Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-01-04
A FURIOUS BLAZE.
The Historic Fifth Avenue Thsatar,
in New York, Burned.
Pref. t4errmsea's Ns~ pssy-tsease,
shs Stsrssssat HOUSE. ana Several
Other 6sssdsaxs Damaged.

EUW Yeas. Jan e. ftfe Wttea ~
wss feared would result ia the loss of
the lises Of al ssast half eo1ea brave
frxsa~n broke oet IN the FIFTH Avenue
Theater shortly after midnight WITH
In a. hour thai famous play
house ~As practically destroyed
nsrrAsnss TkssIsr Sss h csIss
sad the enure block In grave
peril The ire broke cut sndsr the
stage of the Fifth Asesss The1tss
at hail past II o'eisek M explosion
WAS heard in the building and moment
later the upper part Of the city was
illuminated Nv . huge sheet OF tame
which rose from the roof OF The thsAtsr.
enseloriay the entire building aud
Herrmans 1hsst~r immediately al
Joining Soon the whole block.
from Twenty eighth street 70 Tween
ty-ninth street was in faWes
while on the T~enty-eighth street sade
Of the Fifth Avenue 1hester the
flames burst from the windows and
doors and threatened the Everard baths
and other buildings on the opposite side
of the street Guests Of the Brewer
House were early turned into the
street The Stnrtevant House, opposite
the Broadway entrance To the burning
theater. was In serious danger. For
miles around tho flames could be seen
shooting high into the heavens, and an
enormous crowd gathered and crowded
the ncigbboring streets
At o'clock the wind veered from
north to east and the top story OF the
Sturi~vznt House caught fire from
embers from across broadway. The
firemeu elevated their ladders, and
elm bling up smashed the windows and
shouted To the guests. Nearly all the
guests. however. had taken fight A
good part # the roof of the Sturtevsnt
was destroyed. The sparks were bloevn
as far IN Third avenue.
A scene of the utmost confusion pre-
vailed on the Broadway and Twenty
ninth street corner Of the burning
block. This end Of the block 10 com
posed of brown-stone dwelling houses
and several cafes. and the oc-
cupants became panic-stricken when
they saw the flames bursting
from the theatcr in the rear of their
dwelling Some began moving out
their furniture in the muddy streets.
and others deserted their houses with
out waiting TO secure their vaiuables.
The street was crowded with anxious
men and women who momen-
tarily expected To see their homes
destroyed When. however. they saw
that the strong wind was driving the
flames In a southern direction the police
were enabled TO restore order. and the
majority of the people returned 70 their
homes. broadway, between Twenty
eighth and Twepty-pinth streets. during
the most OF the time presented the APP
pearance Of an active volcano.
All the property burned belongs to
the Gilsey estate. and the total damage
10 buildings and contents Is roughly cs-
tim ated at $500. 600.
The occupants of the stores on the
west side of Broadway from Twenty
eighth to Twenty-ninth street. which
number from 1885 TO 1908. were as fol-
lows: No lls5. J. ]. Slater. shoes;
1887 was the side entrance 10 the Fifth
Il
the Cash Register Company; 1871, J. u.
Crook & Co.. sporting goods; 1913, l..
Spero, tailor; lls5, entrance TO Herr
mann's Theater: 1897. A. +. Kirch,
florist; 1899, j. B. White. jewcler; 1901,
Wissnan. florist, and 1908. Hannah e.
Son. shocs. The goods in all these
stores are badly damaged by water,
and should the walls topple in the
salvage viii DO very small. They are
shaky at present, and the 6rcmeD,
aware Of their condition, for safety's
sake are working from the opposite
sides Of Broadway and West Twenty
eighth streets aud the roofs of the
houses TO the westward
At 3 o'clock the damage to the stur-
tevant House. all told. was not over
$4,000 There were some lively scenes
IN the Brewer House, but there was no
panic. The front of the Fifth Avenue
is OF iron. and as the beams vanished il
was feared that IL would fall out and
crush Evarards bath house on the
south side Of Twenty eighth street Up
TO late hour the walls were standing
and the FIRE was still burning The
Fifth Avenue Theater was . complete
wreck.
No lives are known 10 have been lost,
although there were a dozen or more
narrow escapes. and al one tine II was
thought that three hremen who were
caught spon the roof-tcp would perish.
The estimated loss on the Fifth Ave.
nue. Theater was sloe 600 by n. G. Miner
and s5cc 600 BY the eilsey estate. Miss
Fanny Davenport loses $50. 600. exclu-
eive Of her costumes.