The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-03-25
FOREIGN.
The Burn ing Of the Opera House at
Nice.
A Scene Of Terror which Beggars
Desc ription.

Nice, March 24.-Cp TO this hour
fifty-nine bodies have been recovered
from the ruins of the Italian opera
house, destroyed by fire last night. 1t
is feared that many more lost their
lives. The fire commenced soon after
the curtain had risen for the perform
ance of Lucia de Lammermoor." The
subscribers for the orchestra stalls and
boxes of the grand tier had mostly not
arrived. The majority of the victims
belong to the working class. Shortly
after the fire began the gas exploded
and the house was plunged into COM
plete darkness and a scene of terror and
dismay ensued which beggars descrip-
ton. A detachment of sailors from the
squadron in the harbor arrived on the
scene and displayed great gallantry in
rescuing people and combating the fire,
which was subdued toward 10 o'clock.
Strakosch, the impressario, was slightly
hurt, Signora Blanca Donald, one of the
leading artists, made her way from the
stage to the street in safety. One whole
family Of five persons and another
family Of three persons are known to
have perished. Relief subscriptions for
the sufferers have been opened throught
out Nice. The regatta here has been
countermanded and the value of the
prizes to have been contested for will
be contributed toward the relief of the
distress.
New York, March PA dispatch
from Nice says: The holocaust at the
opera house last evening was cause by a
gas explosion at the back of the stage
which set fire to the scenery. The
flames spread with alarming rapidity
and soon enveloped the gas meter.
The supply of gas being cut off the
body of the house was soon plunged in
darkness. The crowd pressed madly
towards the limited means of exit. The
audience was large and in the panic
hundreds were thrown down and
trodden under foot. Those who en-
deavored to extricate the people, hope
lessly jammed between the doors and
passages, describe the scene as terrible.
The shrieks of the wounded mingled
with the cries of those in the galleries
where every means of escape was cut
off. Nine. Donadio, the prima dona,
was saved but the tenor, basso, baritone
and number Of the chorus singers
were burned. Up to midnight "a
bodies were extricated from the ruins.
A man, who escaped from the upper
gallery by jumping, declared that with
perhaps dozen exceptions every per-
son in his part of the house was burned.
Some sailors were lost. A number of
American and English visitors rendered
signal assistance in saving life. The
scene in the town is indescribable. One
lady whose husband was burned to
death Committed suicide. The usual
complaints were made respecting the
defective means of escape and water
supply. Although the Mediterranean
washes the shore at the foot of the
walls of the theater no water could be
obtained when wanted, and the beaut-
full opera house was completely
wrecked.
Charles Mapleson said the theater
cost in the neighborhood of $780,
600 and was built without regard to
architectural design; the outside walls
were brick chiefly, with.blocks of stone
interlarded, for no seeming purpose
farther than to make the structure un-
slightly. The interior looked very
pretty with its ornamented walls and
ceilings and dazzling gilded work, bui
its wall was all gim crack. have heard
professional people, who are accustomed
to strongly built and handsome theater.
In America, say, "What magnificent
structure for bonfire" 1t resembled
a great many of the lightly bull
theaters found in the south of France
Like all theaters established at water.
ing places its season was short, never
extending over three months in thu
year. The star there this season wa!
Miss Rosina Isider, who last year made
a success in London. She is the
protege of Baroness Rothschild. Hel
parents reside in st. Louis, Mo.