Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-12-15
A THEATER BURNED.
Eight Hundred People Perish In the
Flames.-A Terrible Catastrophe.
[Br Cable to the PIain Dealer. ]

| fore the beginning OF the opera Lies
Contes de Hoffman" The fire was
caused ny the fall of lamp on the stage.
The house was tolerably full and the loss
of life was great. There were about
z, 1000 people in the audience. As soon as
the fire broke out panic occurred. The
chief cause of the panic was that. in
the confusion, the iron partition separa-
ting the stage from the auditorium was
not lowered. Thousands OF people as
sembled in the neighboring streets,
where they could hear the cries of agony
of the people at the windows of the the
ater praying to be saved. The rapidity
of the flames prevented the people from
taking advantage of the ordinary exits.
AS soon as the fire was seen there was an
explosion of gas, and the audience was
plunged in darkness.
The people rushed from the entrance
shrieking and trampling each other, and
pursued by the flames. 1t is not vet
known how many perished. but over 300
bodies have been taken out of the ruins
frightfully disfigured.
Sixty were saved by means of ladders
and by jumping into cloths held below.
The greatest efforts were made to save
life. The scene was terrible, the flames
shooting up to the roof and eventually
Quilted the entire building.
VIENNA. Dec. 9.-There is still great
CONSERVATION in the city over the terri.
BILE fire at the Ring Theater last night
The loss of life is still unknown but it is
feared
WILL REACH ENORMOUS FIGURES.
One official states that it will be up
ward of 500 and probably more. Natu-
rally there is great CONSERVATION. Most
of the victims were residents of this
city.
VIENNA, Dec. 10.-The latest estimate
of the loss of life by the destruction of
the Ring Theater is 720. Many of the
bodies are
so HORRIBLY BURNED
as to be beyond Identification. and they
will be buried enmasse on Sunday. The
attitude of the dead is of the strongest
| character. Some men were found
| GRAsPING EACH OTHER BY THE THRoATs,
the nails of the fingers being embedded
in the flesh. Some show self inflicted
mortal wounds, while children were
found in the pit that had been thrown
from galleries by frantic mothers.
TEN CART LOAD OF CoRPsEs
have been taken to the hospital and the
hospital gardens are filled with weeping
relatives, seeking for their missing
friends.
| FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FODIES WERE
| RECOVERED
from the ruins up to midnight last night,
and many areyet seen in the burning
interior.
Among the missing are three profess
ors and number of students, Count
Sregmund Festities and Herr Pengotsky,
member of the Reichsrath, and his
wife.
1t is now ascertained that the fire was
caused by workman setting fire to a
wing with spirit lamp. All of the per-
formers we're saved excepting three girls
who belongs to the choruses.
The Emperor and Empress have SUBJ
scribed 1000 fiorins for the relief of the
distressed. The lower house of the Reich
rath adjourned to day Immediately after
an expression of sympathy for the dis
tressed families. There have been many
SUICIDES CAUSED BY GRIEF
at the loss of relatives and friends in the
fire. The number reported by the police
as missing amounts to 1,136.
The fourth gallery has not vet been ex-
plored, as it has been found impossible,
owing to the fire which still RACES, but it
is seen to be
GRAINED WITH BODIES.
VIENNA, Dec. 10.-Further inquiries as
to the origin of the fire at the Ring The
ater establish the fact that the persons
entrusted with the duties of firemen on
the stage ran off, affrighted at the first
blaze. One even tumbled headlong from
the flies to the stage door, and another
who had charge of the gas, thinking thai
an explosion had occurred or would oc-
cur. turned off the gas at the metre
plunging the theater into darkness unit
, it became illuminated with the flame o.
! the confiagration. A reserve Of petrole
enm lamps, placed in the theatre si1
months before, by order of the police
had not been lighted on this occasion anc
probably had
: NEVER BEEN LIGHTED
after the first month of the order. There
was wire game curtain ready to be lie
!. down in such case of emergency, ant
supposed to be attended to by specia
!. mechanic we'll drilled in the duties. Hat
this curtain been lowered it is propabl
: that every person in the theatre woul,
c have escaped; but either the attendan
could not find the apparatus box, or HI
n was also seized with panic. AnyhoV
he ran and saved his life at the expens
't of 900 or more lives. for whom Vienna
! mourning to-day. Herr Forster, VIII
y built this death trap, styled the Rim
O Theater, says had this curtain been low
cred the fire would not have extende
!. beyond the stage.
On account of the danger of the wall
,. falling the work of removing the dea
bodies from the ruins has been suspend
IL ed until supports have been erected.
In the Reichsrath to-day Count Thaffe
J. the interior, said:
RIGOROUS MEASURES
. would be taken against any one prove
&C guilty of culpable negligence. He pre-
: sented credit of $500 for the suffer
IS ers, which was voted through all il
stages. The government has ordere
q that two policemen shall 60 to each the
!, ater an hour before the commencement
u of the performance to see that all prope
II precautions have been taken to guar
against fire.
vi AN ExAGGERATIoN.
The report that the number of missin
't persons is 1900 is certainly an exagger;
! ton. The theater was only capable {
- holding l,76O, and some portions wei
g empty.
VIENNA, Dec. 12.-An immense col
J. course of people were present this morr
ing at st. Stephens cathedral, where
10 solemn mass of requiem was celebrate