The New York herald., 1876-12-08

At once ran the front get the doors open; the
actors quisied the audience Tor moment. but only Tor
q moment, when they "broke' Tor the doors; waited
I'LL they all out ana then | closed the doors
keep The draught out; tho people had begun 10 rush
down from the FIRST gallery but sud ienly they stopped
in their headway; went up 10 see what was the mat
ter; there we're two separate starways leading from
this gallery.
When l reached the TOP OF the first Night found
that lady had caught her foot between TWO OF the
banisters and had fallen; stout man fell over tho
lady, and these Two persons formed al obstacle over
which many persons who were behind trpped and lel
In heap the fully nifty sixty people
piled up in that heap at the loot Of the second flight OF
sairs; the stars open from thai pont down. and
above the heap OF persons who had fallen the
were clear for four i've steps from the top; the
kmoke was then very dense; itwas oaly about three
minutes after the fire broke out; the curtain was low
red and Il caught nre. This caused the hatnes 10 as
send TO the gallery looked al ,hs new break OF the
flames for about three seconds ana then closed the par
quet doors; the unfortunate people who had fallen
the stairway cried extricate them; sue
ceeued IN making OF those IN The rear tail back
LITTLE, and thus was enabled io pull OUT man and
woman; when the others saw these TWO iree they
rushed forward masSe and again blocked up the
passage; my next effort was for the woman whose foot
had become entang in the banisters, but She
heid firmly; an usher came up 10 assist me. and, by
pushing the crowd back as best We could, and thus
forming small passage way, we eNtricated rs many
able TO; then returned TO the dress circle
md found awoman there. whom carried out
the srfFocATiNG SMOKE
There were people in This gallery. as heard
cries Tor assistance but thick ana dense was the
smoke that could their locaiity; suf
locating and ovcrpowering the smoke that began
TO become weak from II and dropped to tue floor 10
ee. in iresher air. was IN the smoke not longer than
q minute, but in that time iound ihat could
scarcely breathe; the first and second galleries
and the stairs were at tnat time allied with
two minutes ! heard noise as II some one was
jumping out OF the window; IL was utterly impossible
sufccated when / got out; / know that all
the people were taken oil the dress circle
stairs but heard inside in the dress circic
cried out, Where are your" but received no answer;
even when reached the noor heard tho humping
noise, as II people were Jumping out OF the upper ga-
iery: had ybody jumped from the upper gallery TO
The dress circle coulc not have seen them GU account
Of the terrible smoke there was no breaking OF any
stair or floor while was there am pretty sure that
nl in the dress circle got ont alive; found bracelet
some hair switches. an opera glass and bundle OF
clothes, which gave to the police
A TAKER's STORY.
Samuel W. Hastings the ticket taker a the entrance
10 the gallery, gave the following testimony The
about 400 people in IL, was there up to the com
mencement oi The last act, when took the checks
siairs, leaving Officer Lott and his at tho
door; after moment went into the parquet near the
iootghts; the audience in excitement and then
saw hre dropping from the nics the actors told the
audience to remain cool ana pass out quietly opened
the door, they could get out and then went up to
the gallery; could get up only eight or ten steps,
however, as the stairway filed with smoke; about
dozen persons down the gallery stairs; heard
said the lights out and the people IN the gallery
were In the dark and the smoke; the cries from the
gallery heard ceased long before left the stairs, and
the persons who had been calling were Undoubtedly
runocaed; think II probable they tell one on top an
other, and were smolhered IN that way they were
wedged IN that they could not free themselves;
after reached there l think not more than nfteen
persons got of the gallery; The stairs leading 10 the
gallery were about eight feet vide; three persons
abreast could pass down them readily; II does not
cupy more than,ive TO eight minutes to empty the
gallery; the regular gallery stairway separate
from Washington street; there neither frc
hose nor pals oil water IN the gallery Tor quenchiDg
IRE; there were three windows think, opening ON
Floods alley the gallery but neither stairs
other mode OF in that directions there were no
fire escapes on the building that am aware OF.
"JoG" OK THE STAIRS.
