The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-05-15
gitllmond 1ispstth.
sArURDAY.."........MAY is, 1880.
A shocking scene

A shocking scene
ear ArpALs THE WHOLE CITY OF ATLANTA
,FIRE TAKES PLACE on the STAGE OF DE-
eNs's oPERA'HoUsg IN wBICH TUE YOUNG
LADIES BECOME ENyELoPsD-THR WILD
EXCITEMENT OF The MOMENT.
ATLANTA Constitution, l3,h.l
Yesterday al ernoon few minutes past
o'clock, lust before the curtain had risen
"osn the mstlre performance OF the spec.
,s.,lsr OF Paradise and che Peri, the
| ,~siepcc was startled by the CRY OF fire. In
| ,iViDkling they sprsng 10 their feet, and
,rere on the point Of stampediug, when Mr..
| rdxard King, one OF the performers. drew
-, curtain aside, and advancing calmly to
M iootlights appealed TO them to pass out
| sr,o,lv. stsiing 20 the same time that
81 costume a one of the young ladies who
.cnreseptcd an angel had accidcn,ly caught
tre. and had been promptly cNtinguished;
-, owing 10 her hysterical condition, it
f.A been decided 10 postpone the entertain
msnf. UnOn this the audience seemed re-
,.sured 10 certain extent, and began
,rowding to the door, not as people who
eve exactly panic-strickeu, but after the
manner Of men ana women DESTROYS OF
Toi,iing the building rs rapidly as might he
roosisient with the preservation Of life and
fmb. The admirable
GOODNESS OF YOUNG KING,
,se,rded by the splendid suppressive ei-
rfis OF several elderly gentlemen in the
bou>e. had q fine curling effect, and the au-
teucc. which, happily. was small, passed to
10 street without accident.
4 Constitution reporter, anxious 10 learn
ne exact statu, Of the affair upon the stage,
worked his way through The tbiong which
.urroundercd the back entrance and passed
IN behind the scenes. Here he CLEANED the
PARTICULARS OF the sadde>t and most barrow
irr scene which has ever been enacted upon
ans stage. Ii seems that Just before the
,rrc for the performance TO begin a group
n eight or ten young ladies were collected
in one Of the upper dresSing-rOoms, which
/, reached from the Stage-foor by means OF
short flight Of steps leading up 10 mar
POW balcony, from the edge Of which rises
! low wooden railing. These young ladies
we're dre> sed 10 represent angels. They
wore fun. flowing tarle,an robes. with very
aree sleeves. relieved by long, broad wings,
standing siifiy out behind, and made OF
common batting.
THE MIND STAGGERS
In tie effort 10 imagine a more combustible
costume. 4 gas-jet was burning in this
room. IL had been lighted for the purpose
o. burning cork, which, rs everybody
knows, is used by amateurs and profess
stoualS 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 81 Baltimore. Miss Madge Ellis,
Nis> Minnie Bellamy, and Miss Katie May
rni. who is a visitor here from Charleston.
one Of the above named ladies-Some say
Mis- Chapman, some Mrs. Hammond, others
Miss Ellis-in turning about thrust her
wing into the blazing jet. In less than one
minute she was in flames, and in wheeling
around in her fright had communicated
them 10 the other two. Mrs. Bellamy, who
was also in the room. took in the situation
q, 4 glance. and, with the quickness OF
thought, violently showed the girls nearest
,he door-her daughter and Miss Migrant
.mong the numbtr-Out upon the balcony.
TIE THREE FLAMING ANGELS
rushed mady from the room. and two of
n, in passing down the balcony to the
stage, set fire 10 the wings OF Misses Bel
lamy and Mayrant. The third, Mrs. Ham,
mCnd, frantic from fright. took a shorter
path to the stage, throwing herself over the
balcony railing and falling a distance OF
nearly ten feet to the floor below. Having
IeSained her feet, she was making fora pile
Of rubbish in a corner. evidently with the
intention OF throwing herself upon il, when
NeSsrs. G.. $. BaTnnm, L. f. Huston, and
Professor AgOsiini, three OF the performers,
came herOically TO her assistance, and by
folding her in coats and stripping off Der
fiery garments saved ter life. Miss Chap
man ran down the balcony steps, and was
Intercepted at the bottom by DR.. Olmstead,
who bravey enfolGed her in his own coat,
out, alas, she pulled away from bin, when
Mr.. Edward King flew to his aid, and, no.
bly, striking her 10 the floor. the two to-
geiher fought the fiery scorpions, which
were drinking up her young life, until they
were dead. Miss Belamy, as soon as the
tip o! her wings caught from the passing
danes, with a GOODNESS which borders on the
marvellous, threw herself upon her back
On the balcony and rubbed the fire out be-
fore il had time TO spread over her dress.
Miss Ellis did not leave the balcony, but
with
PRESENCE OF MIND TRULY PHENOMENAL
made her way to an adjoining dressing
room, and, throwing a piece Of carpet
around her, rolled over and over upon the
llOr until the fumes were eXtinguished.
Miss MayTant was doubly unfortunate. In
Der desperate effort to escape from the bal
cOny she was not only set on fire but knock
ed Gown. 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 st8ge-hoOr, sprang TO her
feet, and ran in upon the stage proper. She
saw no hope there. The ladies there were
dressed like herself, and she would not en-
danger their lives by running TO them. She
saw 40 man. The thought flashed through
her mind that she could he saved only by
gaining the stree. So she shot like a me-
,eor through the stage-door, rushed down
TWO flights Of steps, and reached the pave
ment screaming and with the flames shoot
ine high above her head. The very minute
she struck the sidewalk
TWO BRAyE AND sTALwART ARMS,
between which WIS beating heart without
a thought OF self. encircled her flaming
frame, and Mr.. John Hill stood there fight
ing the fire rs II il was pleasure. In Just
three seconds another grand man was by his
side'clapping his hands over her mouth and
hose 10 Keep the tongues Of fire from pier
eng her very throat, aud tearing away the
burning shreds, which like fiery serpents
v ere coiled about her falling form. This
was Mr. Frierson, OF Frierson q Leak, and
IN less time than it takes 10 write il be had
her carefully wrapped uD and tenderly
placed upon a lounge in his office. And
thus another life was saved.
Hiss Maggie Chapman was horribly burn
ed about the neck, throat, aud arms. She
Inhaled the flames, affecting most seriously |
thereby the bronchial tubes. She was
borne TO her home, on Houston street, late |
In the aiternnnn nnnn q bed She l. az. [