Morning journal and courier., 1886-12-28
THE oHAMRRR OF HORRORS

THE CHAMBRR OF HORRORS Out a Theater and Causes Losses O1
 Nearly Half a Million.
 PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 27.-Thc Temple
 and Eighth, owned by William M Singerly, proprietor of the Philadelphia Record, was totally destroyed by fire to day. The fire
 breke out at 10:45 this morning. It origi- mated in one of the apartments of the Cham Der of Horrors; an attachment of the Egyp- tian Musee in the basement. A gas jet ig- | nited 8 curtain and the flames rapidly com municated to 8 wax figure. There were vari- ous infammable substances in the apartment and they caused the flames to spread with lightning-like rapidity. The fremen were were entirely unavailing and it was eoon found impossible to save the building. The fire ate it's way rapidly up to the auditorium of the theater and thence to the stage, where it found ample material to feed upon in the scenery and light woodwork. At the time the fire broke out a rehearsal of the "Little Tycoon" the prevailing attraction at the the- ater, which has had such long and prosperous run, was in progress, and the actors and &C., tresses and chorus girls were obliged to make a speedy exit in order to escape with their lives The scenery YVES totally destroyed, though most of the costumes, which are very valuable, were saved. Henry J. Elliot, the sculptor employed at the theater, who was upstairs, and two women, Mary Donnelley and Maggie Durham, who were cleaning the upper floors, fonnd their escape by the stairs to the first story cut off by smoke and flames and were rescued by fremen who carried them down ladders in front of the burning building. party wall which divided the theater from adjoining buildings, occupied by the Fairbanks Scales company and the Remington Type Writer company, No. 715 Chestnut street, fell in and buried four fire men beneath the debris. They were William c. Gibson, Robert Johnson, William Hart and Hugh Colgan. Colgan managed to get out and was taken to hospital, badly injured. The other three men perished as the falling wall brought with it mass of fire which beat back the firemen and resisted all at tempts at rescue. The men were held fast by the bricks and joists and burned to death. The serious damage is confined to the thea ter, the rear of which fell in and completed the work of total destruction. The Wash ington Hotel on the east, the North Ameri- can newspaper building and the building of the Evening Star on Seventh street above Chestnut were all on fire at different times and the flames were extinguished with but little damage. The guests in the hotel re- moved their baggage and effects and hurried ly left the building, the rear portion of which is pretty badly damaged. The loss on the theater, costumes and scenery included will foot up about $425, ,000 and is offset by the comparatively small insurance of about $127, 1000.
 The Temple Theater was formerly the Masonic Temple. It was opened as 8 perma- nent amusement place in 1884 as dime museum. This venture failed and then the magician Keller under George 0. Broth erton's management gave 8 series of success ful performances. MT. Singerly then purchased the building for $225, ,0O0 and spent apout S150,000 in altering it into 8 handsome theater. To this sum $50, 900 was added for the Musee attachment and embellishments. The theater opened on September IA, 1885, with Sealed Instructions, ]" which was followed by other attractions, and the 'tTycoon" wound up the season and was revived after short and unsuccessful run of the Mystic Isle" this season. MT. Singerly states that he does not know whether he will rebuild the theater or not. He owns the ground and his total loss is about $200,000. Manager Brotherton also loses heavily and his insurance, about S8,000, will not cover more than small fraction of his loss.
 The loss on the Washington Hotel, owned by John Tracey, is $7,500; fully covered by insurance. The salesroom of the Niles tool works of Tifin, O., was located on the first floor of the theater building. Their loss is estimated at $40. 900; insurance, $12,OOO. Fairbanks & Co.,, scales loss $e ,0O0; partly insured. Wyckoff, Seamen and Benedict, typewritere, lose $4, 800; insurance $2, 900. M. H. Eaton. stationery, No. 723 Chestnut street, first floor, loss SIS, 900; fully insured. Hubbard Bros, publishers, No. 723 Chestnut street, second floor, loss s55, ,000; insurance $27, ,O00.
 Parson Downs on a New Tack.
 BOSTON, Dec. 27.-Parson Downs has taken a new tack. He says at last he has succeed ed in getting look at the records of the Bos- ton Square church society which have been closed to the public for two years. From these he has learned what he calls an aston ishing condition of affairs, that many pews were transferred for the nominal sum of $1 each to obtain recruits to the ranks of the faction opposed to him.. He paid $250 for pew which has never been transferred to him. He is going to look into the matter further.
 An Officer Kills Ills Prisoner.
 TEEN, O., Dec. 27.-Charles Tarleton was arrested here to-day for petty crime and taken to Adrian, O., by Constable zewen. Before leaving he had a quarrel with the officer and drew a dirk on him, but was pre- vented from doing any injury. After reach ing Adrian the quarrel was renewed and the officer drew a revolver and shot his prisoner dead
 Looking For Fight and Got 1t.
 SOMERSET, Ky, Dec. 27.-Ed. Chestnut killed Lee Nelson last night. Nelson was drunk and had been trying to get up row all day About dark he attacked Chestnut with a knife. The latter used club, break ing Nelson's skull and knocking out an eye.
 President Eliot Going to Europe.
 BOSTON, Dec. 27.-President Eliot of Harvard will not confer the degrees on next Commencement day. He will sail for Europe soon accompanied by his wife and will re- main abroad until next autumn in hopes of regaining his full health. This will be the first time for many years that the head of the university has been absent from his post for any length of time during the academic year. During his absence the charge of the college will devolve upon Professor Clement L. Smith, the dean of the faculty.