The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-03-25
HORRIBLE HOLOCAUST.
Burning OF the Italian Opera- House
at Nfce. France.
FEARPuL Loss or LIPE REPORTED--A SCENE
OF TERROR AND DIsNAY-OyE HUNDRED
AND FIFTr BODIES ALREADY Recovered
FROM THE RUINS. &C., &C.


NICE. March PA fire broke out in the
Italian Opera-House in Nice last evening AT
the commencement OF the opera. II i
feared that q hundred men and women
peri>hed In the flames. Fourteen bodies
have been brought out.
DETAILS or THE CALAMITY.
Up TO this hour iifty.nine bodies have been
recovered from the ruins OF the IIaIian
Opera House which was DESTROYED by ire
hast night. u is feared that many n ore
PERSONS los. their lives. The tire COM
meneed soon after the curtain bid risen for
The performance " Lucia hi Lammer-
moor" The subscribers for toe orchestra
stalls and the boxes Of The grand Tier
bad mostly not arrived. 4 maiNritv
Of The victims belong to the working
class. shortly after the fire began
the gas exploded. and the house wa,
plunged into complete darkne.>. A scene
Of terrer and di>may ensued which beggar,
description. \ detachment Of sailors from
squadron in the barbor arrived on the
scene with pumps, and displayed great cal
IIntiy IN rescuing people and combating
the tre, which was subdued towards IL
O'Clock. NJ. Slrako>h, imprcs,arlo. was
slightly hurt. SignOra a. Blanca Douandi.
one of the leading artists, made her WY
from the stage TO the street safely. one
whole family 81 five persons. and another
OF three persons, are known - have perish
ed. Relief subscriptions for the sufferers
have been opened throughout Nice. The
regatta here has been cOuntcrmauded, and
the y3lue Of tue prizes 10 have been con-
tested for will he contributed towards the
relief Of the distress.
CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
II has been a~certaiuCd that the cause OF
the IRE which DESTROYED the opera-hou,e n
Nice last night was leik IN the gIs-plpCS
behind the scenes. The leak WAS caused
suddenly in some WAY yet unknown. ana
allowed great volumes ~ gaS 20 escape.
ihi> lgnited before The leak was discovered
from the rear stage hgbt>. and the explosion
winch followed AT once set all the scenery
and luflmmable material on tle stage CD
fire ana before The audience recovered from
iuriI tr,t horror the entire bu'diug was Ia
Il MES. t. add 10 the c,luity, some one
TUNED tire ga> Oh IN 30 Effort io stop ine
iirt. and then terrible PANE 'r,lcd. The
audience seemed frantic. and in eudeavor-
49,. 10 escape all sougul por-oD1i safety, aud
the Heake: men and women were rDmoi>c-
!e>,ly knocked aside and tr1mued ugon.
Many Of tae actor, aud chori, we've burned
20 death. One hundred ana nity ed and
chllred bodies have already been dug ou'
~ the ruins to-day.
ANOTHER REPORT REDUCES THE NUvB.E OF
VICTIMS.
NICE March 24-Up 20 Q O'Clock tli- af-
tcIuoon >iXty.ilrer c1rp>e> had been ,Xill-
cI,cd from ihe ruins Of Tie Opc'a House,
mos. 81 those being Italian art>iu>.
TIE BURNT THEATRE-IT> PATR0Ns.
The Thta'rc Municipal it1lien. where the
| lire took place, l. ,uoyentouc. ht tie tow
| OF Nee for the performance ~ orer1. II
i II quite recent construction. II :, sup
ported manly bg The subscriptions OF the
foreign colony. L. entertainment = OF the
/ highest clas,, and the best singers generally
lind tine 10 appear before ihe opening OF
the London season. Alblui WIS there
/ last wear, and won notable >uc". s>e>.
| Ad.liua Patti and Nicplini wer" there .
month ago, and received 24.Oe1f. Tor
three performances. All the fI>hI nable
world which j, now gathered a. Nee Wa
noubtle,s present when the tire broke out.
II was m" first day OF the regatta. Ihcr"
had been keen competition for tie Grand
Prlz- Of Nice. worth 10000 france: for the
prlza, offered by The Yacht Cluh 81 France,
and for the ~ Ives Of the " Biie de- Anges.
There bad been c1n0. race, fishing mack
races. and pleasure. boat rae :. Swans Of
people always flock 10 The regatta. Pail-
and Genoa contribute their contingent, ana
TIE green board Of Monaco J., fol mo-
ment deserted. Grand performances are
siyen al the opera each nieh, al The COM
petition. and the wife of TIE president Of The
Mediterranean club, VINO va, once known
d, sophie CruSelE, generally ors1uizrs a
representation in favor Of the poor. Flure
Wa expected from Pirl- 10 time for TIE re-
g9;ta. The mpany at Nice w2s q brilliant
q, ever IN year. The death II the Care.
called the Grand Oak and tier 5icc--de-
camp ana closed all RE fashionable Russian
hou.c,. But the French and EU-i>a ari>-
rocr.cy have been vel represented, anI all
did TIER best 10 mike the ,a,e oIruryal ls
merry q, possible. The bge viii hrin. tie
season 20 4 disastrous close.