Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1881-12-10

ESPECIAL TO THE sENTINEL.l
New YORK, Dec. 9.-The Herald's cable
from Vienna says: Yesterday was a fete
day in Vienna, in celebration of the I'm
maculate Conception, but it ended in a
calamity unparalleled in the history Of
Vienna. A few minutes before z O'Clock,
just before the second performance Of
Offenbach's latest work, Les Contes De
Hoffman, the Ring Theater, formerly
known as the Opera Comique, ON the
Scotch Ring, the second finest theater in
the city, opened in 1878, was discovered to
be in flames. The fire quickly spread,
and in ten minutes all the city for miles
around the theater was stepped in a lurid
glow. Seven o'clock is the hour for the
beginning Of plays in the Vienna theaters,
and it was feared that the loss of life
would be vast. A light snow fell during
the afternoon. 1t was known that all the
theaters would be crowded. Fortunately
the catastrophe happened a few minutes
before 7 O'Clock. The galleries we're al
ready crowded, while but few persons
had appeared in the boxes, and only about
a score had taken places in the parquette,
Little can yet be gathered as to the origin
of the catastrophe. The people who.e s
capped have but o dim idea of what really
happened, and the widest rumors prevail.
Those who were among the audience say
that suddenly the curtain was raised and
the fire discovered raging on the stage,
and that the usual strife for life by those
in the upper galleries commenced. Many
sprang from the uppermost gallery and
were killed, while Of those who remained
it is impossible to say how many lost their
lives<< Death appears to have been due tc
suffocation. At present hundreds Of sani
tary litters are being carried towards
the theater by swift-footed men in
service, who then bear away theii
burden dead. Companies OF soldiers are
still arriving on the ground to re-
lieve the other companies who have beer
assisting the firemen in their duties. Al
II o'clock the inside of the theater wal
quite Quilted, only the beautiful front par
of the theater being standing. The foul
statues of the MUSES., the gilded angel
with a trumpet browning the front, wert
there erect, and stood boldly out from
background of flames yet u~nsubdued. In
this theater Adelina Patti generally
sang when in Vienna, and Sarah Bern.
hardt recently concluded an engagement
and was engaged to play here again in
January. Herr tanner, formerly Director
of the Grand Opera, is Director of the
Ring Theater. 1t is probable that the
death list will be fully 400. The latest
reports say that the crowd in the galleries
pressed in their despair toward the doors
and crushing each other, prevented mos
Of the number from escaping. The smoke
and fumes completed the work of death in
five minutes after the first alarm had beer
given. The firemen are still at work with
torches searching the lower parts Of thu
house. At present it is considered unsafe
to enter the uppermost gallery, where the
dead lie in great masses. Half of Vienna
will be in mourning to-day for friends and
relatives. / believe no Americans arr
among the dead, though it is possible tina
some of the medical students who fire.
quent the cheaper places in the theatel
may be among them.