The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-11-01
ABBEY's THEATRE IN ASHES.
Mrs. Langtry Watching the Blaze.
Was to Have Played, Totally Destroyed and
Her Debut Postponed for Week.

make her American dfbut, were about
completed Mt haf-past 4 this afternoon.
Manager TillOts0n was sitting in his Office.
A dozen scenic artists, carpenters, and
scene-shifterS were i'm the house. about to
go home. The scene was set for the first
act OF "Thc Unequal Match" Casper
Macdcr, the chief scenic artist, and John
Weston. assistant. had just left the scene
painters room, where Mr.. Weston had
been putting finishing touches upon one
Of the scenes. William II. Young. the
stage manager, was on the stage. Hamilton
Weaver. the stage carpenter; Henry Clark.
carpenter, who had charge OF the gas. and
William +. DOran, scenic artist. were ON
various parts OF the stage. Some one cried
" Fire.! " and half a dozen at the same in
slant saw flames about the proscenum par
tition OH the right looking from the audi
cnce. The theatre was an L-Shapcd build
Ing. with Il store set IN the corner. at the
southeast corner OF Broadway and Twenty
second street. The arm OF the J. that
reached To Broadway and below the corner
was really a sdc-entrance To the audto-
rum. The audience sat facing north the
STAGE being mt the end Of the Twenty
Sccond->trcct arm Of the l.. The right u
the stage. therefore, where the fire occur
red. was at the most distant point OF the
building from broadway.
TIE FLAMES RAPIDLY SPREADING.
The employees tried to put ont the tire
Themselves. They first attempted To use
the lire-lnnihilator> that were near at hand.
but the effort To reach them failed utterly.
Then an attempt was made to get out the
stage hose, but the flames spread with
f,it ~.
men rushed To the tirc-alarm, which COLI
meets directly with the headquarters Of the
Fire Department. Meantime the flames
had spread like fire in Stubblc. Stagc-Car-
pcntrr Henry Clark. with intrepid bravery.
went up into the lilies to try and beat down
the burning scenes. He was tnyclOpcd i'm
ire. and finding ms retreat cut OF col out
OH the roof by one OF the exits. and ran
madiy toward the edge in plain sight OF the
10000 spectators who had already gathered
in the streets and were multiplying to
lO0.OOO. The strong wind drove the flames
toward mm until he wa> compelled TO drop
| from the root IL the top II the Scstibulc,
which Covers the Broadway entrance.
There hc lay stunned, and it seemed A. il
hc must roll OF into the street. He WAS,
however. soon assisted by some OF the fire
from the lower stories al the binding and
carried him without further injury to the
street. He Was drcadlully burned on the
face and hands, and had inhaled smoke and
tire. He was taken to the New York Hos
pital. Ills imjurie. were pronounced ii
tai. William +. Doran. scenic artist,
after aiding in the vain effort to cXtinguish
the lire. was driven 10 the rear OF the the
atrc on Twenly-Sccond street. where he
went through a counterpart of the fearful
experience OF Clark on the Br adway side.
Doran was compelled to leap from an ny
per window. He dropped on projecting
cOrnicc, breaking his leg IN the fall. He
was taken to the New York Hospital,
where it was found that the fracture OF his
leg was his only injury.
CONSIDERATION on TIE STREET.
These scenes excited the utmost cOnSter-
nation among the great crowds in the
streets, among whom the widest reports
were spread. Three alarms were sent out,
and shortly three distinct explosions were
heard from the centre ~ the theatre. At
| that time there WAS no one within To tell
what had caused them. The employees have
various explanations OF the cause OF these
explosions. Some attribute them To the
chemicals used in producing various kinds
Of flame. Some say il was the gas. The
noise was as loud as that which would be
made bya tcn-pound cannon. All the stores
I'M the neighborhood were now closed, and
their owners were on the lookout 10 pro-
feet their properly. The occupants Of the
stores in the corner building were driven
out The goods OF Parsons X Scarlet.
| tailOr>. were LETT unprotected from the Wa
a II. IA. 4
Bates refused to let the Insurance Patrol
| enter. H. At one time II was supposed tliit
the theatre would fall.
At l:,jS the flames burst ont Of the roof
oi the theatre, sending great showers OF
sparks and flaming fragments Of canvas
sailing ON the strong breeze westward.
Large quantities OF these sparks fell on the
ncighbOring roofs. and some OF them set
hre 10 the building occupied 10y Goupil
Co., picturc-dcaicr>. at the southwest cor
ner OF Fifth avenue and Twenty-second
street. This lire was soon put ont. The
body Of the theatre was IA sheet OF flame,
and sent mp great light that attracted at
tcnion in all parts OF the city. Part Of the
walls soon fell over on the roof OF The cor
ner binding. the top floor Of which was
used ~ a ,t0rcroOm and prOperty-rOOm.
from the theatre and destroyed the entire
floor.
MRS. LANGTRY WATCHING THE FIRE.
The spectators were ranged in colossal
mmphithcatrc. They were shown mp in the
glare A. they stood in the Cumberland
House, the old 81. GERMAN Hotel, the New
\ ork club. and the Fifth-Ayenue Hotel
balcony. with Mrs. LabOuchcre. BOYS and
men with baskets and trays filled with pho
tograpls OF Mrs. Langtry pushed their way
through, crying their wares. The sales oi
the pictures were 50 rapid that even the
dealers themselves were surprised Charles
Matthews. one Of Mr. hbbey's repre-
sentatiyrs. was refused admittance To
the burned theatre when he applied Ia
the tircmcn for permission to 20 into MI
Abbcv's office. He fingered about until
the electric liehts went out and then, under
cover Of the thick smoke and general
Gloom, stole up ladder, and, wading
through Hood Of water, CROPPED his way
to the office and recovered great number
al occolmt-book> and valuable contracts
and manuscripts. lle picked upthe manu-
script OF the play OF "Divorcons' out OF
4 pool 81 water. aud also say ed handsome
curtain that hung near Mr.. Abbey's desk
and in which he took especial pride. He
made his way back, looking like a drowned
rat. 10 the Great amazement Of the specta-
tors aud lrcmen.
HOW THE FIRE ORIGINATED.
Different stories are told ~ to the origin
~ the fire one j. that "A man who was
decorating a private box lighted a cigar
and careIes,ly tossed the match to one side.
The match set ire To some curtains andthe
fire reached the gas apparatus, which was
near. and the explosion followed. Another
story was that they We're testing the cal
cium light. and that one Of the hydrogen
, Generators exploded. Another Is thai the