The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-12-07
TE ERR|BLE CONFEDERATION,
The Brooklyn Theatre Fire.
Two Hundred and Eighty.
five Bodies Recovered.
Three Hundred and Fifty
Persons Supposed TO Have
Perished in the Flames.

NEw YORK, December 6.--Hsrry
Murdoch, one of the leading actors in
the Brooklyn Theatre Company is miss.
ing and is thought to have persisted by
the burning of the theatre last evening
Several residents OF Brooklyn who sre
supposed TO have attended the perform
snce last evening have not returned to
their homes and il is feared an exaunins-
ton of the ruins to-day will result
in finding the chsrred remains Of some OF
these missing persons.
The fire was attended by appalling
loss of lite. 1t is thought that not less
than 100 persons were killed in the rush
to the exit or burned to death, being un-
able to escape.
The Fire Broke Ont
during the performance OF the last act OF
the Two Orphans" in which
Miss Clayton, who plays the part
of the heroine, lies on the boat
house floor. In five minutes more the
audience would have been dismissed and
there would have been nothing more
serious to record than the destruction of
the property. The house WAS about two
thirds filed, those below sitting well for
ward toward the stage. For those III the
family circle, dress crclc AMI gsllarios
there was no way OF escape except by
Washington street. The panic stricken
people russed pell neil towards
and down the stsirwsys. The main en-
trance becoming.choked up and
Asceue OF Terror,
confusion and distress ensurd which the
beggsrs despription, just above the land
ing place of the stairway. A womsn IN
the push had her foot pushed between the
bsnister and fell, crowded behind and
forced forward by terrified people, fur
ther behind fell over her and pulled TO
each other four and five deep. The Po-
lice from the Slatien House next door
were promptly stthe scene, but owing to
the manner in which the people were
piled upon top OF each other and massed
together. They could ertricate compar-
stivelv few, aud these Vere oil burned,
bleeding and msimed. The hremen got
to work on the ruins shortly after day
llEul luis lhtl HANNN'N'A ~
getting a. tar As the fall OF he dress cir
Gle, where they found n great number OF
bodies, and Immediately began the work
of removal, and up till II o'clock sixty
five bodies have been recovered, aud
what appeared to be twenty or thirty
more were seen in the basement, into
which they had been preCipitated BY the
falling of the burning floors. At the
police station adjoining the burned
theatre the names of eighty-six persons
missing from their homes, have been
registered. Kate Clsy o At the proi!mi-
nary inquiry OF thr nr" marshal, said:
AT the beginning OF the last act and
Just AS the curtain rose up | heard y
rumbling noise on the stage, and two
minutes after ! saw the flames. The
fire seemed TO bc all on the stage
Mrs. Farren, myself, Mr.. Shidley and
Mr.. MurdOck were on the stage at the
time. We four remained there and en-
deavored, rs best we could, TO quiet the
audience, and prevent panic. said
to the people, BE quiet; W. are between
you and the fire; the front door is open and
the passages are clear Not one Of the
audience jumped on the stage. The
flames were then coming down upon us,
and ran out and jumped over top of
several people. Mr.. II. B. Murdock,
sfter endeavoring 10 calm the fears OF
the panic stricken people, went 10 hi.
dressing room to get his clothing, and
must have been suttocated.