Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-27
AGAIN A PREY TO THE FLAMES.
THE NATIONAL THEATER BURNED.
A Handsome Place OF Amusement
Reduced to AsheS-A Fierce Fight
with the Elamee-The Losses. xfc.

rusheQ out into the street crying lire" The
alarm was turned In by Oficer Penney and
superintendent of Mr.. Wash. Majors stables,
also turned in an early alarm. When the
policemen and other persons first on the
ground arrived no flames were visible, but
rear Of the building. Matthew brady, the
Waterman, who sleeps In room In the rear
building. was awakened by the police, and In
exit already cut off by the fire. A ladder was
standing near, and by this means the halfclad
Waterman was rescued nom MS periioos
still in his billiard room, which had been
closed for some time, when the fire broke out,
of money and hurried out. The fire was then
sweeping through the entire building with ir-
resistible force; The first alarm for the Ore en-:
seven engines were soon on the ground.
FIGHTING THE FLAMES.
An effort was made to fight the flames from
the front, but this was found impossible, owing
to the great heat. The fremen swarmed over
the roofs of the adjacent houses and In the alley
IN the rear, and streams Of water were poured
into the burning mass For time It seemed
as II all efforts were useless and that the f1re
was beyond control. 1t soon burst through the
roof of the auditorium, and as the flames poured
out the sky was brilliantly Illuminated and the
streets for squares around were almost as bright
cerned the fire was one of the most dramatic
mat has occurred here for years. Many persons
living some distance from the scene Of the fire
were awakened by the bright light streaming
into their bedrooms. The fire attracted a large
throhg OF spectators, Notwithstanding the late
ness or earliness of the hour, aud the police
were obliged to draw ropes across street in
order to keep back the crowd. The fire soon
burned its way through the auditorium Of the
theater into the lobby and the billiard and
sample rooms which occupied the two stories
OF the front Of the building. Mr.. w. II. Rapley,
the treasurer Of the theater, succeeded In saw
ing his papers from the box office, and willing
hands carried out what they could from Access
slbe parts of the building to places of safety.
There was but little time. The fire swept in
and soon the entire front of the building was a
mass of flames, and the front wall fell in with a
great crash The roof had already sank into
the glowing mass, and then the side walls began
to topple and finally fell in, leaving blackened
and smouldering mass where once this hand
some place of amusement had stood.
THE HARRIS HOUSE GUESTS ALARMED, BUT
THAT HOTEL UNINJURED.
Du ring the progress of the fire great alarm
and CONSERVATION prevailed among the occu-
pants of the adjoining building. The guests of
the Harris house, a large five-story hotel imme-
diately west of the theater. thronged the corri-
doris, scantily dressed, and FASTENED from the
building, some leaving behind in their con-
fusion all they possessed. Some of the ladies
tainted and others had to be taken out. The
hotei, however, was not injured.
DAMAGE TO PROPERTY EAST OF THE THEATER.
The property on the east, however, suffered
more severely. The space east Of the entrance
and between that and the stage entrance was
occupied by the confectionery store of Mr..
Tyler and the tailoring store of Phillip Apo,
To the east of the stage entrance is the stove
adjustment of w. H. Rapley, the rear of which,
an ng Inc theater caught on fire The store
change restaurant adjoining, Brooches restau-
rant the two Or three other buildings. and even
a. far east as the Greason house, on the corner
were injured by water and smoke. The occu.
pants were all badly frightened and especially
the dodgers. The people living in the houses
fronting on F street with the rears near to the
burning building were considerably alarmed,
and as The sparks flew they made some prepa-
rations for retreat to place of safety if neces-
sary. The proprietors of the Ebbitt and Will
lard offered shelter to those driven from the
Harris house, and the stewards furnished the
fremen with coffee, The fire had spent its
force before four O'Clock, and the National
theater was then complete ruin.
THE SCENE THIS MORNING.
