Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-04-06

look and manner, and reInarkous ,,oino to
Gallego that she hoped he was nov
be i'll. 81 .ot ~
The curtain now rose on the rs 80 half
the Bleeding Nun. That ~, II r,iseI
way. then was lowered aud aghln 40 fes'
though not high enough to snog now, -" some
tooned drapery above. EVi9eh,E, The
thing was wrong with the macnihslSr. .d on
play went on till Mrs. Young apPe1i'or oil
the stage az the Bleeding Nun, NnLLiio
eyes were upon her. After = fHjIinc
noticed several small fiery SPAR -, n,.' md
from behind the curtain 20 the etn- he
remarked upon it to Mr.. NenaDl. 1,hol,lv
laughed and replied that Il WAS " tufo,,;l
some new scenic effect but ColoneI i'a,te-
ton arose an leaned forward tor o'''0'
view. - IN tbe
performance OF Norfolk" said ne. oHinJ
can it mean There must be ire o'''''
the curtain" ,o1.
At that moment a voice in the pit cried;
Fire the house il on FIRE! osH
Many persons sterted up. The resi- a. ~
not crediting tho alarm kept tner "'-'
But Mrs. Young. looking mp, shrieAeu
NY God the roof Is on fire e
Now thewhole house arose. ana soiHo va
the women commenced screaming, -
Placide came forward aud begged W
audience O. keep their places ana mo- ~
alarmed. The short inner dra9eres' n'
said, had caught FIRE from one OF the cpn.-
dcliers which illumined the. stage ~ ~
would be extncuished Immediately ~ ~
men who had gone into the lOit IoI Vno
purpose The actors. however, were NJ
ready hurrvinc from the stage. and seeing
this Mr. Neuable urged rs TO get out OF ' L
house Immediately before there shouluH, 10
arush. Colonel Hamilton also bcgged III.
Galleco to leave at once. int sho va
searching on the floor for somethlnR I.l
fan or bracelet. IL might be. - we Ielt wy
box mother orasped Sally's arm anu m
pl0red her 10 come with rs. as did also NJ
escort. but she seemed not 90 near or ~
ticc any one. She was standing, Fcl. pe.'et
pazing toward the door, and knew lnas ~
was James for whom she was IooAli1;
But alreadri the entrance was croNu5u
with people nuTrying out, Wine suienHSf
enough others sill kept tneT seal l!9 ~
ing that there was no danger ana 1,aI 70
fire would be extiuguishcd. ] hearu Co!p-
mel Rotts as | passed eudeavQring 70 qulet
his wife and nieces, assuring them that w.
should the flames spread they cou,l.l -.
get out. Before We had gotten nan way ~
the door we were pressed upon NY 49,
behind. and then thecrush and strugel ue-
con,e dcsnorste. For some moments we
could not advance stepfOr the dense cIoNu
Mt the DOORWAY. At first We clung de-pet;;'1e-
ivtoearn otherand 10 Mr.. Venable, until we
were forced apart 10y the crowd. man,
with his arm around a.faintIug WOlhdl'
seized INV throat and threst me aside ana
another with child c'asped IN ono am
forcev struck right and iett WIN nv
other. felt my clothes literally Torn va
me bv peCple grasping AZ them as tH't
trie1 TO dTae themselves through the
crowd. Once / looked back aud saw
volume of flame leap from behind the cur-
tain. and spread towards u across the
cciijnr. Ike p fiery scroll uuroIe7. nc
ROOF was Of pine ehinglc4 and dry as tndcr.
The air became hot and suhOcating as we
were carried along by the struggling anu
shrleking crowd: until reaching the stHi'-
case we began actually TO tumble down tho
steps. ....
