The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-12-14
THE GREAT FIRE.

With each day additional facts are
wzaSealed in connection with the burn
Ezag Of the Ring Theatre at Vienna,
axzd the unparalleled loss OF life con-
susnt upon that terrible event.
These developments only tend the
s9uure to show how cold-blooded and
Indifferent we're the managers with
regard to the safety OF their
,sxadieuces. Even costumes and in'
=struments we're saved from the
Sli.fsted building. but it has yet to be
.saaoWn that the slightest effort Was
made to save the lives Of the hum
.i3reds of helpless victims, forced to
remain in the burning edi6ce. It
-GsW appears that large door in the
:usAr OF the theatre was thrown open,
and that the draft created by this
zneans drove the flames into the
-.Gaditorium. Had this door BEEN
KEPT closed, the audience, or great
Eertion of it, would have had time
90 reach~th street before the flames
rendered escape impossible. The
safety exits were actually fastened so
chat they could not be opened, and
s,s1l tbs other precautionary appoint
~Gents were neglected alike. The
ssremen were absent from their post,
sae gas was turned of, the lamps
we're not lighted according to the
municipal orders, and everywhere the
same disregard for the safety of life
eSxAs manifested. II ever there was
sscass OF pure and unsdulterated GRIM
<asl negligence, this is one; and no
9unisbment that can be inflicted
ga those whose duty it was to
see that the precautions against
Gire were carried into effect, would be
zRwarranted. The alazm connecting
>&hssbnildipg With the fire department.
WAS seut of order; in fact, among all
the facilities provided against Ere, it
.-zzhas yets to be learned that the FIRST
-ans vas applied, or was in condition
80 be applied. The horror of the act
of the police in blocking up the way
out o. toe theatre and absolutely
sSarcjng thOss who might have escaped,
e-Eo perish in awful sgonies, is unmiti-
gated by the fact that their object
was to prevent the multitude from
E.Tushing into the building and perhaps
t getting killed. They even arrested
those &c mad, who urged the throRg
to break through and save the VIC
tins inside the building. Perhaps
the most striking and disgusting re-
Gsctien in this connection, is the fact
that, with such vast throng present,
and on such An occasion, the whole
dismal aad hsArtrending scene is IN
relieved by q single act of bravery OF
self-sacrifce. It's question. if another
instance Of the kind can be pointed
out where, in such g multitude. no
one manifested feeling of humanity
or spirit of bravery sufficient to in.
-duce him to risk himself for the sake
of others. The action of the en-.
pioyes is perhaps as coWardly and
oraVen-hearted as can be found in
history, and the world would be the
better il they were swept from the
lace of the earth. The whole story,
from frat to last. is without single
z-sdeeming feature or mitigating act,
and will go down to posterity as az
occurrence upon which succeeding
generations will blush to think OF az
having taken plsce ia an sge Of such
boosted enlightenment, civilization
and regard for human life.
a natural result OF this fearful
event is that precautionary measure.
are being taken in al pa.ts of En-.
rope. Had il been any other than
shs Bling Theatre which was burned
With GO terrible . los Of life, there