Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-03-25

sons and another FAMILY OF ghree persons are
known to have persisted. Relief subscrip-
tions for the sufferers have been opened
throughout Nice. The regatta here has been
countermanded, and the value of the prizes
to have been contested for will be contributed
toward the relief of the distress.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
NEW York, March 24th.-A dispatch from
Nice says: The holocaust at the Opera House
last evening was caused by gas explosion at
the back of the stage, which set fire to the
scenery. The flames spread with alarming
rapidly, and soon enveloped the gas meter.
The supply of gas being cut off the body Of
the house was soon
PLUNGED IN DARKNESS.
The crowd pressed madly towards the limited
means of exit. The audience was large, and
in the panic hundreds were thrown down and
trodden under foot. Those who endeavored
to extricate the people hopelessly jammed
between the doorway and passages DESERT E
the scene as terrible. The shrieks Of The
wounded mingled with the cries of those in
the galleries, where every means OF escape
was cut off, Nine. Donadio, the prima
donna, was saved, but the tenor, basso, bari
burned. Up to midnight
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY BODIES WERE Xxx
IRRIGATED
From the ruins. A man who escaped from
the upper gallery by jumping declares that
with perhaps dozen exceptions every person
in his part of the house was burned. Some
sailors were lost. a number OF American
and English visitors rendered signal assist
ance in saving life. The scene in town is in
describable. One lady, whose husband was
burned to death, committed suicide. The
usual complaintst were made respecting the
defective means of escape and water supply.
Although the Mediterranean washes the
shore at the foot of the walls Of the theateF,
no water could be obtained when wanted,
and the beautiful Opera House was CON-
plete wreck. Colonel Mapleson, Signor
Arditti, Signor Monti and Nine. Gerster's
husband, at rehearsal to-day in the Academy
of Music in this city, were much depressed
by the news of the terrible calamity at
Nice. Donadio sang in New York with AL
bani some years ago. The tenor was known to
be Devilliers, a Frenchman, 50 years of age,
and not remarkable for any excellence on the
lyric stage. The baritone was Carboni and
the basso Pole named Miller, who has en-
ioyed a continental reputation many years
He was an old man, over GO perhaps. Signor
Monti knew him well, and was much af-
fected by the report of the injuries he had
sustained. Ferdinand Strakosch is believed
to have been the impressario of the troupe
Signor Bologuini was manager Of the theater
Charles Mapleson said
THE THEATER
Cost in the neighborhood of $3.50 600, and
was built without regard to architectural de-
sign. The outside walls were brick chiefly,
with blocks of stone interlarded, for no SEEM
ing purpose further than to make the struc-
ture appear unsightly. The interior looked
very pretty, with its ornamented walls and
ceilings, and dazzling gilded work, but it was
all "gimcrack." / have heard professional
people who are accustomed to the strong
built and handsome theaters in America say
"What magnificent structure fer bon
fire." 1t resembled great many Of the
lightly-built theaters found in the south of
France. Like all theaters established at
watering places, its season was short, never
extending over three months in q year. The
star there this year was Miss Rosina Isidore,
who last year made success in London,
She is a protege of Baroness Rothschild.
Her parents reside in st. Louis. Mo.
Many persons were trampled to death in
the stampede 20 get out. 1t does not appear
at present that any Americans were among
the victims. The sole occupant of the stage
when the explosion occurred was seen en-
veloped in flames The injury of Strakosch
was only slight confusion of the leg. Eleven
more bodies are said to be under the ruins.
The exits of the theater were narrow and
badly arranged. Signora Donadio was to
have appeared for the first time at the Opera
House on the night of the fire. A gas jet set
fire to some of the scenery, and as the curtain
was down the public were unaware of the
danger until the gas exploded, when the
smoke became suffocatipgly thick. People
tried to throw themselves from the small
windows in the rear of the theater.
STILL FURTHER DETAILS.
NICE, March 24th.-Most Of the artists
were in their dressing rooms, and were aware
of their danger but it was too late to escape.
The choristers rushed along the narrow pas
sage in the darkness, presumably too much
disabled in the crush to escape. The basso,
tenor and baritone must have been sIffo
Gated. Their bodies are presumably under
the ruins The parts Of the theater most filed
were the upper galleries, and as the distance
from them to the doors was long and by mar
row corridors and stairways, the people in
the galleries had the greatest difficulty in es-
caping. There was very inadequate supply
of water. The sailors who volunteered as
firemen piled buckets of sea water, which,
however, were almest useless. Two midship-
men rescued two persons from chamber. who
are still living but horribly scorched. one be-
lug raging luuatic. Some of the bodies
found are so horribly charred that recogni-
ton is impossible. The body of one of the
cinoarc hos hean racoppizod