River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-01-08

IN RUINS.

Fire Destroys the Historic Fifth Avenue
Theater and Prof Herrmann's New
Play-House In New York City-Other
buildings Burned.
| NEW YORK, Jan. Sire which It
was feared would result in the loss Of
the lives of at least half dozen brave
fremen broke out in the Fifth Avenue
Iheater shortly after midnight With
In an hour that famous play
house was practically destroyed.
Herrmann's Theater was in flames
and the entire block in grave
peril. The fire broke out under the
stage of the Fifth Avenue Theater.
What was at first believed to be a false
alarm proved to be one that destroyed a
whole block upon Broadway, besides
the Fifth Avenue Theater, Her1mann's
new playhouse, a dozen stores, and
threatened the Sturtevant House on
the east side of Broadway, between
Twenty and Twenty-ninth
streets.
At half past IL o'clock an explosion
was heard in the building and moment
later the upper part of the city was
illuminated by huge sheet of flame
{ l.
enveloping the entire building and
Herrman's Theater Immediately adj
Joining. Soon the whole block.
from Twenty-eighth street to Tween
ty-ninth street, was in flames,
while on the Twenty eighth street side
of the Fifth Avenue Theater 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 Sturtevant House, opposite
the Broadway entrance to the burning
theater, was in serious danger For
miles around the flames could be seen
shooting high into the heavens, and an
enormous crowd gathered and crowded
the neighboring streets.
At l o'clock the wind veered from
north TO east and the top story of the
Sturtevant House caught fire from
embers from across Broadway. The
tiremcn elevated their ladders, and
climbing up smashed the windows and
shouted to the guests. Nearly all the
guests, however, had taken flight. A
good part of the roof of the Sturtevant
was destroyed. The sparks were blown
as far as Third avenue.
Broadway, between Twenty-eighth
and Twenty-ninth streets, during the
most of the time presented the appear
anco of an active volcano.
All the property burned belongs to
the Gilsey estate, and the total damage
TO buildings and contents is roughly es-
timated at $500, 900. Manager Harry
Miller was early on the scene, as was
also Prof. Hermann. While the for
mer saved nothing from the wreck. the
professor and his wife worked like
beavers. Mrs. Hermann saved her
four pet doves, but her husband sor-
rowfully said that his favorite trick
apparatus, worth 10000, was lost to
him forever
The occupants of the stores on the
west side of Broadway from Twenty
eighth to Twenty-ninth street, which
number from 1855 to 1908, We're as fol-
lows: No. 1855, j. ]. Slater, shoes;
1857 was the side entrance to the Fifth
Avenue Theater; 1889 was occupied by
the Cash Register Company: 1191, j. Ii.
Crook & Co., sporting goods; 1893, L.
Spero, tailor; 1195, entrance to Herr
mann's Theater; 1877, A. E. Kirch,
florist; 1899, J. b. White, jeweler; 1901,
Wissman, florist, and 1903, Hannah e.
Son, shoes. The goods in all these
stores are badly damaged by water,
and should the walls topple in the
salvage will be very small. They are
AT 3 o'clock the damage to the Stur-
fnuanf IIn1fCn all told
s.. 900. There were some lively scenes
in the Brewer House, but there was NO
panic
No lives are known to have been lost,
although there were a dozen or more
narrow escapes, and at one time it was
thought that three fremen who were
caught upon the roof-top would perish.
The estimated loss on the Fifth Ave
nue. Theater was 500, 900 by III. c. Miner
and $500, 900 by the Gilsey estate. Miss
Fanny Davenport loses $4,000, exclu-
sive of her costumes, and Prof. Herr
mann's loss is placed at $50, 600.
The Fifth Avenue Theater was built
by the executors of the Peter Gilsey es-
tate in 1878, on the site of Apollo Hall,
for Mr. Augustin DAILY. The building
has frontage of so feet ON Twenty
eighth and IS in the rear, and is 100
feet deep. The vestibule occupied 20
feet, the house 20, the stage 40 and the
green-room so feet. II was built with
division walls of brick, fitted with iron
doors ana shutters, and was considered
as fire-proof as could be expected. The
scene-room and the painters gallery
were in building 22x+5 feet, adjoin-
ing the stage. The dressing-rooms
were in the second and third
stories over the green-room and the
wardrobe was in the fourth story, the
stage entrance being on Twenty-ninth
street. The thcater was opened under
Mr.. Days management December 3,
1873, to a brilliant audience, who pro-
nounced it gem, the realization of an
ideal theater, perfect in form and finish.
Prof Hermann took possession of his
theater last summer. The season be-
fore this dainty little house Of small
seating capacity had been ehristened
the New Gayety. 1t has been much
better known as Docllstaders Theater,
which Lew Dockstader made the home
of minstrelsy in 1886, before that the
Comedy, and originally occupied by the
San Francisco Minstrels. The theater
had but one balcony, and seated $50
persons in the orchestra and $50 in the
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