The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-05-18
Il TERRIBLE ITOLOCf US1,

4
OF tho Ladies Die from their InJuries.
The Atlanta Constitution contains
tho particulars Of the burning of five
Young ladies at tho Opera House in
that city on the 10Th INST. 1t seems
that Just before tho timc for tho per-
formancc to begin, group of eight or
ten young ladies were collected in ono
of the upper dressing rooms, which is
reached from the stage floor by means
Ola short flight Of steps leading up to
II narrow balcony, from the edge of
which rises low wooden railing.
These Young ladies were dressed to
represent angels. Thev worc full
flowing tarltan robes, with very large
sleeves, relieved by long bRoad wings
standing stitlly out behind, and made
Of common batting. Tho mind stag
gers in the effort to imagine more
combustiblc 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 amateurs and professionals,
the world over, in making up the face
for artistic effect upon the stage.
Among the ladies in this drcsSing-roOm
were Miss Maggie Chapman, Mrs. Ab-
bic lIammomd, OF Baltimore, Miss
Madge Ellis, Miss Minnie I,cllamv and
Miss Katie Mayramt, who is n visitor
here from Charleston. One or the
above named ladics--somc say Miss
Chapman, some Mrs. IJammon, others
Miss Ellis--in turning about, thrust
her wing into the blazing jet. LII less
than ono minute she was in flames,
and in wheeling around in her fright
had communicated them to the other
two. Mrs. Bcllamy, who was also in
the room, took in the situation at Il
glancr, and, With the quiclincss Of
thought, violently showed the girls
nearest the doorAhcr daughter and
Miss Mayr,nt among the number out
upon the balcony. The three Iluming
angels rushed madly from the room,
and two ofthcm, in passing down the
balcony to to the stage, set fire to the
wings Of Misses Bcllamyand Mavrant.
The third, Mrs. Hammond, frantic
from fright, took a shorter path to the
stage, throwing herself over the balco-
ny railing and tallinga distance OF
nearly len feet to the floor below.
Having rcgaincd her feet she was maxi
ing for Il pile of rubbish ima corner,
evidently with the intention Of throw
ing herself upon it, when Mcssrs. &.
). Barnlm, II. II. lIutson and Prof.
Agnostni, three Of the performers,
camo heroically to her assistance, and
by folding her in ovcrcoats and strip
ping Off her fiery garments saved her
life. Miss Chapman ran down the
balcony steps, and was intercepted at
the bottom by DR.. Clmstcad, who
bravely embodied 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 scor-
pions, which were drinking up her
young life, until they were dead. Miss
}cllamy, as soon as the tip of her
wings caught from the passing flames,
with a GOODNESS 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 " ith presence
ofmind truly phenomenal made her
way to an adjoining dressing room,
and throwing piece Of carpet around
her ROLLED over and over upon tho
floor until the flames were cxtinguish-
cd. Miss Mayrant was doubly unfor-
tunate. IN her desperate efforts to cs-
cape from the balcony she was not only
set on fire, but Knocked down. She
fell at the head Of the steps leading to
the stage, and Miss Chapman passed
over her. She then rolled heavily
down upon the stage floor, sprnng to
her tcctand ran in upon the stage prop
er. She saw no hope there. The la
dies there were dressed like herself,
and she would not cndungcr their lives
by running to them. She saw no
man. Tho thought flashed through
mind that she could be saved only by
gaining tho street. So she shot like a
meteor through the stage door, rushed
down two flights of steps and reached
the pavement screaming Md with the
flames shooting high above her head.
The very minute she struck the side
walk two brave and stalwart arr,s, be-
tween which was beating heart with
out thought of self, cncirc!cd her
flaming frame, an@ Mr.. John Hill
stood there fighting the fire as fit was
a pleasure. In just three seconds an
other grand man was by his side clap
ping his hands over her mouth and
nose TO keep the tongues of fire from
piercing her very throat, and tearing
away the burning shrcdS, which like
fiery scrpcnts were coiled about her
falling form. This was Mr.. Fricrson,
of Friersoh Il Leak, and in less time
than it takes to write it he had her
carefully wrapped up and tcndcrlv
placed upon u lounge lii his office.
And thus another life was saved.
Miss Maggie Chapman was horribly
burned about the neck, throat and
arms. Shc inhaled tho flames, affect
ing most seriously thereby the bron-
chial tubes. She was bornc to her
home on Houston street late in tho
afternoon upon bed. She is attend
cd by Drs. Wcstmoreland, Wilson,
Olmstcad and Howell, who think her
condition extremely critical.
Mrs. Abbie Hammond is dangerous
ly burned about the neck, shoulders
and arms. She was first taken to tho
residence of DR.. Willis WcSt,norcland,
where shc was most tcndcrly nurscd.
lntcr in the afternoon she was remoy-
cd upon a lounge to the home of hor
friends on .uckic street. Shc is at
tended by Drs. Westmorcland and j.