Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-12

Six Hundred LOst-Charred Frag-
ments Raked from the Ruins
Splendid ObsequIes to the Victims
Ready Handed Chartty-The
Awful Lesson Learned.
VIENNA, December 1O.-The audience at
the theatre Thursday night was larger than
usual, owing to the fact that the day was
holiday. The cast consisted Of actors
Terenczy, Lindorf, Wilke, Rudolph and
Leindon, and the actresses Stahl, Fischer
and Iona. There were about two hundred
persons on the stage and in the adjoining
dressing room at the time of the outbreak
OF the fire. The ballet corps was mostly
only half dressd. On the extinction of the
lights all rushed for the stage door,
and many were knocked down and
trampled upon, but most of them reached
the street without serious injury. The gal
leries were crowded, and the pit was fairly
filed, but owing to the earliness of the hour
there were only few persons In the stalls
and boxes. In the panic persons RESPONSE
ole Tor the safety OF the theatre neglected
to use the means for telegraphing to the
ire engine sections, which they had at their
disposal. The audience was consequently
left for ten minutes struggling wildly in
the darkness for means of exit. The life
saving brigade then arrived with lad
&sa' dsrs' torches torches and jumping sheets.
Inc persons saved with the
aid OF sheets jumped from the windows
dozen at time. In an hour aud half
the whole building was roaring furnace.
Persons whose bodies were first recovered
seem 70 have died mostly from suffocation,
but other bodies present shocking specta-
Gle Many have heads or feet burned off.
At a. m. the fire was still burning, and it
is not expected that II will be extinguished
for some time. Up to 2 o'clock Yesterday
morning one hundred and fifty charred
corpses had been conveyed to the hospital.
The loss of life is now estimated at from
two hundred to three hundred.
In the evening the building was still on
fire. The funeral of the victims is fixed for
Sunday. The imperial family have contrib
uted largely to the relief fund. The mana
gers of all the theatres have announced
special performances for the benefit of the
sufferers. The number Of persons actually
reported to be missing Is six hundred and
nine. In regard to the origin of the fire,
the superintendent of Machinery states
that the scenery became ignited as the
lamps were lit by the electric current.
Researches show that the upper gallery
must have fallen into the pit, where the
only remains found are small fragments of
bones. Beyond doubt nine hundred gallery
tickets had been issued. One hundred
holders OF these are known to have Jumped
from the windows. Competent Judges fear
that the loss of life will be found to be fully
seven hundred. Nothing has been heard of
the members of the orchestra. A subscrip-
Hon raised on the Bourse now amounts to
&2S QUO All the newspapers have opened
subscription lists TIE Emperor has given
large sum. An official of the theatre
states that 1t was absolutely impossible to
lower the iron curtain owing to the fright
ful rapidity with which the flames spread
LONDON, December 10-The Standards
Vienna dispatch says all the performers ex-
cept three Of the chorus were saved. Baron
Rothschild has subscribed 10000 forms to
the relief fnnd. Among the missing are
three professors and member of Parliament.
Additional details of the Vienna fire
have been received as follows: "On
the arrival of the fire brigade 1t
was found impossible to penetrate
beyond the first tier of the theatre. The
rush Of sutfOcatiDg smoke and air extin-
guished the lamps and torches. The fire
man retired under mOmentary impression
that their shouts were not answered and
that there were no more people in the thea
tire. Those who escaped on the first alarm,
however, soon undeceived them. Another
effort was made to penetrate the parts of
the threatre which were not actually
blazing.
10 the narrow passage between the second
ana thlrd galleries mass of corpses was
discovered, some so closely interlocked that
1t was hardly possible to part them. The
first man discovered was got out alive, but
all the rest were dead. These were per-
sons who had lost their way in consequence
OF turning off the gas, which, It is now as
certained, was done by some irresponsible
person with the view to prevent an explo-
sion. Some men were found with their
hands grasping each others throats.
Subsequent Investigations showed that In
some cases persons finding escape hopeless
had committed suicide. 1t is stated by the
survivors that women were seen to throw
their children from the galleries into the
pit. At the time of the outbreak Of the
flames the gallery especially allotted to
ladies was full. Among the missing are
the young Count Sigismund Festities
and several other students from g private
military college. About ten O'Clock the
gasometer exploded, the roof fell and the
whole place was reduced to a wreck.
VIENNA, December lion account of
the danger of the walls falling, the work of
removing the bodies from the ruins has
been suspended until supports have been
erected. Count Taafe, President of the
Council and Minister of the Interior, said
In the Reichrath to-day that rigorous meas
ures would be taken against any one proved
guilty of culpable negligence. The govern
ment has ordered that two policemen shall
go to each theatre an hour before the CON-
mencement Of the performance to see that
all proper precautions have been taken to
guard against fire.
After an animated controversy as to
whether the funeral of the victims of the
theatre fire should have the character of a
public demonstration, the Common Council
finally decided against the procession The
bodies will be quietly transported to the
Central Cemetery, where the funeral SER
vices will be celebrated on Monday with
great pomp before colossal catafalque, on
which the coffins are to be placed All the
Viennese, the corporations and civil and
military authorities have been invited to at
tend the funeral. The morning papers
give the corrected list of victims. Their
number is $50.