St. Paul daily globe., 1891-07-05
A TERRIBLE TABLEAU,
The Fourth RoundedOf With
a Great Pyrotechnie Dis
play.
Park Theatep Destroyed by
Fire Shortly After This
Morning.
Lieut.. Morgan, Of Company
no. 8, Has a Very Narrow
Escape.
RumOr That Two Men in the
Theater Lost Their
Lives.

The little ''old white show shop" on
Sixth and Franklin streets is no more.
Nothing remains to mark the spot where
stood the Park theater but four charred
wooden walls. At 12:45 this morning
an alarm of fire was rung in from box
43. The next instant crimson blaze
lit up the sky, and the eighteenth fire
responded to by the department. was
well under way. Crowds of belated cele-
brants rushed to the scene from every
direction, and thousand people had
gathered before the arrival of the de-
partment. The old Harris theater was
in blaze from end to end, and ten
minutes after the box was pull d all
hope Of saving the structure was at an
end. Shortly after the first alarm was
sounded, second one was
sent in and soon the apparatus
swarmed to the scene from every
port of the city. Half a dozen streams
of water were directed against what
seemed the center of the cOnaagratlon
in a very few minutes, but the flames
had a strong hold OF the building, and
water only served to temporarily cneck
their progress. The fire broke
out beneath the stage in the
rear of the house. Only twenty
minutes prior to the discovery of the
Outbread the Book company, which had
just closed a weeks engagement in
"Lorle" and East Lynne" had moved
the last of their effects from the dress
ing rooms. Some of the
Stage Hands
first discovered the blSZe. After a fu-
tile effort to extinguish it they Informed
Police Officer Schram, who turned in an
alarm.
At 1:30 O'Clock the fire had spread to
the roof, and there was emminent dan
ger that the new Turner hall, next
door on Franklin street, would also
be consumed. Eight streams of
water were directed against the point at
which the greatest danger OF spread
OF the flames existed, and by NEST eff
cient work the flames were confined to
the theater. At 2:l5 the interior of the
house was completely Quilted. At
that time the flames poured
out from the upper floor at the
part of the house, and severely scOrched
the tiremen at work 0n ladders. They
managed to escape very serious injury,
No one seems to know exactly how the
fire started. 1t is believed, however, to
have caught from gas jet left burning
in one of the dressing rooms.
The theater was the property of the
TuTnveTein Germania society. 1t was
built by that organization seven years
ago at a cost of S2o, 100. Since that
time it
Had AnDrecTated
in value to S3S.OOO. Four years ago the
Franklin street. Some months prior to
that the old building was leased to Z,
W. Trask and J. E. WhitmOre. These
gentlemen remOdeled the house and
made a theater of it. The five
year lease they held expired in
May last, and was renewed
for period of two years. The leSSeeS
have spent altogether in reftting the
place 81, 900. The bnildIng proper was
insured for $4,000. chiefly placed with
the Northwestern Insurance company,
of Milwaukee. Trask & WhitmOre
had $4,000 on fixtures and properties,
placed equally with local and foreign
companies.
NJ. f PrOpping, president of the Ger
mania society, said last night that it was
impossible to correctly estimate the loss
or the amount of insurance until the
books were examined.
The theater has had rather eventful
history.
1t will be remembered by all st. Paul
people as the house of the old Peoples
theater stock company. As the Peo-
ple's theateI it was known and famous
until sub-leased a couple of years ago
to Harris, BrittOn IL Dean, of Baiti-
more. Their manager, Walter ?. Dean,
had control of the house for over year,
covering the engagement of the WilburS
and other attractions. Under the Dean
management the name of the
House Was Changed
to the harris. When the suitcase ex-
pired some months ago, Messrs. Trask
and WhitmOre rechriStened it the Park
theater.
Nothing was saved from the fire.
The light wooden framework burnt like
tender.
Lieut.. James Williams, of Engine
Company No. s, who was working on
the side of the building directing his
men, narrowly escaped death. He was
about to leave the dangerous spot, hav-
ink ordered his men away, when the
flagstaff which surmounted the
cupOla succumOed to the flames,
and fell heavily, pinning him to
the spot. A sheet of flame roared dan
gerOusly near the PROSTATE man on one
side and there was frantic yell from
the crowd as his danger was recognized.
The PROSTATE mans comrades instantly
rushed TO his rescue, and he was safely
landed with only slight injuries.
At 2:35 the fire was under control.
Fire Chief Jackson was on the spot
from the beginning of the fight, and
directed the efforts of his men IN a mas
terly way. The latter behaved splen-
didly. They had done a hard days
work, but worked no less eagerly
for that. The department de-
serves the greatest credit for keeping
within bounds one Of the most stubborn
fires of recent date.
At 3 o'clock this morning there was
Tumor that two stage hands were miss
ing, and it was feared that they were in
the theater. The report could not be
verified, owing TO the lateDesS of the
hour.
Hermann Overlook, a prominent
member of the Germania society, veri-
fed the above figures as to losses and
insurance.
The fire was fully subdled at a. m.
Won NOTIFIES CREED