Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-05-21
A Shocking Catastrophe at an Amateur Fer
Torrance.
TWO YOUNG LADIES BURNED TO DEATH
THRILLING SCENES.

TWO YOUNG LADIES BURNED TO DEATH
THRILLING SCENES.
The Atlanta ssConstitution" (Ga.,) pub
fishes thrilling description OF the recent
catastrophe 1t the Opera House IN mat
city, along With the fact that two OF the
sufferers have since died There seems to
have been Il matinee performance OF the
spectacle called Paradise and the Teri, and
Just before he time group OF eight or
ten young ladies' were collected IN one OF
the upper dressing rooms, Whlci' IS reached
| from the stage by means OF snort night
of SIT ps leading up to a narrow balcony,
from the edge of which rises q low wooden
| railing.
e esq young ladies were dressed to rep
| ,es MT ailg. Is. They wore full. flowing
var ttal' rt.ses. VI it'll very large sleeves, re-
u. vel b> long. broad wings. standing Out
tidy behil H. aud made OF common pat
ing. The mind staggers in the effort 10
| Imagine a more comDusrible costume. "A
gas jet was burning for the purpose OF
burning c. X, which, as everybody knows,
is used by nateurs and professionals III
making up tue face for artistic effect upon
the stage. Among the ladies in this dress
ing room ere Miss Maggie Chapman,
Mrs. Adelaide Hammond, OF Baltimore :;
Miss Mada.s Ellis, Miss Minnie Bellamy.
and Miss KATIE Mayrant, visitor from
Charleston One OF tile above named ia
dies (some say Miss Chapman; some. Mrs.
Hammond: others, Miss Ellis) IN turning
about thrust her wing into the blazing Jet.
In an instant her dress was i'll flames, and
in whirling about in her fright set lire to
the other 40. Mrs. Bethany, who was i'll
the room, showed the girls nearest the
door out upon the balcony, to prevent the
fire from spreading to them. One OF. the
girls was her own daughter.
The three flaming angels rushed madly
from the room, and two of them. IN pass
ing down the balcony to the stage, set fire
: to the wings of Misses Bethany and May
rant. Inc third, Mrs Hammond, frantic
from fright, took a shorter path to the
stage, throwing herself over the balcony
railing and falling distance of nearly ten
feet to the floor below. Having regaineo
! her feet, she was making for pile OF rub
Dish in corner, evidently with the inten
ton of throwing herself upon it, WheI
three of the gentlemen performers enfold
ell her in coats and rescued her. MIS-!
: Chapman, in her agony. fought with tnost
J who sought to enfold her with their coats
7 and it was not until she was thrown doWr
y that they could succeed in Distinguishing
: the flames Miss Bellamy, as soon as he
= wings caught, with marvellous coolnes
I threw herself down on her back and rub
bed the fire out before it spread over he
: dress. Miss Ellis made her way to an ad
= joining room, and, throwing a carpe
l around her, rolled over and over until tn
> flame was extinguished. Miss Mayrant
a after her clothing caught, rolled down tn
: stairs upon the stage floor, and, regalnln,
> her feet, dashed out into the street Will
;, the flames meeting over her head
u Three gentlemen rushed to her rescue
= tearing the blazing material from her per
- son, one having the presence of mind t.
y place his hand over her mouth to proven
}. her inhaling the fire. 1t, however, faile,
:, to save her life as death has since come T.
$ her relief Mrs. Hammond was danger
u ousiy burned about the neck and should
l. ers and arms. She was removed to th
% every attention. She fingered in grea
pain till Friday. when She expired. Mis-
!, Madge Ellis, Miss Mamie Bellamy an
II IL Miss Maggie Chapman were all painful
u burned, but their injuries are not serious
The audience were startled at a cry 9
fire, but a stampede was prevented by on
= Of the performers announcing that Tn
L costume of one of the ladies had caugh
. fire, and as the performance would have t
> be postponed, he begged them to pass GU
e quietly. They were afterwards mad
IL aware Of the serious nature OF the calam
+ ity. In announcing the death Of Mrs
= Hammond. tile Atlanta paper says; s'Go
T. never made grander woman. and heavel
n can have no brighter angel"