The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-12-15
THE EBROOKLYNHO HORROR
Three Hundred And Fifty Persons
Perish in the Ruins,
1en Wemen and Children Trampled to Death

II IL
Perish In the Ruins,
Men Wemen and Children TrampIed to Death
On Tuesday night of last week dur.
ing the performance of the play of the
Two Orphans, in the BROOKLYN theatre
the fyes above the stage took fire
from the gas, and almost Immediately
communicated to the scenery, and
thence in several moments spread all
over the building spreading death and
destruction with it. The New York
Tribune of Tuesday thus describes
the process of the fire.
Few people will fail to recognize the
scene at the Brooklyn Theatre on Tues
day night by its name-.The Boat
House" in the Two Orphans"-for few
have failed to see it, put as it was there
presented for the last time at the
Union Square New York. To those
who had never seen it, it is sufficient
to say that it was n scene enclosing
within canvass three sides of the stage.
With canopy roo above, midway be-
tween the floor and the ''fiies" or roof
OF the stage. At the back were two
great doors, which at climax of the
story were to be burst open by the DO
llece, coming to the rescue of the blind
orphan girl. The scene occupied the
whole stage of the Brooklyn Theatre.
AT the drop of the curtain Oh the last
act the stage is usually crowded with
80 or 40 persons of all degrees of i'm
portance in the play, and of all quail,
ties IN the estimation OF The theatre
goers. At the critical moment of
Tuesday nights real tradgy this scene
of the mimic drama was occupied by
only four persons-Miss Kate Claxton,
who was playing Louisa, the blind girl
Mrs. Mary A. Farren, who appeared as
Madame Frochdrd; J. b. Studley as
Jacques, and H. S. Murdoch as Pierre.
To this little group, first of all on
the stage and in its front, came the
earliest intimation of impending dis
aster. They heard but did not see it.
One of the '.fiies" of the stage-the
long streamers which cross the stage,
and represent either "sky" or ceiling"
as occasion may require-was blown
violently against gas get, and quick
ly ignited. The men aloft as quickly
cut OFF the burning piece, and it fell
alas! not to the stage, as they antici-
pated, but upon the painted canvass
roof of the ''boat house." and rapidly
burned through. The warning which
had been heard liz tie rustling Of the
scenes was confirmed blythe blazing of
the scenery.
The persons i'm the lower tier were,
of course, the first to be warned, of
the burning ''hy'' was visible from be-
low, while hidden from those above.
Many seeing the flames rose in their
seats aud would have fled but that the
actors in their warning to be cool
lulled them momentarily into a feel
ing of security. But soon fully arous-
ed to the danger, they rose precipi-
lately and fled. Most of those on the
first tier, it is believed, all it is hoped,
escaped; yet some may be found
buried under the mass of debris yet
remaining to be removed. Those in
the second tier fed with like precipi-
tatioD, and probably nearly all escap-
ed. But those in the upper tier
chiefly young men and boys, and prob
ably nearly all poor persons-were
doomed to a terrible fate. Apparent
from their position as
found, from the appearance of the
debris which covered them, and from
the known location of the stairway
leading to the gallery the frightened
four hundred must have rushed in
widest confusion down the first flight
Of stairs to the landing which crosse
above tie lobby and vestibule. Here
they were apparently it is all a
theory which there are none to dispute
DR. coniirm-met by the binding smoke
driven by the wind from the part of
the theater then burning, and falling
in heaps on the landing broke it down,
and all were precipitated Eeadlong
INTO the lobby. The floor of this part
1f the building, unable to sustain the |
shock and weight, gave way, and the
human mass was precipitated into the |
cellar ten feet below
Following is a graphic description
Of the horrid scene after the fire. and
Of scenes occurring during its its pro
,ress:
The Post says: "Atabout IL o'clock |
/ horrible discovery was made III the !
middle of what was the lobby of the |
heater, where lay an immense pile of
smouldering beams, frag-
nents of girders, and other things. |
This heap was nearly opposite the
1rinciI al ENTRANCE to the auditory of
he theater Behind it was another |
heap, marking the place where the |
stairs which led to the gallery fell. |
Under the heap first mentioned dead |
Ocdy was found, and firenen Giligent- |
y prosecuted their search in this dir
,ction. With much labor some of the
heaviest lumber was removed, and a |
horrible sight was revealed. Beneath |
hat mound corpses lay in rows, heap
ID one upon the another, packed to-
yether with fearful solidity, which |
odd of the great pressure to which |
hey had been subjected. How many |
ay there, what their sex or age, no
COulS lCiA, dt uOOu OILY
yuesses could be made.
Horror upon horror accumulated"
rs the day advanced. Corpse after
corpse, charred and blackeaed, was
passed out, and still the pile of bocies |
IN the cellar did not seem to diminish. |
As the number mounted up TO 150 and
l6O. the belief that the number would
reach over 200 grew into a certainty,
aid finally, at half past 4. the two
lundreth body was removed. At five
o'clock the number had reached 220,
,wenty bodies having been taken out
u half an hour A look into the pit
1t this time still showed considerable
pile of corpse lying crosswise, like sticks
If wood, and there were apparently
till fifty or sixty corpses remaining.
This was in the cellar, under inner
from where all the bodies
AIKEN out to-day were removed. =,s
As the night approach, 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 con-
inued. They were under the CALLER.
- but no estimate could be made of
he ppmber The charred remains of
he Victims were taken out in the front
md the rear of the theatre and rapid.
y loaded in boxes and placed upon the
wagon. Still the pile of
bodies in the cellar did not seem to di
ninish.
Thos. Rockford, chief usher of the
establishment, ran to the doors leading
nto Floods alley, which connects
Iohnsons street and Myrtle avenue,
IND opened them. SO that the people
night escape in that way. This di-
'erted many from seeking to escape
brough the main entrance. All who
we're on the right side OF the parquette I