National Republican., 1880-05-15
MISCELLANEOU us.
4 SHOCKING SCENE.
-Four Ladies Burned at AN Amateur Per-
furnance.

1cbtefiNN afternoon, a lew minutes past
three o'clock, just before tho curtain had
risen upon the matinee performance of the
spectacular drama Of" Paradise aud the Peri I"
the audience were startled by the cry Of fire. In
twlnlSling they sprang to their feet and
were on the point Of stampeding when Mr..
Edward King, one of tho performers, drew
the curtain aside, aud advancing calmly to
tho footlights appealed to them to pass out
quietly, stating at the same time that the cos
tune Of ono of the young ladies who repre-
sented an angel had accdeutly caught fire
and had been promptly extinguished. The
audience which, happily, was small, passed to
the street without accident.
It seems that lust before tae time for the
performance TO begin group Of eight or ten
young ladies were collected in ono Of the up
per dressing rooms which is reached from the
stage floor by means of u short flight Of steps
leading up to q narrow balcony from the edge
of which rises a low wooden railing. These
Young ladies were dressed TO represent angels.
They wore full flowing tarleton robes with
very large sleeves. relieved by long broad
wings standing stifly out behind, and made OF
common batting. The mind staggers in the
effort to imagine a more combustible costume.
A gas jet was burning in this room. 1t had
been lighted for the purpose of burning cork,
which, as everybody knows is used by ANA.
teurs and professionals, the world over, in
making up the face for artistic effect upon the
stage.
Among the ladies in this dressing.room were
Miss Maggie Chapman Mrs. Abbie Hammond,
of Baltimore, Miss Madge Ellis, Miss Minnie
Bcllamy, and Miss Katie Mayrant who is u
visitor here from Charleston. One of tho
above named ladies, some say Miss Chapman,
some Mrs. Hammond, others Miss Ellis, in
turning about thrust her wing into the blazing
Jet. In less than one minnie she was in
flames, and in wheeling around in her fright,
had communicated them to tho other two.
Mrs. Bclamy, who was also in the room, took
in the situation at glance, aud, with the
quicknsss of thought, violently showed the
girls nearest tho door-her daughter and Miss
Mayrant among the number-out upon the
balcony The three flaming angels rushed
nadly from the room, and two OF them, in
passing down the balcony TO the stage,
set fire to the wings of Misses Bellamy
and Mayrant. The third, Mrs. Hammond,
frantic from fright, took shorter path to the
stage, throwing herself over the balcony rail-
ing and falling distance ofncarly ten feet to
the floor below. Having regained her feet she
was making for pile of rubbish in corner
evidently with the intention of throwing her
self upon it, when Messrs. G.. S. Barnum, Il. F.
Huston and Professor Agostini, three of the
performers, came herOically to her assistance
and by folding her in coats and stripping off
her fiery garments, saved her life. Miss Chap
man ran down the balcony steps, and was in
terceptcd at the bottom by DR.. Olmstead, who
bravcly enfolded her in his own coat, but alas,
she pulled away from him, when Mr.. Edward
King flew to his aid, and nobly striking her
to the floor, the two together fought the fiery
scorpions which were drinking up her young
life, until they woro dead. Miss Bellamy, as
soon rs the tip of her wings caught from the
passing flames, with II cuolncss which borders
on the marvellous threw herself upon her back
ON the balcony and rubbed the fire out before it
had time to spread over her dress. Miss Ellis
did not leave the balcony, but with presence
of miud truly phenomenal made her way to
an adjoining dressiug-room, and throwing II
piece of carpet around her rolled over and
over upon the floor until the flames were ex-
tinguished. Miss Mayrant was doubly un-
fortunate. In her desperate effort to escape
from the balcony she was not only set on fire,
but knocked down. She fell at the head of
the steps leading 30 the stage, aud Miss Chap
man passed over her. She then rolled heavily
down upon the stage floor sprang to her feet
and ran in upon the stage proper She saw
no hope there. Tho ladies there were dressed
| like herself and she would not endanger their
| lives by running to them, She saw no man.
| Tho thought flashed through her mind that
she could be saved only by gaining the street.
| So she shot like n meteor through the stage
door, rushed down two flights Of steps and
reached the pavement screaming and with the
flames shooting high above her head.
Here she was seized by two gentlemen, who
fought the fire out with naked hands, and soon
had her wrapped up She isv very badly burned,
but her life is saved.
Miss Maggie Chapman was horribly burned
about the neck, throat and arms. She inhaled
the flames, affecting most seriously thereby
the bronchial tubes. Her condition is ex-
tremely critical.
Mrs. Abbe Hammond is dangerously burned
about the neck, shoulders aud arms.
Miss Madge Ellis was painfully burned upon
both arms, and Miss Mamie Bellamy was se-
verely burned upon each shoulder. Miss
Katie Mnyrant has three very painful burns
one on either arm and one upon her right
shoulder. Five gentlemen were painfully
burned in their efforts to save the ladies, but
none were dangerously SO.
The telegraph announces the death Of tive
of the young ladies,