The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1881-12-17

prisoner cOnlraQlcteu SOlne u tueAI d5SSAtAOlls
and became angry over others.
Terrible Loss Of Life In a Burning
Theater.
The destruction by fire of the Ring theatei
in Vienna one of the leading places OF amuse-
ment in the Austrian capt. al, is one OF the most
heartrending calamites of modern times. The
dispatches say: Researches show that the upper
gallery must have fallen into the pit, where
the only remains found are small fragments Of
BONE Beyond a doubt 900 gallery tickets had
been issued. One hundred holders Of these
are known to have jumped from windows.
Competent judges fear that the loss Of life will
be found to be fully 700. Under the circum-
stances appalling as is the loss of life, it is al
most to be wondered at that so many persons
escaped It is estimated that about 1000
men, women and children were in the
honse when the fire broke out, and
placing the loss Of life at 700, which
it is to be hoped is an extravagant esti-
mate, about 1900 either managed to make
their escape, in spite Of the panic or the mis-
cradle arrangements Of the house, and were
rescued from the flames by the gallant fremen
and soldiers. OF these, about $50 are now lying
in the various hospitals Of the city, wounded
aad suffering intensely. Some Of them are
mangled so severely that they have lost all
semblance OF humanity Many will probably
die; others will recover but they will be manned
and distgured for life. The fire was started at
about GAS, while the curtain was still down.
The house. fortunately, was not filled, many of
the holders of boxes and the more desirable
seats not having arrived. The audience continued
to buzz and seat itself, and the lobby was
thronged with ladies and gentlemen indulging
in a final chat before taking their places in the
boxes, when, suddenly, the flames attacked the
drop curtain, and burst forth in one large sheet
which swept away the canvas in an instant. The
scene which followed can never be adequately
described. A loud shrek of Fire went up from
1000 terrified men and women, and an imme-
date movement toward the narrow doors was
begun from all quarters of the house. Women
screamed and tainted, men yelled and pushed
over the PROSTATE forms Of the weaker,
trampling them without mercy in their struggle
TO gain the passageways. In the midst of
the confusion the noise Of terrific explosion
was added to the shrleks of the persons impris-
oned in the building, which had now become
furnace, and the lights in the house were in
stantly extinguished. The gas-tank had
burst, and the narrow, complicated passages
leading from the galleries were in total dark
ness. The doorways became damned with
the fighting throng and soon it was impossi-
bic TO go forward or retreat. AS the gas-tank
exploded, the flames pierced the roof Of the
theater, and the Schotten Ring was ablaze
with light The interior of the building was
their tracks, and lay where they fell until
sutfocation ended their misery. Despair and
frenzy seem to have taken possession of the oc-
cupants of the galleries. Gut off from all re-
treat by way of the narrow staircase, which was
clogged by mass of humanity, and having no
windows from which to throw themselves,
many of the maddened men and women cast
themselves headlong from the fourth gallery
to the pit below, where they were either in
stantly killed by the fall or persisted by suffo-
cation. Others gave themselves up without
struggle and calmly awaited certain death in
the furnace, which was now at white heat.
The alarm of the fire spread rapidly
throughout the city, and in very short time
the neighborhood OF the theater was packed
with a crowd of eager men, all anxious to ex-
tend help to the dying prisoners, but wanting
the means. A light snow was falling, and this
added to the fearful character Of the scene.
Within ten minutes after the fire had gained
possession of the auditorium the Turner's fire
brigade WAS on the ground, and the work OF
endeavoring to rescue the sufferers began.
The walls near the choked-up entrances were
knocked away. and great numbers OF people
were thus set free. The flames from the burn
ing building, however, soon became 30 fierce
that the fremen were obliged to give up this
scheme of deliverance. Then they held large
blankets outstretched and into these the i'm
prisoned men jumped from the windows OF the
first floor above the pit. In this way fifty per-
sons were rescued without receiving scratch.
Then the heat became so intense that 1t was
impossible to stand near the burning theater,
and the brave firemen were obliged to give up
the work OF rescue. All who remained within
the walls Of the theater at this time were
doomed, and the shrieks OF the victims as they
slowly roasted to death were a9onlzlng to the
great multitude who watched the progress of
the fire. Bv II O'Clock, in little more than
fo,, tl,a done work
nothing remained of the Ring theater but the
four walls and the statutes OF the three muses.
and the gilded angel with his trumpet, which
ornamented its beautiful front 1t was many
hours more before it was possible to explore
the ruins in search of the bodies.
Additional details from Vienna say that 50O
bodies had been recovered and that the num-
her of missing is GIT. On the arrival OF the
FIRE brigade after the fire broke out it was
found impossible to penetrate beyond the first
tier Of the theater, the rush OF sutfocatlng
smoke and air extinguishing the lamps and
torches. The fremen retired under mo-
mentarv impression, because their shouts were
not answered, that there were no more people
in the theater. Those who escaped on the firss
alarm however soon undeceived them. An
other effort was then made to penetrate the
parts of the theater which were not actually
blazing. In the narrow passage between
the second and third galleries a mass
Of corpses was discovered, some go
closely interlocked that it was hardly
possible to part them. The first man discov-
cred was got out alive, but all the rest were
dead. These were persons who had lost their
way in consequence of the turning off f Of the h.
gas which, it is now ascertained, was done by
some irresponsible person with a view to pre-
vent an explosion. Some men were found with
their hands grasping each others Threats. Sub
sequent Investigations showed that in some
cases persons finding escape hopeless had com
mitted suicide. 1t is stated by 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 Subscriptions were
Immediately opened for the relief of the fami-
lies of the dead, the emperor heading the list
with 25, 900 forms.
From surveys taken in the Province
of Ufa, Russia, it appears that the for
mer forest area of 1877, 900 acres has
now been diminished by more than