New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-01
WILL 1T ONLY BE REPAIREDf
A QUESTION ABOUT TIE UNION SQUARE.

WHETHER THE THEATRE MUST BE BUILT
ACCORDING TO THE NEW LAW
Tie ruined auditorium of the Union Square
Theatre presented u weirdly beautiful aspect
yesterday. Natures icy touch had arrested the
falling water and fixed II Enthusiastically shaped
icices, which hung from every prominent point,
Where the stairs leading to the dress-circle had
stood there was piled a mass Of charred timbers,
whose intense blackness formed striking back
ground to the white icIcles which seemed to be
guarding the entrance to some stalactte cavern.
1t was here that the firemen had fallen from two
floors above. and it from beneath this terrible
pile Of debris thrn blazing that their gallant COM
rados hal dragged them AT the left of tho audi
torInm as the spectators faced the stage a vast
well-like hole extended through The two circles.
and on the rg1t there was similar but smaller
cavity. / ne prosccnum. except for the damage by
water. is almost unlnjUrcd. and the principal dam
age 10 the boxes is by wafer
1t is not until surveyed from the stage that the
full extent of the damage Is realized Then the
whole audtorium ~ seen To be IOotiess. Only one
blackened beam 10 left between the walls, ana ths
supports part Of The old tin roofing tnat mas
fallen across 1t AID hangs like n curtain TIE ex,
treme upper parts of the side wa incline inward
ri u dangerous angie. These portions have been
oro cred by Superlni endcnl DOcnch, of the Build
ings {ureau to be taken down at once. The great
watcrtank when stands on suits above ,hc taiest
part of the UuIon Squire front oil The Motion
House, is said TO be safe.
WHERE DID TIVE FlRf sIARl
The cause Of The fire has not yet been asccr-
tanned. Chief Clerk DJwnes of the Morton
House, maintains that it did not start The hotel.
and believes that 1T began in the loft of the
au litorlum lie points in proof of his theory TO
the hole Oh the loft previously referred TO- and says
that after tine alarm had been given from tue
theatre Manager Verlam went all through the
hotel and cOuld NOT iind any signs of lire. ,
Manager fiil aud his euploges are eq ially posi-
iva ~ he
attacked the right of the auditorium. ms view
Is supported By Courtlande ald Charles faner.
two oil Inc owner, of hOtn proper ies, aud by tneir
architect and builder, Joseph Tho np''n. VINO
originally built the theatre. inev be ieye IL
arose from n defective fne IN tho Moron hSuse,
which went up against the right-hand "aii oA 'uo
auditorium.
TuE THeA1RE TO BE REBUILT.
The MeSsrs. Palmer stated that lnst as soon as
the losses couid be adjusted they would begin re-
buidlng nut double force of men at work ana
get the thea re ready III less than sixty days lhey
said that too high praise could not possibly po
given 70 the work of the ire Depart mcnt ana
that they witn tnelr sister. Mrs. Henry Draper ana
Manager Hill would zee that The injured men aud
their families should not want for anything.
Ar Thompson is al eadt at WORK on the plans
for ne reconstruction, which as soon as hn'shed
W III be submitted for he approval OF the BUILDINGS
Bureau. The cid servants, quarters of the Morton
House which consisted OF two floors built over the
roof of the theatre, VIII not be replaced. Ii WAS
the new proscenIun wall that was put IN two years
ago that saved hee stage ana Of HoSli solid
brick to the top of the proscenium arch, and thence
to the IJof is of laths hlled Ill win hollow hre-
proof brlc<. The erection OF this wall caused inc
IN ,urance companies To reduce the premium from
TO per cent.
THE LOSSES AND INsURANcEs.
Charles Foster. agent for the CourtIandt Palmer
estate had placed the risks on the properties o. all
the losers He said that they had been distributed
I'm nearly hundred companies. aud In fact every
rhan ira ri AZ
wrltiea some portion. The theatre building was Was
insured for $4,000 ana the hotei fnr @'V'Voo
Tne an cunt OF the loss had hot been adjusted Day
fhe renresantatIves of the companies had intimated
snas speeGr een,o ssestHtlsmcnt Possibly this may
be attained today, ana 1t ,,, Tm rdn oc s4en zen
damaged buildings allow the owners TO DO so.
Manager Vcrnam, of the Morton House estl;
males ms losses nj from $4,000 to Sl7,OOO ana
his Insuraoces VIII cover the higher amount >; u.
II rs Insurance is for only $1,000 and be will be
the heaviest actual 'Ser, besides slng inc pros
pecuve profits of the next two months.
PLANS or HILL AND ROBSON AND CRANE.
Attempts were made yesterday to place The
Henrietta" tor the latter part of this week, and
early IN the day II was announced that it would he
played on Friday and Saturday IN New-Haven.
This idea was subsequently abandoned, as
it was not thought worth transporting the scenery
to and from New-Haven for only two per-
fornances Next week "Ihe Henrietta"
Will be PLAYED al the Amph'on AcaneGy.
WILLIAMSBURG and for the two weeks beginning
March II at Niblo's ihIs will bring The piece 10
the da e originally determined on for the eud OF
lis New-York run. Manager Hill his oeen recc ing
telerrans and letters of sympathy fro all part. OF
the country and So have Robson anu Crane. Mt
Crane ex dressed al ardeIt desire 70 yet TO WORK
again as soon as possible fer the sake of the con-
pany. Miss storey is the heaviest loser as par' OF
hIss Wadron's dresses were saved and all OF those
of the other actresses while hers are entirely
The injared flrcmen are doing as we'll as can be
expected. Leddy, OC0nnor AMI fraegeIIck are
still at the New-York Hos pita: Francis Gray re-
turned to duty Yesterday. Aiken and Rowan are
getting a,o u favOra0ly at ST. Vincents.
SUPERINTENDENT A. +. D'Oench, o. the Bureau of
Buildings, vas asked last night whether his de-
partment would allow the Union Square theatre
to be restored 10 Its former condition. or would
compel the Messrs. Palmer in rebuilding to conform
to the new bndinQ law. which requires an open
space on all SIDES OF "A theatre
Mr.. DOench replied tnat the question would not
come officially under his consideration until the
owners shOu Il iiie their specifications Under
the iaw," SAID he "ordmery repairs may be made
without a permit Ot course, the work TO be done
on the Union Square Theatre Will constitute
more than Ordinary repairs yet the owners
viii probably clam the right to repair IN ac-
cordance with the original plans. The roof OF the
theatre gone but the walls are standing, thestage
is slightly damaged. and the distinction between
repairing and rebuilding rs N IN case so nice tnat
the ODininn CT the counsel to the Fire Department
will he taken when tine plans are flied. II NAV he
that the walls will be found unsafe aud will have
to De pa led down. In that event he question VIII
be slmpIied, aud the new law will ~ all proba-
bilrty be made TO apply. Personally, ] am in favor
OF enforcing 1t in this Gaze, although only one
theatre III the city, the new Broadway Theatre, Is
ms vet constructed In accordance with It's pro-
Visions
FLAMES DESTROY PAPER FACTORY
Early yesterday fire discovered In a large four
story brick building In St. Georges ave-, Railway, oc-
cnpcd by James Calhoun as a paper factory. The
building a cOmparatiVely new ane The cauSe of