Daily Republican., 1888-10-24

Jossph wheeler, an smploys Of the
Academy, aAya he wAs In the building
~ $50 o'clock and saw nothirg wrong
81 that time, and the two electric ugng
we're burning a. usual.
When the alarm Of Are wia given Nj
Wheeler WAs among the hFHt 70 reach
The Academy. He buFst optn the front
door, looked In upon the scene and
the lights mentioned were still burning
The building was full OF smoke, which
osme from lhe Stage, Whsra be supposed
j the Are originated The marble works
Of Mcgowan q Donovan adjoining were
sliRhtly damaged.
Ihe Academy vas insured through
L. p. Buck q Co., for GO. COO, in several
companies. Mr.. Buck 10 strongly In
clined TO the theory that the Gre was Of
incendieFy origin. The value OF ne
walls and ground upon which the
Academy stood ls estlmAted ct SIS 200.
Manager sonlieF estimAtes the lofs Of
the company on scenery, fixtures And
improvements At $40 600, upon which
the insurance Is only $500.
HISTORY OF TIE BUILDING.
The Academy Of Music has but
brief history, and = oheQuered one. Its
erection WIS commenced In 1895 By l.
P. Buck and James n. shoemaker, the
uost being $4,000. W. 7. 6trAnahn was
the contractor and n. L. Rico, JF., the
architect. There were many severe
criticisms passed on the building and
defects In construction pointed ont,
which had q tendency 10 lessen public
confidence 10 II. Though not wholly
lpished, on the evening OF January II,
1885, the Boston Ideals opeRed It and
gave . performance six nights, the hrst
opera being H0iIaldA NesSrs. Buck
8 Bhoemaksr ran the house, with Mr.
Clark Sammis ~ manager. The enter
prise was not = nnbnoiAl success, aG3
the concern was then leased to John
Smith Of Ridley Park, with HAIRY
Akin 80 mAnaaer. These gentlemen
also lost money, and thty annulled their
contract and lett. JaRnary /, 1877, r.,
r, Proctor opened the place ~ . p0pu.
lar price theatre. Soma changes were
made In the inAlde arrangements, and
the house, It ts said, began 10 pay.
Last spring Mr.. Porto associated
Mr.. Boulier with him under the Arm OF
Proctor b eoulier. Though II ls said
that Proctor 81 Bouller had released the
place, this report 10 not verified. The
last performance was given October
18th by the RlRhtmeyer Company.
Another performance was announced
for 70 morrow night.
II Is understood that DeHAven Nor
ris has = mortgage upon the pToRerly
for $40 600. and loses 1t ~ trustee.
There ssems to be no disposition 10 TO
build the place to be used for the same
purpose.
NOTES OF THE FIRE.
The PlUaix Fire Company had both
their new and old engine In service, and
did excellent work, keeping two power
ful streams continually on the burning
building.
Tue Friendship engine also rendered
excellent service, and viCd with either
Of the streAms thrown by the hoax
Company In the amount OF wafer
thrown and the work done.
When the o arm was sounded MapA
ger 6oulieT and Manager Brown, OF the
Around the World In 80 DAyh" Com
pony were sitting in The cilioe I'll the
Opera HOage, aud ns the latter heard
The people hAttsning up Market street
be made remark about every body
rlnnlug to the Gre. A minute OF SO
Afterwards word came over the tele
phone that Il was the Academy Of Muslo
Sheu the managers started on a Iun
ilF the place After the Gre was ex-
t!nsulshtd they returned wrlnginR wet,
aud Il is said that Manager Browns
extra One silk hat is Q total wreck.
Tho WOooAcoe Fire OompRny's new
hose cart vas christened by tho Pho
nix, and the work was we'll done.
A little boy who stood and watched
TIE flames fJr some time finally ex
claimed tue last aot ut the Academy.
Tbs most realistic Are tcsns ever VII
messed 10 Wilmington.
The Gre had the eject Of taking over
half the audience from the Opera House,
and While some waited until the cur
tain went down on the ket, the majority
went QUA AB BCon aa the alarm WAs
sounded.
TIE entire fire department ia entitled
10 the greatest pTAiie ioE their excellent
work, % 1t was By their tfficlsnoy that
the IRE was confined to the building
where II originated.