New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-01
THE PARK THEATRE FIRE
SEARCHING IN TIE RUINS.

THE BODY OF LEO NOT FoUND-DEATH OF HENRY,
CLARK. ASSISTANT sTAGE-CARPENTER-THs
LOSSES AND THE AMOUNT OF INSURANCE
The fremen ceased throwing water on the ruins
Of the Park Theatre at $50 a. m. yesterday, and
within q short time the debris was sufficiently
cooled to allow careful and thorough examinss
tion The insurance patrol had taken possession Of
the shops in the Broadway building shortly before
IL o'clock on Monday night aud spread covers over
the goods and fixtures to protect them as much a
possible from the food of water throwu
into them by the fire engnesJ but
such was the character of the property
that comparatively little money was saved
by the precautlon. The propretors OF the shops
without exception were loud In complaints against
the order of Chief Bates, of the Fire Department.
which had prevented them from entering their bus1S
places and carrying their movable property "a
place Of security during the progress Of the FIRE.
They all pointed to the fact that the walls of the
theatre building still standing as an evidence
that Mr. Batess apprehensions that they would fall
and crush the frail buildings had been without
foundation. Mr.. Bates, however. was firm ID
his belief that the cracked north wall nsecure
and refused peremptorily to permit any persons to
90 inside the theatre walls to search for the body Of
John Leo, the stage-carpenter, who, IL ID
considered reasonably certain, perished In the
fire. A great many stage-carpentersfro the othe3
theatres of the city and members of the Theatrical
Mechanics Association, who had come to the ruins
early In the morning in the hope Of being permitted
to search for the dead body of their cOmrade, RS
senUed the order of Chief Bates bitterly.
Finally self-constituted committee, composed QS
James McCnrdy, Joseph Thompson and Henry stilk
man visited John j. German. president OF the FffS
Department and ut 2:30 O'Clock obtained FROM
him written permission TO enter the runs. They
were Joined at once By dozen willing vo Iunteersi
and without waiting to change their clothing -
supply themselves with the proper aids they picked
| their way through the charred beams aud rafterS
and began search which they cons s
devoted most of their labor TO clearing away the
debris the east side of the theatre at the front Of
the stage the spot which had been the foot Of
the staircase leading from above the auditorium to
| the basement They argued that Leo who was al
work in the carpenter shop when the fire was frst
seen had probably first attempted TO escape by th9
ordinary west side door and had been driven 70
the other side by the smoke and fire, and had there
| lost his life
| the forenoon. His men were at work removing
| the carpets, furniture and other articles from
| the rooms in the Broadway buildings. 10 the sur.
prise of ALL 1t found that the only damage done
| in the offices OF Mr. Abbey and his assistants waa
done by water and that the papers In tiedesks wer8
unnjured. Nearly everything on the floor above,
| which was the topmost floor Of the building, wa8
| destroyed. A few articles were taken unharmedS
save the damage done by water, from the wardrobef
but the rest of the properties" were ruined beyond
| reclamation.
Henry Clark, Of No. 3s4 East Third-st, the ss,
sistant stage-carpenter died at lao yesterday
| in the New-York Hospital. He was on the stage at
the time of the breaking out of the fire and was
| quickly enveloped in the flames and badly burnedi
lie succeeded Ill making his way to he broadway
side of the theatre and broke through the second
| window of the third floor. A few feet below wa4
the cOrnice over Illuminated sign. He let himt
self down upon this and was assisted TO reach the
| street by Captain Williams and several cltlzenss
| IIe was terribly burned and was taken at once tq
| the New-York Hospital. His mother and wife werS
| summoned, and passed the night at his bedsidet
| About noon yesterday his wife went home, but was
soon telegraphed for to return to her husbandt
| who was dying He died at 1s45, having been con.
| scious up to the last moment. .
William Doran, who sustained bad compound
fracture of the leg by leaping from window on the
the porch over the balcony entrance was doing
well at the hospital A large number OF friends had
visited him, and he had been permitted by the
| physicians to talk little. No dangerous results
IRON his wounds were feared. Early in in the morn4
ing Mrs Langtry sent message of sympathy to the
| suffering men, accompanied by some flowers and
| some Jelly. In her note she spoke kindly
| and encOuragingy TO the sufferers. The news ot
Clarks death had very depressing effect upon her
spirits
home of John r. Leo. the missing man, No $40 East
| Eighteenth-st. His two daughters were found In
1--WE have given up all hops, Of ever seeing hu3
again" said one of them There can De no donpe
he has gsrshed In N the aMes reTbnaps bops
burned to death, his suttenngs would have hee4
terrible AS it is he may haze been suffOcated and
NAV have died q painless uedln.
review of the losses made yesterday does pot
change the total very much from that printed ~
lHE TRIBUNE, The sufferers are al inclined t2
reckon their losses as total and the fact that tha
accurate estimate impossible The agent of tug
buildings persists IN putting the loss on them ~
| SII5 600 and Mr. Abbey his at YlOO,OOO. Y, III
George claimed yesterday that he had In st9os
goods valued at 100000. They consisted q ims
So5s SspSS S DaDef T%EI Tis
| he said. would necessarily be total. His ins
surance was placed in Twenty-Five companies
nrdav sent away $4,000 in draperes TO justice
stanley Matthews, OF the Supreme Court l9r NY
new house in Washington & ana was aS nsipn wSik pa
anS sns others partly r filed" said Mr. George
think that only $500 900 would make ne whGie,{
that he and his men had been prevented Dy ing
police from attempting to save any OF thedr
and that as result not only was p%eu,s a HAL
Fa1eS bad been ou finished were stolen. Frenchmaq
named G. Alesmonieres, who had lot OF oil ans9
Iyateroo paintings on exhibition in Mr. George !
Mace made similar complaint. He saved most q
bis pictures before the doors were locked, an9
boxed up several and shipped them 70 rance yesteis
U:yaa had been badly damaged, and he was not cer1
tam of the safety of a fine Dupre. =. q
There were seventeen insurance companies uis! ;
cIndina permanent seats and fixtures, gas, steaLX
and water ppingy and eight on the corner bulidip9I
| The following Is @ complete ust VI tho CohPoutos
that had insured the theatre with their respecuvs
policiesi .,,, ao "a.
| fo fiopo 4, .jh,iire and Man North British and
Lsnosfar $500 Mercantile 2T0Q
| London and Lanca- ooo "oya "A ' oor
shire. SSM
Manhattan ...;.,;.. <'oool "ii'~n''e N.Y. .,oV~
| Manufacturers' Mu- -, 900 al
."ai Fire and Ma Total. l.............$ 6,7oe
~ of Boston. n...... 2,Doo
The eight companies that had policies ON the cor
| ner building, Nos. 932-93S Broadway' were
| .,a $4,000 Mechanics and Trad
AmacsIcri of Hart ers', Of New York. 80, ,6Qf
| NvnmsN 2b0O National 2,00i
| c,'ord;an ~ NY 25OO Sutg LOON