The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-11-03
BAD LUCK
For the Jersey Lily---The Park
Theatre Burned.
The Place Reduced to Ashes in a
Short Time---The Loss
$25O,OO0.
The Confiagration Witnessed From
Their Hotels by Mrs. Langtry
and Oscar Wilde.
The. Jersey Lily to be Brought Out,
Despite the Catastrophe, at
Another Theatre.
Offers of Assistance from Prominent
Managers Declined.

New YORK, Oct 31-Abbeys Park theatre,
at the southeast corner of Broadway and
Twenty second street, where Mrs. Langtry
was to have made last night her first appear
ance in America, in Tom Taylor's comedy of
''The Unequal Match" was totally destroyed
by fire just as night came on The flames
were first seen in the prosceniam, and spread
with unexampled rapidity to the stage and
auditorium. In less than a quarter of an hour
the theatre was full of fame. AT 8 p. m. the g
was nothing of it left but the ruins Of the
walls. The preparations for the even
Ing performance were about completed
at half-past T. A dozen scenic art
lists, carpenters, and scene shutters were III
the house about to go home The scene was
set for the first act Some one cried Fire"
and half dozen at the same instant saw
flames about the proscenium partition The
employees tried to put out the fire themselves.
They first attempted to Use the fire annihila-
tors, that were easily reached, but the effort TO
use them failed utterly. Then an attempt
was made to get out the stage-hose but the
flames spread with frightfully suggestive
rapidity. Then the men rushed to the fire
alarm. Meantime the flames had spread like fire
in stubble Stage Carpenter Henry Clark, with
intrepid bravery, went up into the flies to try
and beat down the the burning scenes. He
was enveloped in fire, and, finding his retreat
cut off, got out upon the roof by one Of the
exits, and ran madly toward the edge, in
plain sight of the ten thousand spectators who
had already gathered in the streets, and was
multiplying to hundred thousand. The
strong wind drove the flames toward him until
he was compelled to drop from the roof to the
top of the vestibule which covers the Broad
way entrance. There he lay stunned, and it
seemed as if he must roll off in the street
He was, however, soon assisted by some of
the firemen and bystanders, who reached him
from the lower stories of the building and car
ried him without further injury to the street
He was dreadfully burned on the face and
hands, and had inhaled smoke and fire. His
injuries were pronounced fatal
William F. Doran, scenic artist, after aid
ing in the vain effort to extinguish the fire,
was driven to the rear of the theatre on TWEEN
ty-second street, where he went through
counterpart of the fearful experience Of Clark
on the Broadway SIDE Doran was compelled
to leap from an upper window. He dropped
on projecting cornice, breaking his leg in the
fall These scenes excited the utmost con-
sternation among the great crowd in the
streets, among whom the widest reports were
spread that people were being burned up
in the theatre. at II minutes past three dis
tinct explosions were heard from the center of
the theatre. At that time there was no one
within to tell what had caused them. The en-
ployes have various explanations of the cause
of these explosions. Some attribute them to
the chemicals used in producing various kinds
of fame; some said it was the gas. The noise
was as loud as that which would be made by
ten-pound cannon All the stores in the
neighborhood were now closed, and their own
ers were on the lookout to protect their prop
erty The occupants of the stores in
the corner building were driven out
The flames burst out of the roof of
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 neighboring roofs, and
some of them set fire to the building occupied
by Goupil & Co.. picture dealers, at the south
west corner of Fifth ave nue. and Twenty sec
ond street Fortunately this fire was soon put
out The body Of the theatre was sheet of
flames, and sent a great light that attracted
attention in all parts of the city. The specta-
tors were ranged in colossal amphitheatre
They were shown up in the glare as they stood
in the Cumberland house, the old St
the Fifth avenue hotel Boys and men
with baskets and trays filled with
photographs of Mrs Langtry pushed their
way through crying their wares. The sales of
the pictures were so rapid that even the deal
ers themselves were surprised. One man at
Twenty-third street had a huge bundle that
dwindled IN a few moments before the de-
nlands of a throng OF ladies. There we're
some astonished people in evening dress stop
ped at police lines. Many carriages were de-
tanned and their occupants, who had not heard
of the fire, were surprised with the informa-
ton that their tickets were not good for to-
night Some of the ladies were incredulous,
and begged to be permitted to drive to the
theatre One gentleman who had bought
private box for the night exclaimed, when he
saw the fire, @Thank God! If 1T had been a
little lateri"
The fremen worked with GOODNESS and
bravery. A light rain fortunately aided the
firemen in their work, and at 6:45 the streets
were cleared sufficiently to permit the cars
and stages to pass. Different stories are told
as to the or gin of the fire. One is that man
who was decorating private box lighted cigar
and carelessly tossed the match TO one side.
The match 81 fire to some curtains and the fire
reached the gas apparatus, which was near,
and the explosion followed. Another story
was that they were testing the calcium lights
and one of the hydrogen generators exploded
One of the attributed causes for the explosion
is quantity of the material left over by Mr..
Raymond and his company, which was used
for the blowing up of Col Sellers steamboat
in @The Gilded Age"
1t is feared that one life was lost John
No $40 East Eighteenth street was reported
missing by a friend at the Thirtieth street
station. He was formerly boss stage
carpenter at Niblo's and had been
working only recently at the Park theatre 1t
is not certain that he was in the theatre.
Mrs. LangtrY came out on the balcony of the