A FEARFUL SCENE
ktfhef foot wasamas5 of PROSTATE bodies;
over which the rest were tramplln ah.
strugpling 7 should have ialien bat thht
q man behind NE clasped strong, arms
nbout me and held ne up. felt breath
~ fr.sb eir ON nv faceaud knew that we
were near tho door. Al this time tho most
boartreuiing shrieks of agony ana tear
we're Going up all around me. In a.suddeu
,,roas and SURGE of the crowd 1 wa srpi-
in+ed from my protector, but the next mo-
rucnt A hand seized me and dragged me
forrlhlv ont through the blocked doorway
into the 0pen air. Here there was ahothcr
frantic and surg.ng crowd people, loohiIE
for their friends and relatives ana snI lex
iug their NAMES. Up To thls lnoiheh. i nv
ulf lost my presence OF nl nj, uut WIN
evcry nerve and sense strained had fought
f,r INV life. int the moment found my
Golf safe this unnat ural strength suddenly
failed me. and remember no more until
found myself lying on the ground with
mother and Bessie beside me. We were
crushed. bruised. and bleeding even, but
sase-thank God-safe.
What a fearful scene was that on which
We cazedl the whole Theatre was on
fro. the flames rising in huge pyramid
from the roo. and beginning 10 nurS1 ou1
M the windows. We could see the forms
of burninr men and women crowdmg at
the windows, tossing their arms, sirug-
rlfnr and shrioeing-and on, such
shrieksi Some, afraid 20 leap out, were
keepiu0 back the rest, vino were alreGhE
ON ire At one window stood tall and
powcrfully-hUit man, who was seizing the
frantic women and forcing them OUT OF
fine window. dropping them down 10 the
people below. At another Wlhdo" Il ne
Gr, man mounted on ladder was -sietlhg
down an who bad sufficient presence OK
mind left b venture. lie was slave
named Gilbert. and was risklng hls lie
i'm the hone Of saving ms master. These
two heroic men-Dr. James icCaW ana
Gilhert-Deycr lcf1 their posts until the
fomcs wore actually upon them, wlen Dr.
NcCaw leapod 70 tho ground, breaking ms
thioh I'm the tlll, and was dragged ont or
reach of the flames. ,,,.
Meanwhile, outside the burning building
a freuZiod crowd was collected sIr!e hIH~
the names of parents. waves, ana chldleh'
some of whom could be recognized with
in, i'm The flames. Oh. il was too horrible
/ for memory 10 dwell upon.
II was in the midst of this that was sud-
denly clasped in my fathers arms, and saw
his white head bending over me with eyes
streaming with tears.
THANK God; OH, thank God. " ne re-
heated over and over again, as he held Us
I'M three clasped together in his arms. And
then looking about INN ne inquired
"Nhcre is james =" go,
SAFE nv mother answered amid her
sobs. He left before the tre broke out.
And Sally
ton aud bis friend were with her Ihey
must have saved her.'
All around IA were laid the bodies OF
those rescued from the hames-'ome
already dead. some dying, and others
writing IN agony; some had sWo 3hed
T or We're tAlifANiAAs ANU " At".tANA
voice cry aloud: "Mill nobody help! lie
will die for want of bleeding"
Then my mother aroused herself. she
remembered that her maid had fastened
her dress with a large darning-ncedle as
being safer than pin. and this she now
produced. going from one TO another vi
the sufferers, pricking vein and letting
the blood tlOw. while other ladies' assisted.
remember especially lovely old hay'
Mrs. Rose. who toro TO pieces gu i.i
clothing for bandages, and prayed with
and comforted the wretched people.
There were not physicians enough on the
ground to attend all those in need Of their
services.
Nv father mean time had gone in search
Of James. In an hour he returned. and
with a white. set face said quietly:
The carriage Is waiting at the corner,
twill be best for YOU oil to get home as
quickly as possible
Ny mother inquired If he had seen
James.
Not yet, " he answered. " Mr.. Brocken-
brough saw HIM in the crowd outside after
the alarm was given"
That was all he said-my poor brave
father, whose heart WIS breaking. u was
not until next day that We were allowed
to know the terrible tru,h.
LOVERS IN DEATHS EMBRACE.
James had rema. ned al home with my