The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1881-12-09
BURNED.
Destruction by Fire Of the Ring
Y Theatre at Vienna.
FOUR HUNDRED DEAD.
VIENNA, Dec. 9a-3 A. N.

maculate Conception, but 1t ended with
q public calamity nnparalle In the bis
tory Of Vienna. A few minutes before
seven and before the commencement OF
the second performance In Vienna OF
Ofenbsch's latest work, "Less Contes
d'Hoffmann," the Ring Theatre, for
merly known % the Opera Comique on
tbe Sehotten King, the second fDest
theatre 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 theatre was
stepped In lurid glow, the reflection Of
the burning pile. Seven o'clock Is the
hour for the commencement of plays at
the Vienna theatres, and 1t was feared
that the loss OF life would be vast. Light
sDow fell during the afternoon. II was
known that ell the theatres would be
crowded. Fortunately the catastrophe
happened some minutes before seven.
The galleries were already crowded,
while but few people had appeared In
the boxes and only about . score Of
people had taken their places In the
parQuet. Little can yet be gathered 40
to the origin OF the catastrophe. The
people who escaped have but dim idea
Of what really happened, and the Wild
est rnmors prevail.
THE FIRST SCENE.
Those who were among tho audi
ence say that suddenly the curtain
was raised and the fire discovered
raging 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 to suffocation. At present
hundreds Of sanitary litters are being
carried toward the theatre by swift
footed men, who then bear away their
burden of the dead. Company on
company Of soldiers are still arriving
on the ground to relieve other COM
panies, who have been assisting the
firemen in their duties. At eleven
O'Clock the. inside of the theatre was
quite gutted, only the beautiful front
of the theatre being left standing.
The four statues of the Muses. and
the gilded angel with the trumpet
browning the front were then erect,
and stood boldly out from a back
ground Of flames yet unspbdued. In
this theatre Adelina Patti generally
sings when in Vienna, and Sarah
Bernhardt recently concluded her en-
gagement and was engaged to play
there again in January. Herr tanner,
formerly director of the Grand Opera,
is director Of the Ring Theatre.
| THE DEATH ROLL.
At one o'clock it was discovered
that the death roll of the Ring Theatre
catostophe was much larger than at
first rumored. An American physi-
clan, who had just returned from a
visit to the Allgemeine Kranksnhaus,
told me that he had seen eighty-eight
men and forty four women laid out in
that institution alone. Their faces
were black and their tongues protrud.
ing, with froth issuing from their
mouths-all the symptoms of suffoca-
tion. When he left the Krankenhaus
at midnight they were still carrying
in the the dead. He described the
sight as horrible in the extreme,
Friends were striving to identify
friends, and relatives their relatives.
Women were rushing about almost
crazy from fruitless search.
By two O'Clock 240 bodies bad been
taken out Of the theatre. 1t was thought
that hundred more were still among
the ruins. Reports up to two O'Clock
were Of the dead from the third gallery
alone, where ninety corpses were found
In one mass. The fourth gallery had
not yet been searched. 1t appears thai
the men who bad charge of the Iron
screen which should be let down in case
Of fire, thus dividing the stage from the
auditorium, deserted their posts wheI
the fire broke out.
-FOUR HUNDRED BURNED.
1t is probable that the death list will
be fully four hui dred. The latest re
ports say that the crowds In the CALLER
les pressed in their despair towards the
doors, and, crushing each other, pre-
vented most of the number from escap-
ing. The smoke and fumes completed
the work Of death within FIVE minutes
after the first alarm had been given
The firemen are still at work will
torches searching the lower parts Of the
house. At present it 10 considered un-
safe to enter the uppermost gallery
where the dead lie In great masses
Half Of Vienna will be in mourning TO
day for their friends and relatives.
believe no Americans arc among til,
dead, though 1t 10 possible that seme o
the medical students who frequent tn,
cheaper places In the Vienna theatre
may be among them.