New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-12-24
ruEATRE CoM1QUE IN ASHES
.,,,0rnovrp BY A SWIFTLY BURNING FIRE.
=. ,Sr ~ THE BritDiNG AT ritE riME-rhE
NJ loss trss riiAN S1oo,OOo. ...


.,...,rs, 4 Iiart's Theatre Coinipue. IN Broad
0 ssnSs,,s the New-Yofk Hotel. wns DESTROYED
Niss,at .,otninr by fitc that burned with I'M
80, sS,t,nsss Tho na,nes inade 4 clean sweep of
W. Nsi,ns and iis tontents. ana thet itiesistpe
pess tn, i.a, he tie 6t thelt discovery uh'i the
Mesits Ass ,naSs 81 fuits was e$tieifeiy stg
thslks et t,Shta eaiamtt 70 the ptbt N ttse
Nes haa stsgies iea ~ tNeite h8nfs tati'ef ie*
,ninutes peipFe eeiHek f6iietsian ciuhe w wv
i,lteeg,h tgeelnet saW s'Nbkp 'sst'Np tt0t 'he
nt windaHs ql ,he theaire iie was w bfpanNaf
t's lser pIase, aud he Tan ~ lhe slsNai:he% W
n.y. New. .lork Hotel aud sent out an alarm, fN'lee,
'no sullivan ran IN fran tourih-sl. ann NlsN w
w., ,no the theatre but the DANES then We're raging
st tho entrances.
rneine No. 80 arrived from Great Jones-s'
,,inute later aud the foreman mmediateiy rang
,brd alarm dozen companies OF hremeh were
on In front of the theatre, but they wero TOO i"'o
40 save the building. Already the flames had con-
nletely filled the structure and were bursting rom
,ho windows and roof Chief Shay and Assistant
chief McCabc directed the fremen TO do oil that
'ra. rossible to protect the adjoining buildings.
Their attention was directed particularly 10 'ho
Colouuade Hotel which adjoncd the theatre on tho
.outb and also extended in Lafayette place, III the
,oar Of the theatre the entire width oil the tncao
lot. ,orr,
Tho ontbreak of the fire had caused much alarm
IN the hotel Fifteen porters were sent through ."o
,.ns 90 ron on tnc doors and make sure that all OF
,ho 1ho uue,ts were aroused. Many OF the guests
were not yet. dressed. and some OF them dio no.
wait TO nut on their clothes. D. NJ Otter. 'hc no'o
manager, was not in when the fire was discoVerou'
hut he arrived few minutes later anu uhco'ou '"o
norters 10 move some furniture and pictures from
tbe broadway part of the hotel TO the eastern end
Tho wing In LAFAYETTE place and other adjoining
buildings were separated from the burning theatre
bv n ward but the window castings and corn'ces
took fire several times large NUMBER oi 'no
c,ests left the hotel to seek temporary shelter III
ncichboring houses. Several companies oil hreineh
went into Lafayette place and dragged lines OF nose
through the building In order to throw streams oi
water upon the rear of the theatre strong wihd
drove the smoke and flames toward them. ana LOT
twenty minutes the men were obliged 10 cohihe
their efforts to the protection OF the ho'el.
w,YcuISG TIE PROGRESS OF THE FLAMES.
oreat column of flame rose from the theatre roof
+o height of more than fifty feet. and sent forth
dense clouds of smoke and showers OF sparks
Great crowds collected in Broadway and Lafayette
place 70 witness the scene. Roofs OF buiulhgs 10
distance of several blocks served as vantage-places
Cor +bonsands of persons and every window OF the
Nev.York Hotel was filed with eager faces foiice
Captain Brogan. who had formed IRE iihes III
broadway soon found that his force of patroimeh
not strong enough 10 hccP tho 'i"""'' ~
Reserves from the Ninth, Sixteenth, seventeenth
ora Tventv-ninth Precincts were sent to assist
HIM and large spaces were cieareu ioi 'nc 'ho'"'
in Broadway and Lafayette place
Edward Uarrigan and Anthony Cannon (better
known rs 'fony" Hart. the proprietors OF the
burning theatre stood in Broadway soon after
o'clock and saw the swift destruction OF their prop
erty. They sail that their insurance had been
permitted TO run ont and that their loss wonio
amount to about $i50,000 Many persons sur
rounded them and expressed sympathy. Charies
Gould treasurer Of the theatre. and several actors
whose war,robes were being DESTROYED were among
,l,e snectators 4 loud crash Mt $40 n. m. an
nnnncrd the fall of the theatre roof The rear wall
of the building tumblcd down n little later ana
no,tion of the top of the front wall fell also bV
,bal time n was evident that the iremen would con
pnr the flames within the walls OF the theatre foi
sr,r,ai hours afterwa,tl. however, streams 81 water
we,r kept pointing upon the iuns Lave NJ tine oS
p,ntians ~ the side wallis weie thrown dowh by the
hoarpN, VIM discovered ldhs etaeks w them liie
fesj ,,aii " was saNt w0uld be permitted to shhl,
a. q, Was nei lAlNie beiow ihe secena stoie'
Wten ha Mas asbed s,aNt the n0hable origin of
the 6ra Ohiaf SHAY said: i'iehahlt n6 ehe ttpi
Wi bggW, haeaHse ne ehe Vas ih tip NNlhlhs
whom tho hames started, beleFe thpN were Ns-
eoyered they had tilted the entire hulidlag heNpl-
iess they had been working through the bullhlhs
soue time before the smoke came out OF the llph'
windows. 1T competent watohman had beeh III
tie building and had discovered the hIe wien IL
started we probably could have saved the theatre
from destruction"
Austin Iefieran, a brother-in-law OF "Tony
Hart was watchman at the theatre. After the dis
coyery of the fire the police thought he might be
hemmed in by the flames, but they were told later
that Heileran left the splace at q a IN. The pro-
prietors and actors remained in the theatre on Mon
day night after the conclusion of the regular per-
fornance to rehearse the farce "McAllisters
Legacy." which was to he produced on the night OF
January 5. The rehearsal did not conclude until
about / a. n., and II still later when some OF
the actors went to their homes. Persons III the
Coonnade Hotel thought that the fire started in the
scenery in the rear of the stage because the flames
frst reached the roof in the OF the theatre.
HARRIGAN HARI's PLANS.
After watching the fire for some hours from the
windows of the New-York Hotel. Messrs Harrigan
and Hart went to the Sinclair House where they es-
tablished a temporary Office. Notices to this effect
were promptly printed and posted in front of
tie theatre Both of the partners were
considerably affected by tho shock and
though Mr. Harrigan was al 6rstth cooler and ap-
parenty more uuconcerned of the two, even his
were not strong enough TO stand the effect
of the long strain. Finally he drove uptown and
called upon several managers with whom he
thought he might agree to the terms which
he could secure temporary house for his company
and his new play. Runors thick
around Madison Square all the afternoon
us to his future plans, and every one
seemed TO have definite knowledge on the subject
except Mr. Harrigan himself. Early, IN the after
noon he seut message TO Messrs Hyde and Behman.
nj RrookIvn. owners of the New Park Theatre in
This city. Their theatre has within few weeks
ONLY Iecn Transformed into museum and IT was
expected by those who are familiar WIN such mat
ters ina; the Now Park would IN all probability be-