there was no way Of escape, except by
Washington street.
The panIc-stricken people rushed pell-mell
toward and Gown the stairways. The main
exit became Immediately choked up and
scene Of terror, confusion, and distress ensued
which beggars description.
Just above the landing place of the stairway
woman in the crush had her foot pushed be-
tween the balusters and fell. The crowd be-
hind, forced forward by the terrified people
still further behind, fell over her and piled on
top OF each other four and five deep.
j. w. Thorp, the stage manager, states that
the fire occurred in this wise: A drop was ig-
nited from border light by some means mex
plicable, as one was guarded from the other
He Immediately directed Stage Carpenter
Weaver and two supernumeraries to en-
deavor to extinguish the flames but the
difficulty was to reach the part on fire. The
stage carpenter, with the supernumeraries,
essayed to effect that object by lowering the
drop, and in so doing added fuel to the James.
The scene, the last III the play, embraced a
ceiled apartment, and the instant that the
burning drop came in contact with the infiam-
mable ceiling, it seemed to spread the existing
flames. In flash, as though powder had pre-
vously been scattered about the scenery, the
entire properties were in blaze. The usual
avenues Of escape were thus summarily closed
at the rear, and an exit, IL at all possible, had
to be made by way Of the box entrance. All,
except perhaps one or two, thus escaped.
A later dispatch from New York gives the
following additional details Horror upon
horror accumulated as the day advanced.
Corpse after corpse, charred and blackeped.
WAS passed out and still the pile of bodies in
the cellar did not seem to diminish. As the
number amounted to $50 and 16O, the belief
that the number would reach 200 grew into
certainty, and, finally, at 430, the 2O0th body
WIS removed. Some we're found with limbs |
and hands burned of, and nothing left but a
ghsstly blackened trunk.
At o'clock the number had reached 900. |
Twenty bodies we're taken out In half an hour, |
look into the pit at this time still showed
considerable pile OF corpses lying crosswise.
like sticks Of wood, and there were apparently
still fifty or sixty corpses remaining. This was
in the cellar under the inner vestibule, from
where all the bodies taken out to-day were re-
covered. They lay in pile, apparently where
thew had been pitched into the cellar when
the floor and stairway gave way. AS night ap-
preached, two calcium lights were placed in
position, and the work OF removing the CHASTITY
forms Of the dead (made more so by the Light
was continued. They we're under the gale
RES but no estimate could be made OF the num-
Dor. The charred remains Of the victims were
taken ont in front and rear Of tho theater and
rapidly loaded In boxee and placed upon I'M
wagons Still the pile OF bodies in
the cellar did not seem 10 diminish.