The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-12-24
A DRAMA OF FIRE
rLAIEDArANEw YORK THEATRE,
a cnrtnin Of Flame Goes Up in ifarrfrnu
"hd iinrrs Conlquc, n,,l 1t Is Kunr
Down on MISS OF Isuins-A big
Loss-A Village Nearly Destroyed.

|
NEW ioRK, Dec. .9S.-lIarrigan & Hurts
Theater Comique, on Broadway, on,
posite tho New York Hotel, was dc
stroyed by iiro this morning. The
theatcr cost $4,000, and belonged to the
At. Stewart estate. The building was
formerly known as Hope Chapel. The
building was almost completely DESTROYED
in about an hour, the front wall being the
only part OF the building left standing.
The Colonnade Hotel, Joining, was slight.
ly damngcd'by fire and water.
The walls OF tho Theatre Comioue will
not resound again TO tho merry laugh.
ter OF tho thousands who delighted
to listen 10 Ed 1larrigan and Tony Hart
and their artists in their admirable come.
dies. Investigation" will not be contin.
ued this evening, for today the splendid
theatre, which was thronged last night by
large audience. is mass of ruins. Al
about six O'Clock this morning IL servant
girl employed in the New York Hotel. on.
posite the thcatcr, saw smoke coming
from one OF the windows, but thourht
nothing OF it, believing it to be steam.
At about ten minutes to eight O'Clock
an officer saw several streaks OF
smoke coming from the windows and
promptly sent out m alarm. In Il few
minutes flames commenced shooting
through the Windows, both OH tho front
facing on Broadway and in the rear, which
taces tho rear of Colonnade row on Eafay.
cite Place. Although but few minutes
elapsed before the alarm was sent ont and
the iircmcn arrived ut the scene, they
found the whole building mass OF flame,
a sea Of fire, which must have been gain.
ing headwny long before the alarm was
sent out, bursting from all parts Of the
doomed building. A second and a third
alarm were quickly sent out, and eight
more engines and two trucks reinforced
the men already at work. 1t wasyery ap.
parent to Chief Shay that there was not
the slightest hope OF saving the theatre
Or any part OF it, and tho attentions of the
i!remen We're turned to the Coonnade
Hotel and other large buildings adjoining
the theatre. A strong west wind was
blowing, which swept the flames back
through the street and over toward the
row Of houses ON Lafayette Place.
The excitement among the guests OF
the Colonnade. Hotel was great fora time,
but the tiremen turned all their efforts
onto that structure and saved it from ma
terial damage by the flames. The hotel
was drenched with water and will suffer
considerable loss through this means.
The guests all escaped, badly frightened.
Other buildings in the neghborhood were
slightly damaged.
TIE LOSSES.
The books and money belonging to the
Actors Fund Association were in the
safe in the. Theatre Comique in their rooms
on the seond floor, and are supposed to
have becp totally destroyed. The safe in
the Treasurer's office OF the theatre con.
tanned, besides the books of the establish.
ment, two thousand dollars in money and
the manuscripts Ot several OF Harrirans
plays; The excitement in the Colonnade
Hotel was for time intense. The water
hadgoneth through thebuildfng and aroused
the guests. Many OF the latter became
terrified and ran down stairs intheirnight-
clothes. The proprictors succeeded in
quieting them after q while. The
interior decorations OF the theater cost
thirty thousand and the scenery for the
Major" which was the opening play for
the new house, cost 5000. Since that
time the scenery OF ten plays had been
added, which increases the value of the
stage settings 10 $4,000. Besides this,
the mountings OF Harrigan's new play,
"McAllister's Legacy" which cost Sl0,-
600, was in the house. Everything was
lost. The extensive properties and ward
robe OF the entire company was destroyed.
The loss to Dave Braham, who lost his
original manuscripts OF all the music
which has made the names OF Harriran
and Hart famous throughout the country,
can not be estimated. The propertv
will bc Il total loss to the firm, as their
policy ran out short time ago, and in the
press Of business its renewal had been
neglected.
The total loss by the fire will be about
two hundred thousand dollars.
VILLAGE NEARLY DESTROYED.
Eight buildings Burned Entailins n Loss Of
Sl00,0OO.
Troy, n. Y, Dec. 23.NA fire broke out
this morning in Ackcr's building on Main
street. in Cambridge, Washington county,
and owing to the disabled condition OF the
hand fire engine belonging to the village,
the fire burned out. 1t destroyed eight
buildings, four on each side Of the street.
The wind was blowing from the south
west, and that fact saved the rest OF the
village. OF the buildings burned one was
the principal hotel OF the place. The loss
will reach 100000, upon which thcre is
an insurance Of about one-hali.
1t is now stated that the probable loss
is between $780, 600 and 100000. The es-
timated insurance is between $4,000 and
1000. The following are the losers: d.
NJ. Smith and r. Coulter, owners OF the
building occupied by DR.. +. Broniver,
Mcclellan & Cotton, undertakcrs, and NJ.
Smith, druggist; E. N. Teft, grocer; II. O.
Barton's residence; LeSreys & Worth,
jewellers; II. Carpenter & Son, dry gools;
| Wylie & Van Ostrand, skating rink; Miss
Jennie Reed, millinery; Union House
hotel property, owned by Perry W. El-
dred; II. S. Lee, proprietor OF tho hotel;
DR.. l.. A. Clark's office; Williams & Co.,
druggists; Chase & Holland, druggists; G.
S. Robinson building, owned and occu.
pied by him MS clothing atoro and resi-
dence. The building occupied by Quaig
4 Watkyns, grocGrs, was damaged.
The iira started in Wylie 4 Van Os.
strands skating rink, Its origin is un.
known.
Postal Changes:
WAsI1iSoToS, D. c., Dec. 2S.-W. G..
Thompson, ato superintendent Of the
railway mail service, was confirmed Sec.
ond Assistant Postmaster General. He
will be succeeded Us superintendpnt of the