The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-12-11

the smoke and fumes Those who could
not escape by the stairs fastened to the
windows of the loggia. It was terrible
time. Dense crowds struggled together,
those behind urging those in front to
spring out, or we should all die. Some
made the spring and were caught by the
public below. remained until the
nets were brought and the life
leap could be made in safety;
yet few seem to have escaped easily.
To look ct the dead bodies in the
morgue, and at the Krsnkenhaus, tells
more of the terrible death which the
victims met, than the report that any
eye witness has yet given. Some appear
to have died from sufocation alone. 1--WE
beautiful girls are there with their faces
scarcely diseolored, looking as if they
were only asleep. Another youthful
female figure lies there, only one charred
stump. Of her neck remaining, while:her
body and loWerIextrenitias are untouched
The linen of her underelothinR is as spot
less white IS When on Ithe afternoon of
the fatal day she dressed herself for the
play. Her death sis described easily,
Caught 10 the dense surginR crowd, the
flames descended upon them all, CHAIR
ing and consuming only the necks and
the heads with the fiery heat. Most Of
the better preserved bodies show one arm
rplifted as if struggling for freedom,
while the other hand is closely pressed
to the mouth to exclude the destroying
breath of the fire. Others have the
heads and upper part of the bodies
without disfgurement, while the feet and
legs are charred off. Other victims are
represented by the trunk alone. The
heads, feet and legs are missing entirely.
Those who were exposed to the flames,
are IS dark as Africans, but with the
form;snd features faithfully preserved.
How the fire originated ia immaterial and
nobody seems to know really how it did
originate, whether by the overturning of
paraffine lamp on the stage or by the
carelessnesS of man lighting the lights
in the flee, or whether piece Of scenery
was driven by a draft, for which the
theatre was renowned, over the blaze Of
the auditorium. Every precaution for
the security Of the audience was there
except the drill and discipline Of the at
PENDANTS who with their director are re-
sponsible for the catastr ophe. The audi
ence was helpless. The bravest man
could do nothing, The shouts Of Direc-
tor Jonour to the audience endeavoring
to quiet them by saying there was no
danger reads to-day like the act of man
deprived of his senses. TIE calmest
head, the bravest heart could have done
nothing to save those nearest and dearest
to him, It was almost impossible to save
anyone but ene's self. Several of those |
who escaped are to-day madmsn. Last |
night about midnight young man be- |
longing, by his dress, to the upper classes,
was found in side street, near the burn |
ing theatre. bareheaded and singed, in |
sanity expressed in his staring eyes and |
crying out necessarily q single word
fanatic, AMstie." He held a strip of |
fur worn by ladies around the neck, hys-
terically to his bosom. "Where do you |
live? Have courage" said a compass
sionate bystsnder, but his only answer |
was "AmGtia, Amstie. | spr2ng down |
but she is being burned within, she is |
being buried within"
Two bank officials end twenty mem ers
of the FrRis Exchange, ars missing. a
score of medical students are among the
victims. The majority Of the DEED are
hsndworkers, clerks and people of
limited means. The Vienna fire depart
ment proved itself supremely inefficient.
There was only one FIRE engine, giving a
stream scarcely larger than finger, and
it could net reach the upper portion of
the louise. The hand engines were only
fed from barrels driven in the ground.
There was 40 fire escape, and the ladders
came late on the ground, and when they
arrived much time was lost in planting
them. There was great display of
military, who Kept order, but of efficient
fremen and apparatus there was q
lamentable lack.
There is to be q searching official in
Qpry into the cause Of the fire. end who
is culpa5s. The Wtenef ALLqemeiR
Zeitung demands that all the theatres in
the city, with the exception o. the opera
house, be closed at once, and not
allowed, to reopen until all the en-
frances, exits, galleries and passages are
rebuilt, so as to assure safety to the
audience. 1t declares the periodical ex-
aminations Of the theatres by the police
to be q farce, and that it is criminal neg
ligence on the part of the authorities 20
allow daily 10000 citizens to be jeopsr-
died by the hysterical shrek of a
woman or the negligence of q workman.
Criminal procedures should be taken
against those responsible for the pre- eDt
catastrophe.
III COlStO5tO--s = CA1 OulN AuQ u lew
notes. Large sums Of money were sub
scribed to-day. On Sunday, the after
noon matinees at all the theatres are to
be for the benefit of the sufferers. The
Emperor has given $4,000 FERNS. Much |
dissatisfsclien is expressed that Hef
Opera and Burg and Wieden theatres |
should have opened tonight At the |
former only few persons were present,
and as the doors were closed at 8, I pre-
sumo the whole performance was not |
given. Many places Of business were
closed all day. Among the victims is
one entire family Of seven. The father
arrived home on Thursday, after six
months absence, and celebrated his
birthday by taking all to the theatre. |
Many bodies lack hands or feet, which |
were torn off in the struggle for life. One |
young lady lost both arms. Tonight |
only pieces of bodies can be recovered.
The fire still burns in the upper loggie.
Some corpaes are crushed almost fat. |
Among the bodies found were those of a |
mother and child seated embracing each |
other on the steps leading to the second |
gallery. The stairs to the third and |
fourth galleries were found barricsded |
with such Raass ofovercoRts, umbrellas.
jackets, shawls and bonnets that the |
workmen had 70 clear these away before |
they could proceed to the inside. The |
third oallary had far uiotiroa mn ,,.o,D