Had there been another stairway from the gallery
people would have escaped but think the crowd
woud nave blocked up also, especially " there We're
any joes in II, there were in the one used, which
had Jog In II at the box Office where gallery tickets
were bought say again mat INC people smo.hered
up the passage ways no wall, moor or stair gave way
while was there.
PROPERTY MANS EVIDENCE.
George Henry, property man oil the theatre, re-
lated what he knew of the disaster as ioows-l have
been CONNECTED with theatres nearly all my lie;
In the cellar when the fire started no hose or
other apparatus .or putting fires attached 10
the the question OF having some
has been mentioned to me- but have remarked 1t
strange that about the Brooklyn Theatres
there were windows overlooking Floods alley from the
gallery but stairs there stairs in that direc
tun from the dress circle; there were no fire escapes
on ths building; l saw Mr.. Werner and others trying
10 put out the tre with long poles; II We had had
hose there could have put the lire out.
GALLERY AUDITORS ExPE.iENcR
Charles Strauo, No 10 Stagg street. r. d. testihed-
was in the gallery the Brooklyn Theatre Tuesday
night when the hre occurred was the centre seat
Win Joseph Cteamer, hcaru Crcamcr suddenly
claim, Look, there Is nre!p when | looked |
,nders falling the stage; shouts OF "Fire nrel'
Eerc heard, aud the audience made a rush for the
ioor; one Of the actors cried ou keep backi' and
Iome obeyei, but others out to the stairs
The play went on for minute when the flames burst
nut angrily, NJ which everybody the gallery scram
bicd toward the exit there were not twentyn peo
pie before Creaner and myself. but second alarm
was gwen while The stairs,
rounded by crushing crowd; the further
we got down the thicker became the smoke; when we
tHH at hn Af tls
We ali tell III heap; there was woman IN the crush
ana hey all ich over her. the stairs behind US were
crowded ana the people tumbled one on top OF an
other; about twenty persons came out before did,
but only few after; these lucky ones lost hat or
cot IN their Hight Tor safety; saw woman dragged
pat; waited the door about fifteen minutes Tor
lrena, but did not come out and is st,li MISS
head Of the first light OF stairs IRON the street; tho
gallery well nlcd; l think the people all
snothered on the st,irs.
Thomas Il. jackson, OF Yonkers, was next called,
md ne gave the following IL am an architect
OF thirty years experience was tue architect OF the
brooklyn iheare; also built Wallacks lhcntre, the
New York Academy OF Music. Tammany IL III ana other
theatres IN ihe country; the brooklyn Theatre
IN 1871, and about ,oxl27; II had par
qGet end balcony ana Two galleries; the foundation
wa a course OF concrete anu The cellar walls were
stone; the pillars brick with stone findings and
rai.s, the main walls were Of woodnurnt BRICK, 20
inches thick up TO the fes, and above that ID
inches thick with i-lnca butiresscs; there
was one partition wall OF brick, OF II inches,
story high; this was tie LOBBY wall
"
Tie usual thickness Tor such walls those the
nuly walls; side OF the building, fronting
floud;s alley there were two windows at the flies,
unu. think. two each of tho galleries; the nam
entrance IRON Washington street to the ptrquct
about 20 feet wide; this tho vcstbu!c; tue
LOBBY TO the parquct from the yestibne
10 WIDE; there four-old door,
icct wdc ana one twe-od door. lcct WIDE, leading
tram the lobby into the parqnct; there also nrco
doors iron the parqGct 10 Floods alley. narrow
street on the east SHE OF the theatre; those doors
about cct wide, being mauc 10
SWING outward, and secured with bolts
only, so haiti they could be opened easily
IRON the inside in oi an emergency; thofa
stage entrance door from johnson street,
feet WIDE ana also "A long scene door, perhaps
ie,t WIDE: the greenroom in the basement, uIuer
the stage and there door from the rrecuroom
the areaway. and steps from that 10 the side
walk On Johnson street. to be used ID ease oil nctcs
suy; there also private passagcway IRON thc
stage underneath the parquet, leading to the treas
ur,r's Office; there also private entrance from