The scene of the fire was surrounded the
greater part of the day by curious groups Of
spectators, gazing upon the still smoking ruins
and watching the play of the single hose upon
the smoldering masses. One engine was at the
plug on street the greater part of the morning
for the purpose of supplying the water to cool
off the brick which covered the safe in the
saloon OF Miller K Jones. The safe, however
contained nothing of much value as these gen.
tlemen were glad to know, especially in view of
the almost totai loss oftheir property which had
fallen upon them.
LOSSES OF MILLER & JONES.
Mr.. Miller had moved over on 18th street
with the few articles that had been rescued and
was found by STAR reporter this morniRg,
thoughtfully gazing into the space formerly oc-
cupied by his billiard and sample room. He
estimated his loss at $1,000, and said that his
entire insurance was between six and seven
thousand dollars which was equally divided
between the Imperial, the Sun, and the Roches-
ter German insurance companies In the bill
lizard room there were twelve tables, while down
stairs was large stock Of liquors. lit hap
pened at IL very unfortunate Time remarked
before inauguration
business is good. | have been in that place
since 1869, and when the theater burned in
1878 it was Just before the Inauguration. The
National certainly is not happy In the occasion
1t takes to burn down."
MIR. RAPLEYs GREAT LOSS.
The great loss, however, falls upon Mr. W. w.
Rapley, the owner of the theater The build
ing has front of about 90 feet on E ST. and runs
back about 159 feet. The front is two stories
high and the rear, or the theater proper rises to
height of a four story house. Mr.. W. h Rap
ley, the treasurer of the theater, this morning
Tie rear building cost So, 900, the front sIa..
900, and the furniture, scenery &c, $4,000.
Mr.. Rapley said that the improvements made
except some of the papers in the box office. The
insurance on the building amounted to S42,-
O0O and was placed in the following compa-
only local company:
Peoples, of Pittsburg, $1,000; Potomac, of
Georgetown, DC, 81 900; Washington +. & NJ,
vi SI,-oU, 1GduS-tAtlantlc herman,
$500; Pennsylvania, of Pittsburg, $3.50;
ms. Co, of state of Pennsylvania, 81 900; Brit.
ish America, 81 800; City of Pittsburg, 81 800:
Boatman's F. & NJ, of Pittsburg, $1,000: Fire
Assn, of Philadelphia, 1000; German
American, of Pittsburg, 81 900; American of
Philadelphia ST 500; North B. NJ Ins. Co.
$4,000; Firemen's, of Baltimore, 800: City
of London, s., 500; Commercial Union $4,000:
Mobile Mutual, of Alabama, 81 800; CONNER.
cial, of Alabama, 81 800; German-Am erican, Of
Baltimore, 81, 900; Baltimore Fire, $1,000:
Cooper. q Dayton, Ohio, $1,000; Kenton, OF
Kentucky, $1,000; Hope, of New Orleans.
diana, of indianapolis, Ind, 81 900; Pelican OF
New Orleans, 81 900; Peoples, of New Orleans.
81 900; Alabama. of Alabama 81 500: Citizens'
Mutual, of Alabama, 81 ZOO; Citizens Ins. Co.
of Mobile, 81 500 Vanderbilt Mutual of Mem,
phis, Tenn, 81 900. Total insurance. $40 900
The damages to the stock and building OF the
stove store next door, owned by Mr. Rapley, is
about 81 900.
TOTAL LOSS.
The Harris House, which was insured for
$685. 900, was damaged to the extent of q thou
sand or fifteen hundred dollars. The total loss
by the fire will probably reach $4,000.
THE ACTORS LOSSES.
The above estimate does not include the
losses sustained by the members of the Wal
lack company who lost their wardrobes Miss
Sophie Eyerlost valuable wardrobe; Miss Agnes
Eltiotts loss amounts to $780, Miss Louisa
Dillon suffers to the extent of 81 900: Mr. Got
thOld lost clothes valued at $500, and a manu-
script of a new play; Mr. George Clarke man
aged to get his valuable effects out in time Mr.
w. II: Downey also secured most Of his ward