New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-09
DETAILS OF THE CALAMITY.
INTENSE NORTHUMBERLAND EFFORTS To ESCAPE

INTENSE TxcIrEMENT-vAIN EFFORTS TO Es0AfI-
A FATAL BLUNDER.
v1rxxA Dec. o: 80 D. m.-The Ring Theatre
tor,or,v the Comic Opera House. where
Sarah Bernhardt recently performed, took
fire at 7 O'Clock tonight, just before 'he
beginning of the OPERA LES Contes Honhan'
The fire was caused by the fall of lamp on 'he
stage The house was tOerably full, and the loss Oh
life is very great Up to the present time seventy
bodies have been recovered. Many persons were
injured. Sixty were saved by means of ladders ana
by Jumping into cloths held below. The gleates'
efforts were made to save life. The scene was ter
ribe, the flames shooting up through the rooi anu
eventually cutting the entire building
TIE IRON PARTITION NOT LOWERED.
11.p.m-One hundred and forty-fvc bodies have
been brought out of the theatre but the dead
therein are still numerous many bodies having Deen
consumed in the galleries and other elevated parts
of the building. The chief cause of the catastrophe
was that in the confusion the iron partition separat
ing the stage from the auditorium not lowered
Thousands of people assembled in the neighboring
streets where they could hear the cries of agony of
the people at the windows of the theatre praying to
be saved.
The rapidity of the flames prevented the people
from taking advantage Of the ordinary exits Only
asmall proportion of the audience saved themselves
which they did by leaping from windows three
stories high into cloths held below.
THE BODIES FEARFULLY DIsFIGURED.
Mdagkt-The taking out of bodies from the
theatre continues. 1t is estimated that 800 persons
perlshed Some of the bodies are fearfuly dis
figured. Several persons were injured III sprlngmg
hom the windows of the theatre.
Among the missing are Herr Fife Court Musical Di-
rector and Herr Hellmersperger. Most of the bodies
identified up to the present time are those of trades
men and minor officials. On the spreading of the
news of the disaster the performances at the other
theatres were stopped.
ABOUT 2, 900 PEOPLE IN THE THEATRE
LONDON, Dec 9.-The Standards dispatch from
Vienna says: at is estimated that the audience in
the theatre numbered 1000 Many persons were
trampled to death in the panic which ensued As
soon as the fire was seen there was explosion of
gas, and the audience were plunged in darkness"
The Ring Theatre was built about the year 1878,
TO meet the demand for dramatic entertainments
occasioned by the influx Of people to attend the
Great Exhibition Its site was in the Ring the live
lest and most brilliant part of the city,
consisting of a series of broad streets, planted with
trees which amOst, t,encrcle the old city of Vienna
The most important public squares are on the Ring
which occupies the site of the former fortihcatlons
Vienna has about nine theatres, the chief ones
being the HOfburg the Karnthnerthor and the
Theater an der Wien. The piece which was being
played at the time of the fire was an operetta by
Ofenbach founded on the writings of Hoffman,.
It was the last work of the French composer and
was produced in Paris last spring