New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-29
PRICE THREE CENTS.
THEATRE AND HOTEL BURNED
DAMAGE TO THE UNION SQUARE AND THE
MORTON. HOUSE.
LUCKILY 1T HAPPENED IN THE APTERNooN-sEv'
ERAL FIRRMEN INJURED, NONE DASGERoUsLY-
SERVANTS ESCAPE IN A PASIc-rHz ORR
GIN OF THE FLAMES A MYsTERY-TBE
loss ESTIMATED AT ABOUT 81 80. 0OO

GIN THE FLAMES A MYsTERY-THE
loss ESTIMATED AT ABOUT 100000.
New-York has been remarkably fortunate IN
having Its theatre fires occur at hours when tho
theatres were empty The PARK and Harrigans
Theatres, in Broadway, and the Windsor Theatre,
In the Bowery, were destroyed few years ago
at hours when the flames could not endanger hui
man life. but the swftness Of their destruction
showed plainly that there would have been awful
harvests OF death if the buildings had been packed
with people when the flames started. There was
more good fortune yesterday when the Union
Square Theatre and portion Of the Morton House
were damaged badly by fire.
Half dozen stage carpenters were at work in
the theatre at p m when smoke was seen curl
ing up to the roof from the top gallery, which al
Joined the east wing Of the hotel Henry Ray
mOnd, the boss stage carpenter, first called atten-
tion to the smoke. He and Jacob Hickman car
ried fire extnguishers up TO the gallery In tho
expectation of putting out the fire there. Charles
McCready another carpenter, ran TO the signal box
at Fourth-ave and Thirteenthst, and sent an
alarm to call the fremen. The truck company
from Thrteenth-st. dashed up to the theatre two
minutes later and the foreman Immediately sent
out third alarm. So rapid was the progress OF
the flames that by the time the extra companies
of fremen had reached the theatre the building
was filed with smoke and the stage carpenters
had fed to the street.
About the same time the fire had ben discovered
In the Morton House and there was panic In tho
hotel The top story of the east wing OF the hotel
was ablaze, and it was believed that the flames
had started in the servants rooms and had spread
to the theatre The entrance to the theatre was
through the first story of the wing and above were
three stories, occupied by servants rooms and
rooms for the hotel guests. Down the stairways
rushed the frightened bOarders until the corridors
were filed Actors and actresses carried out their
wardrobcs.
A few women screamed and one Of them tainted
when she reached the barrOom. sick woman
was carried down stairs by the servants and con-
veyed to the Hotel Dam. One frightened cham
bermaid opened window Of the third story and
was about to Jump into the street when she was
restrained by n boarder and led down stairs.
Charles l.. Vernam, the proprietor of the hotel
acted with GOODNESS and promptness III The eaet.
of the furnaces I'll the boilers with water ana smut
of The gas in order to prevent eXploslonA men
he called on the clerks, porters ana walters 70 he,p
got the guests and baggage out OF the rooms III
that part Of the hotel which was IN immediate lsn'
ger The Broadway part OF the holei was sa,e
for the time but most of the guests LETT thelr 4.
rooms and assembled in the barroOm and restaIi'
rant on the ground hoor. Safes ana trunks III % ,no
office dragged out on the sidewalk. ESery.
body was out Of danger IN IeW nllhuIes anu '"'
excitement began to abate.
GREAT CROWDS IN UNION SQUARE.
A dense cloud of smoke rose from the roof OF tho
theatre and was blown across Fourth-ave. toward
the East River. From the start to the. end OF tis
fire no flames visible from the street or from
Union Square, but great crowds collected ana n'
manned standing in the cold while tse liremen SUR
rounded the burning buildings by direction Oh
Chief Shay and Assistant Chief Bonner, many ire-
men climbed to the roofs of buildings in Broad
way and Fourth-ave. and played streams ot water
on the roof OF the theatre -, -,
Othcr iiremen sent on the roof OF the motel
and on the Star Theatre. An alley when sep
aIafed the two payhouses made IL possible Tor ths
fremen TO protect the Star Theatre with ease Sq-
perintendent Murray sent $50 policemen from ad-
nng pGcnc.s to assist nd nhe th l n@Ice ke1t the
crowds back from the engines. twenty minutes
after the fire had started there was good order
in the neigh bOrh0Od and most OF the spectators
were talking about the good luck in having the
fire at time when there need be no loss oi me-
The crowd In Union Square had irl9ht wien S,
an electric light wire that had been stretched from
the Morton House to the Hotel Dam broke ana
fell upon the pavement. A..
Inspector Williams shouted: " Don't touch thao
wre!" and everybody fell back from IT,
There was no current of electricity passing
through the wire at the time and nobody was hurt.
4 hose burst in Broadway and stream 81 water
drnnchod n crowd IN front of the Domestic Sews
ING Machine Companys building. The horses
attached 10 the hose cart Of Engine No ! started
10 run away ar the same moment. but they were
lught before they had run over alyDody'
FIRFurN HrRr RY A FAILING GALLERY
Suddenly there was an accidens that caused
great excitement and made necessary a general
call for ambulances Battalion Chief Gicquel
had led three companies Of firemen through mo
entrance to the burning theatre and up the STAIR
way to the balcony, Under the wing OF the hotel.
The flames at that time were confined to the root
and the galleries of the theatre and the upper sto-
ries of the hotel wing; There was so much smoi'
that the frcmcn had TO grope their way IN
Twenty Of the brave men had reached The oal:
conv and were throwing water from two lines OF
hose toward the ceiling Of the theatre when mo
aoor of the gallery above them fell with crash.
A dozen Of the fremcn were caught and car
ried down with the wreck through the foor OF the
balcony The gallery floor was blazing when 10
fell and several OF the fremen were burned seri,
onslv before they could extricate themseleys. As
they staggered ont 70 the sidewalk thelr Diack,
ened faces and hands looked as N they had burned
to a crisn For n time n was feared that some OF
the iremen had lost their lives and that their bod
les were buried under the burning fragments Oh
'"9 Chief Gicquel ordered general call for ambu;
lanccs and then made count OF IN" lnlurri ana
time the ambuanres arrived from the New-.1rk org
md ST Vincent's Hospitals it was known than
none Of the brave fremen had been killed. There
Wi, 1uCll work in getting the injured men into
the nmbnlanccs and stating for the hospitals.
The ambulance on the way To ST. Nincents Hos.
pta with two iremen broke Sown IN lOnS drOns 20 20
nut the injured men on street car ana take 'he'h
TO the hospital In the meantime; call Ioi
another ambulance WAS sPnb iToH
Fonrtocnth-st and n second wagon from 81; Vin.
CENTS Hospital dashed through the crowds IN tnlon
had been an accident on the Second Avenue Ele-
vated Railroad at Fourteenth-st. and t1rstave.
caused a between several OF The amDuiahces
to that point, but it was false alarm.
THE FrRrMFN WHO WIRE HURT.
Following are the names Of the men AS entered
IN the hospital blotters At New-York Hospital
were:
GEORGE FRAEGERICK age twenty six, single. Of Ne
$40 sixth ST. both hands and face burned and
leg broken
FRANCIS GRAY age three single. OF No. So Mar
;on..t; confusion Of the back
THOMAS LEDDY. age Ihirtv.one single OF No 50 wsst
Honstonst; hands and face burned.
WILLIAM T. O'CoNNoR age twenty.six. single. OF No
%2s west Thrteenthsti left hanl and neck burned