The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-03
A BLAZE ON BROADWAY.
IT RAN ALONG FROM 2sTH TO
10Th STREETS.

enpOrt Flaylng Cleopatra IN the
Former-Three Firemen Have Mar
row Escapes from Death.
NEW YORK, Jan. 2, las P. M-Eighteen
years ago yesterday the Fifth Avenue thea
ter, then in the rear of the Fifth Avenue
hotel, on Twenty fourth street, disappeared
IN flame and smoAe. Within a short time
after Augustin DAILY had the old Apollo
hall, where the famous committee
Of seventy had its birth, changed
into playhouse. Fifteen minutes
or so tonight after Fanny Davenport,in in the
character of Cleopatra" had trod the boards
of the Fifth Avenue theater redtuiulLS,
and the audience had passed out of the
Broadway and Twenty-eighth street en-
frances. Watchman Finn ran out Of the
theater screaming Fire"
RALLY OF THE ENGINES.
A few seconds later the fire engines were
dashing up Broadway, and until noarly
o'clock this morning new attachments were
still responding to additional signals for
help. 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, Herrmann's
new play house, a dozen stores, and threat
ened the Sturtevant house, on the east side
of Broadway, between Twenty-eighth and
Tweuty-ninth streets. Up TO this writing,
while the fire Is yet raging, no lives are
known to have been lost.
NARROW ESCAPES.
There were a dozen or more narrow es-
capes, and at one time it was thought that
three fremen who were caught on a roof
would perish. For two Of these brave fell
lows it was very lucky that line of hose
ran from the roof to the street. Tae daring
'laddies" took advantage OF this fact, and
when their comrades on the street gave
them up as lost they slid down to the street.
But the other, a reckless sort of an individ-
ual, scorned, it seemed, to escape that way.
He stood his ground. and was soon lost
sight of in the smoke. Ladders were hastily
raised, but the searchers failed to find Nc
Ginnis-thAt was his name-it is said,
but to the surprise of his comrades, half an
hour OF 80 laser, the brave man made his
reappearance on the street. He had ora ~ led
along the roof. which was almost furnace
hot, until he reached a Latchway, through
which he made his escape.
FLAMES SHOOT THROUGH THE ROOF.
The fire had been burning less than half
an hour before the flames shot through the
roof, causing the widest CONSERVATION
among the guests Of the Brewer house, on
bHO bOl JuctAsb WI AeI, duu . btVdAJ HOUSE,.
To add to the confusion thsre were six ex~
plosions in the Fifth Avenue theater, which
blew the blazing rafters skyward, aud these
set fire to the roofs of buildings surrounding
the burning theaters. While the fremen
were powerless to do anything toward saw
ing the playhouse they worked noblY in pre-
venting the destruction Of tho houses in the
vicinity of the immense blaze.
OWNED BY THE GILsEYs.
The property burned belongs to the Gil
sey estate and the total damage to the build
ing and its contents is roughly estimated at
$500, 900.
Manager Harry Miner was early on the
scene, as was also Prof. Hermann. While
the former saved nothing from the wreck,
the prOfes or and his wife worked like
beavers. Mrs. Hermann saved her four
pet doves, but her husband sorrowfully said
that his fsvorite trick apparatus, worth
$4,000, was lost to him forever. =
OCCUPANTS OF THE STORES.
The occupants of the stores on the west
side of Broadway, from Twenty eighth TO
Twenty-ninth streets, which number from
1885 to 1908, were as follows: No 1885, j.
J. Slater, shoes; No. 1887 was side entrance
to the Fifth Avenue theater; No. 1889 was
occupied by the Cash Register Company
No. 1871, J. B. Crook e. Co., sporting goods
trance TO Herrmaun's theater; No. 1877, A.
E. Kirch, florist; No. 1899. j. B. White,
jeweler; No. 1901, Wessman, florist,
and No. 1903, Harman & Son, Shoes
The goods in all these st res was badly
damaged by water, and should the walls
topple in the salvage will be very small
They are shaky at present, and the fire men,
aware Of their condition, for safety sake,
are working from the opposite side of
nd al h = ;,
and the roofs of houses to the westward.
THE EXPLOSIONS.
The first of the series of explosions,
which are thought to have been caused by
the bursting of the gas tanks, came very
near being serious affair for dozen or
more fremel, under the leadership of
Battalion Chief McCabe, who were at that
moment working in the auditorium of the
Fifth Avenue theater. They were almost
blown into the street with several reporters.
At intervals Of every few minutes explosion
followed explosion. The hremen did not
know what was coming next, and they, for
the first time in the history of the depart
ment, were more or less frightened. But
they soon rallied.
THE WATER TOWER RAISED.
Ladders were raised. and the "water
tower" and several nozzles with "Slame,e
loul-Wdyo WeTS CLOiuR Gh6lF D5SO 10 stay Lno
spread Of the fierce flames. The stiff breeze,
which was blowing from the northward, got
in its fine work, and there was no opplng
the fire. It had simply to burn itself out.
Herrman's new Dheater, which was recently
rebuilt at considerable expense, was found
to be on fire after the fourth explosion
This building was once famous as the abode
of the San Francisco minstrels, Birch,
Wambold and Backus.
FANNY DAVENPoRT's LOSS.
On Dec. 90 last. Fanny Davenport made
her first appearance in SardOu's play Of
Cleopatra" about the title of which at
present there is some legal troubles. The
actress has been greeted by large audiences,
and it was expected that "Cleopatran
would have long run, but In half an
hour the scenery, costumes and building,
worth probably S75. 900, vanished in fire
and smoke. 1t was very lucky indeed that
the fire did not break out during the per-
formance, for it is claimed that the play
houses were well patronized. And it seems
odd, too, that in SO short a space OF time
that fire could have gained such headway,
with a watchman inside the building. This
is mystery which Fire Marshal Mitchell
will be called upon to solve.