The Washington critic., 1888-02-29
A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
The Union Square Theatre I'm New
York Burned.


As announced in The Critic yesterday,
the Union Square Theatre, with all its con
tents, was destroyed by fire in the after
noon. The Morton House, adjoining on
two sides, was badly damaged, and the
Star Theatre was in imminent danger for
some time. About o'clock n chamber
maid in the rear of the top floor of the
Morton House saw smoke coming through
the orevices in the doors of the main hall
way. She was too frantic with fear for
fully five minutes to give an alarm, and
by that time smoke was pouring into the
hotel. Her cries brought about twenty
chambermaids from their rooms on the
top floor, and the guests from theirs on
the others. All rushed pell-mell down
stairs, and not few of them were bruised
by the trunks that were flung down the
stairs at the same time. The confusion
for time was great, and much valuable
time was lost. The work of the firemen
was much hindered by a scarcity of water,
and before good stream could be gotten
on the fire all possibility of saving the
theatre was past. The firemen then
cleared the Morton House of guests and
attaches, and devoted their efforts to
saving the hotel.
When the burning of the theatre be-
came known throughout the city, the ex-
citement was great, and 1t was intensified
every moment by special ambulance calls
being sent out. The flames started in the
rear rooms of the top floor of the theatre,
and were famed by brisk southeast
wind. The dry woodwork of the build
| ing blazed like shavings, and IL was not
| long before the thin sheet-iron partition
| between that portion of the hotel and thea
| tire was melted, and the mass of living
Goals dropped onto the stage of the thea.
tire. The scenery and curtains flashed
up and where the members ofthe "Hen-
riettan Company few minutes before
finished their morning rehearsal was n
roaring furnance. In trice, apparently
the roof fell in and the flames shot up.
ward.
When the fire was raging most fiercely
the roof of the theatre fell IN, while 9
number of firemen were fighting the fire
from the interior of the building. The
spectators were Mortified by hearing
heart-rending screams of agony, and, in {
moment or two, some firemen rushed
from the building, carrying a number o
their comrades. The injured were fore
man Frenez, assistant foreman Eakins
firemen Roam, Toni, Ledd, Frank Nc
Quade and Frank O'Connor. They wer
all badly burned and injured by falling
timbers, though not fatally, it is thought
and were taken to the New Yorl
Hospital.
Manager J. NJ. Hill of the Uniol
Square was in his Office in the building
and with him was Treasurer Hall of tn
Casino. They escaped with difficulty.
The decorations and tapestry of tn
Star Theatre were injured by smoke
which filed the building, but fire wa
kept out of it. Many of the guests of th
Morton House went over to the Uniol
Square Hotel and to the Everett House
but all the rooms below the two uppe
stories were tenable late in the day. Th
damage by fire to the hotel building
confined principally to the two uppe
floors, and the furniture, ETC., on tn
lower floors were damaged by water
The servants lost all their clothing. TIL
loss on the theatre is heavy. About 81
months ago 1t was remodeled and redecc
rated. The costumes and properties {
'"The Henrietta" were destroyed. MI
Hill places his loss at $125, 900. The men
bers of the company lose about 5000 o
their costumes. The theatre will prof
ably be rebuilt. The loss ON the Morto
House will probably amount to $l0,00t
on the property $4,000 more. Bot
buildings were old and far from fire-proo