Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-12-14
The Vienna Horror.

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account Of the Vienna catastrophe, OF
which the following is an extract;
We write with death in our hearts, I'M
able to find words to describe the pain
which we suffer. A terrible calamity befel
our city to-day. The Ring theatre, form
erly known as the Opera COmlque, is IN
ashes, and hundreds of human beings are
victims ofthe catastrophe. At .: so O'Clock
the FIRE broke out. The theatre was pretty
well filed. but happily not entirely crowd !
ed. The boxes were still empty, but The
galleries and balcony were filled. The
over.rue had not yet begun. How the tire
commenced cannot yet be definitely stated.
and probably it will never be known. Ac-
corning to one version the scenery was
Ignited by a spark from the electric ma
chinery; accOr ling to another,a workman
with IN alcohol lamp caused the dists er.
| The former version is the moro likely one
In a moment after the "hics" we're wrap
ped in d tmes and the net work of woo I,
ropes and canvas was burning like tin ter.
| The. people on the stage were stupeti'st
with fear at first, and they speedily took
TO fl CHI. in the most terrinle confusion,
low ,rds the ladies' dressing rooms, on The
left OF the stage. where small staircase
led to the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. In
moment the curtain few up. and the draft
blew it hither and thither until, like fiery
tongue, it darted back and f'urlh from the
auditorium to the stage The fire became
the master of the Ring theatre. Fire!
tire" Ring theatre is on fire. was the cry
hat went from mouth TO mouth on the
Ringstrasse The flames were already
bursting through the roof, and cries. such
as Vienna never heard before, filed the
| air. The scene was indescriba0le. All
those inside the fatal building were push
ing their way toward the street, which
vas densely crowded at all points. The
audience from the theatre struggled and
cru he'd each other in the peristyle and
foyer, and confusion reigned supreme.
GA the stage and in the dressing rooms
here were Two hundred people; most of
he,e were ballet girls, all of whom we're
stirred in their stage costume. At the
-tage exit the actors got jlmmed, and he
ionr was literally plugged up with human
"'oiies, and it is believed that most of the
numper were burned 10 death. When The
lire behind he dorp bec-me great enough
- be sen through the painted fabric BY
the audience, they naturally supposed it
the result of the stage experiments with
the calciums to be used during the ballet,
md paid no further attention to it. The
flames attacked the drop at all points ST.
simultaneously, and it seemed to Instantly
disappear and the whole auditorium was
IN thoughts time in the complete grasp
IF the fire, which spread like one vssJ
sheet OF tightening. What followed is in
iescribable. The people became demenl ed
and fell upon one another like beasts.
Some few got into the passages, but there
all was dark, as both the gas and The
electric lights were cut of. In the midst
of all this te ror tn noise of the terrible
explosion showed that the gas tank had
burst. and at this time the flames bur st
through the roof and through most of the
windows, and the entire space between
the walls of the large building was like a
vast furnace in white heat, with living
human bodies for Goals.
The sight attracted the whole town to
he scene, and thoughtful people took
thither clothes ropes, ladders and axes.
The great Turner's fire brigade were soon
1t the theatre, and took charge of the life
saving apparatus. The Turner's began ut
nee breaking in the walls around the
rXlls and dragging out the bodies piled
hereby. In this way they managed to
save several lives, but the flames soon
lrove them away from the walls l he
strudy fellows then organized blankets
service. and invited those at the windows
m the high first floor TO Jump.
TERRIFIC SCENES IN THE AUDITORIUM.
A few seconds, says the Wiener dNoe-
oleine Zeitung, after the commencement
Of the fire 1t had gained rapid Roadway
inside, and had reached the gas fixtures
rhe lights suddenly went out IN all he
corridors of the theatre, in the wardrobe
md restaurants In the Hobbies dtl k night
reigned. A lurid light was unv seen in
he auditorium, where the devouring
flames carried disaster, hut still showed to
some few the road to safety. But the
>taircases-tho>e unhappy sItircases i'm
one moment they were filled up and
obstI uCted. The crowd pressed on
trtmpled, fell down, and fresh masses .
Iugllives went over the bodies Of the IN
lappv ones who had fallen. Tnere WAS
no escape, there could be none. rs one
pressed against the other Some few who
lad jumped up in the first moment got
through; now and then strong mn Also
|
we're seen some faces, blackencd by the
smoke and reeking with blood.
Fifteen long minutes passed. The mos
rloody battle, which decides the fate OF
King or crown, could scarcely have de-
maDded so many deaths as those IF esn
minutes. At last the first engines arrived
rhe parquet and the boxes had meanwhile
Deen empted quickly enough. Climbing
and jumping over the seats, the crowd had
.ound an exit But in the galleries death
reaped a fearful harvest, especially on the
rft side and on the third, where door
caught fire The tiremen who came in
saw the most dire spectacle. In lines and
heaps, dead men and women lay at the
doors and entrances in such thick knots
hat they could hardly be disentangled.
dore than once couple of corpses were
brought out, man and wife, who had en-
wned themselves in death. The smoke
uad had pity on them and had executed
lie sentence of desth before the flames
could do their devouring work Persons
we're found sutfocated and crushed to
lesth, but no marks of burning were on
hem There were no ladders at first.
One single stepadder was to be found and
few long minutes passed before it was
got into order.
Sheets had meanwhile been opened and
md the persons standing up stairs were
encouraged TO jump down. Women were
he first TO jump. 1t was terrible to SEE
now one after the other made the leap
trough the air. The men followed Then
,saln women. An old gentleman insist
ell that two boys should jump first. Onr
Of them refused to go and caught hold
with his hands of the window bar. His
myers we're trod on and he fell into the
street. Fifty persons were in this WA,
saved. In the thick crowd strange forms
appeared naked, half naked. strangely
dressed people. They were artists One
them wore nothing but white under
jacket and powdered wig. second
one did not even wear as much as that
The lady dressed in a students costume
If red velvet, who had to sin. the part of
be student Nicholas, was followed by
another one in AN airy night robe. The
cafes in the neighborhood were changed
into dressing rooms and warming cnam.