The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1881-12-23


ere exactly opposite tho Inflated Ring Theater,
gives . graphic account 81 the catastrophe. y
which the following Il an extract;
I'VE write with death IN our hearts, unable
20 find words 10 describe the pain which We
suffer. terrible calamity bcfelI our city
last night. The Ring Thcater, formerly
known - the Opera comique, Il IN ashes. and
hundreds o. human beings are victims q the
catastrophe. Nothing like this horror has
ever occurred before In this city.
.At ten minutes 10 seven the fire broke out.
The thcafcr was pretty well fned, but happily
not entirely crowded. A considerable number
OF people were still In the dressIng-rooms, and
dense mass OF carriages occupicdthe Schalten
Ring. II had just commenced 70 snow, and Ia
the auditorium Of the theatcr there was tho
usual hustle before the commencement Of .
performance people walking up and down
looking for their places, and the noise Of turn
ing down seats was heard on all sides. The
boxes we're still empty, but the balcony ana
galleries were well filed. On the stage
everything was In state OF ac-
tiyity and hustle, the workingmen re-
moving scenery. etc. Oienbach's comic
opera, . Les Counties D'IIoffman,n was 70 Be
performed for the second time. Some Of the
singers and actors had already taken their
places on the stage IN costume, but large
| number were stiii in the dressing-rooms IN the
hands OF the costumcrs and hair~lresscre The
overture had not yet begun. How the fire
4 commenced cannot yet be definitely stated
I and probably Il viii never be known. Accord
\ ing To one version the scenery was ignited by
4 q spark from electric machinery. According
| 20 another, workman with an alcohol lamp
4 caused the disaster. The former version IL
1 the more likely one Director Helemes-
i berger, who stood upon the stage, was the
1 first 10 notice the fire. A moment after the
"fiesr were wrapped In flames and the net
4 work Of wood, ropes and canvas was burning
| like finder The people on the stage were
| stupetied with fear al first, and they speedily
took 70 flight in most terrible confusion to-
! ward the ladies' drcssing-rooms, on the left OF
| the stage, where small staircase led 70
| Hohenstaufen Strasse. In moment the cur
| tain few NJ and draft blew II hither and
thither until. like fiery tongue, II darted
back and forth from the auditorium 70 the
stage The fire then became master Of the
| Ring Theater.
Fire fire the Ring Thcater Is on fre!"
| was the cry that went from mouth 70 ear.
III ItAAA EAt@rrE A@fttNE "tAN "*t<*t*[
bursting through the roof, and cries, such -
| Vienna never heard before, filled II. They
seemed not like the cries Of human beings,
but such awful accents as can Be heard only
| in death struggle. The scene was indescrib-
able. al those inside the fated building
4 pushing their way toward the street, which
vas crowded At al points. The audience
from the theater struggled and crushed each
other, and confusion reigned supreme. Sud-
denly cries were heard from the windows 81
the theater leading TO the Ring. The balcony
/ over the entrance was soon emptied, and the
cries Of those Il the windows and Of those
within the theater were awful, and swelled
louder and louder The mass Of people in the
street was growing denser constantly"
The following Il the narrative o. HenLind-
man, an actor engaged IN the theater: 1T
was Gas, and the second signal had been
given 70 the actors that IN quarter q an
hour the performance would begin. was In
my dressing-room, and on hearing the alarm
rushed on the stage and found myself IN :
sea 81 namcs A violent draught Of air rose
and perfect column Of fire seemed TO rush
against the curtains. which Il quickly pierced
Then . stream Of FIRE poured into the thcatcr
and up TO the galleries. I only heard single
honifying scrcam-a single cry Of unspcak
able terror and fearful despair"
He then described tho scene Of the members
Of the chorus flying 70 reach the doorway and
escape from tho fire.
Inspector Nitzoc escaped from his dwelling
IN the upper story. He describes the fearful
scene In the auditorium q follows: The
people lay there IN heaps, and many In the
strongest pastures. Some had their hands
. stretched out imploringly, and there we're 9TH
ers whose nails were driven into the flesh IN
pain and despair
lady who was In the third row Of the par
qucttc at the time Of the disaster says: " 1
was just about 70 take out my opera-glAss
from its case, when suddenly ! remarked
that the curtain was driven out violently
toward me. A sheet Of fire poured out inn
mediately after over the seats. grasped
my friend By the arm and hurried toward the
! central entrance, but IN moment all the
lights were extinguishcd, and we were In com
plete darkness. Only By keeping firm hold
: OF the railing were We enabled 70 grope our
/ way down the stairway. Suddenly, 70 my
horror, I found that my friend no longer chung
\ 10 me. screamed out her name, and, 70 my
\ delight. was answered. She caught hold Of
:. me again, and we were crushed out through
! the darkness with the living mass Of fugitivel
and saved
kATER--EvExrNo.
. Researches show that the upper gallery must
have fallen into the pit, where tho only re-
mains found are small fragments Of bones
Z Beyond doubt 100 gallery tickets had been
issued. Only 100 81 these are known 70 have
2 jumped from windows, and competent judges
= = ....44 T4 .44.