The New York herald., 1876-12-07
HERALD THURSDAY l87s-TRIPLE SHEET

the entrance. which otherwise would have been ample
Tor all; every precau,ion taken bv shook x
Palmer against lire, and notices 10 this effect wcrc
posted all over the building; the stag carencrs and
Others from the stage manager down, were as good
ana as careful men as he had ever seen In theatre,
and he was confident that. II there had been any hn-
man means o, prcvcrt'ns the caismity. u would not
have occurred
THE MASTER aAcuisisrs NARnArIvK.
Hamilton Weaver and testified as FOL-
iows-i i've at No lGi South First street and was en-
poyed as master machiuist IN the BROOKLYN Theatre;
WAS 10 the building last cvenns up to ana after the
tlmo OF tho arc; The whole machinery OF the sage aud
IN cs' were under my charge; had nine men 10 a.
SIT me; their William salts. William Van
Sicklen James Pcarsall James McCurdy John Gala
CHER, James Rorke, John CumbcrsoD, William Layton
and John kley these all in The theatre, al
Their respective posts OF duty, last night when the nrc
ocrurrcd was then o. the stage behind the scene,
ana saw he cause and com mncucenent OF ~; thnk
u came from the border light ia the middle Of the
stage there were only our border lights; The ''moon
light cut wood drop lrst to take ire; in the
ordinary moving ni this drop 1t comes win about a
foot or fifteen inches OF tho borlcr night; II could
not touch thc hight unless u was pushed
back against II, and there draught;
do not know OF anything that could push the drop
against the light; II was largo burner, PROBABLY six
loot; the drop is simply canvas scene, aud IS very
dry; the light was protected by lin guard In front
and wire guard IN the back: 1t was completely COW
the solid lin guard ana not tho wirc; do not rn,nk
the tin ever gets hot enough TO set the canvas drop
hrc, and besides, the canvas was rot within loot OF
II; the TN guard s ono solid piece reaching all tho
way across the stage, each ono protecting border
ght. which composed OF row OF forty burners: these
rows of border lights hang behind tho other from
the front OF the stage back: the hre could have
becn reached IN any way after We discovered IT, on
OF tho root OF the mimic house then erected
on tho stage for ihe purpose OF tho play tried to
reach tho nrc with poles hut tailed, and OF our
men, Mr. Van S'ck!sn, won't out on the grooves, but
failed 10 reach the namcS
so HOSE OR WATER.
We had no hose or paiIs OF water, or any other
means OF putting out the fire at hand NJ the time;
thcre was no are apparatus in tho building that
know Of; never saw any pals Of water Kept there;
II l had had hose 1 am satisfied l could have put
out The fire. the that have named above my
assistants are all careful sober men, and were sob
last night; II did not take more than two minutes
from the time the lire broke out until the scenery and
stage work wcro In flames; all my men were saved,
although cumbcrson and Layton we're severely burned
HSGISEHR's STATEMENT
William Webster testified that he employed
Gas engineer in the Brooklyn THEATRE there last
night at the time OF the fire. but did not see how IL
occurred; the burners on the border lights
foot burners. bus they were turned down very low
when the fire took place. they had becn turned on IN
thor that he had entire charge OF the gus and :oud
how the fire could have occurred in any other
way than from the border lights; the gas was lighted
by electricity.
THE rREAsugER's STORY.
Abncr G. Kecncy, upon being sworn, gave tho fol-
lowing tcstimony:~-I live at No. LIS cumberland
street, Brooklyn; am the treasurer oi tho Brooklyn
Building Assocation who owned and built tho Brook
lyn Theatre; Tho building was erected the spring
and summer OF 1871, and cost about 1900 600; Mr..
Thomas Jackson, OF Broadway, Now York, was the
architect he built wallacks, tho Albany and Boston
theatres, and recommended 10 us tho best
architect Tor the construction OF theatres In tho
try; the construction wns under his exclusive control
assisted by myso ami Was done entirely Dy days
work. the walls wero sixteen 10 twenty inches
thick. resting concrete foundations carried
and SUPPORTING columns were ali capped and bound
together with stone as to insure as much strength
as possible; tho timber, yellow and white pine. was
sawed at our own mill-the New York and Brooklyn
Sawmili-as ordered by the architect 1t was all
properly seasoned and dried the building was erected
10 seat about 900 comfortably; the OF egress
was a subject carefully discussed by the members OF
the association, order 10 make the theatre safe
possible with that view the theatre was built adjon
ing Floods alley, small street running IRON Myrtle
avenue TO johnson street, and three different
means Of exit VITA largo capacity and double
passages TO Floods alley led from the vcsl
buc opposite the man entrance, and from the
parquct IN tho middle OF the building, and also from
the lower art OF the parquet next the stage; those
pa about or seven feet wide; these
connected with tho second gallery, as well with the
first floor parquet: the front was provided with n
from Washington street, leading tho
pa.que the first noor, and also by wide stairs
The dress circle the second f0or these stairs
about twelve feet wide. and led down into the main
vestibulc; there two pairs OF doors-one four
door and one door entrance-from vcstibule
into the parqust; besides this, there was n separate
and distinct means Of egress from the gallery by
Washington street; this gallery stair was about ten
feet wdc all the way up, and IN no care could this
passage become chokcd up or interiercd with
frdh any other part OF tho building; Il Was excu-
svcly Tor tho ofthose going TO or from the gallery
there was still another, a private entrance, to the
apartments occupied by The stnge manager, MI.
Thorpe, over the vesLouIe the stage was provided
with two acts OF doors-onc, large set, opening
johnson street, and the other also opening John
son street, nearer TO Washington street. thero was
private passage from the stage entrance to the main
entrance under the stage and parquet we estimate
loss building aud fixtures Al about $l20 900; in
surcd Tor about $40, 00O
TESTIMONY A STAGE HAND.
William Van Sicken, employed as stage hand In
the Brooklyn Theatre, testified that the fire started
the cutwood drop about tho centre Of tho stage,
catching from the gas in the border lights;
means of cxtingulshing fire there; have never
any hose pals Of water; tried TO rcach the nre by
getting out on the grooves, but could not do so.
THE ASSISTANT CARPENTER.
William Salts, assistant carpenter, testified that ho
tried to get the grooves down for Mr. Van Sicken to
hand Tor extinguishing the hres thore is arrange
ment for exiting ing hrcs; II hose had been thero
the flre might havc been extingushed; The whole
stage portion in flames in very short time; do
ployes to the people tho galcry; cannot sny
how that tho people IN the gallery did not get
out
rHK PROPERTY nor.
Raymond Moore, a property boy, testified that he
rnvo tho anrm hre she station house. next door
ana then securing his Clothes be regaincd the street
b. OF the green room window.
The Fire Marshal continued taking testimony last
night at seven O'Clock. The following person werc
sworn William Tos, carpenter; William Van Sick
len, stage hand; Raymond Moore property boy; Lo-
raino Rogers, business manager. No absolutely now
testimony was taken.
THE INSURANCE.
The following Is the Official list Of tho insurance
policies held by the owners OF tine Brooklyn THEATRE
Royal and London, OF Liverpool. .......... So 500
Insurance Company OF North America. 900
NeIchants. 1000