Morning journal and courier., 1891-03-27
\ Burning Theater,

From Fanny Murfree's Serial Felicia in the
 March Atlantc.l
 From the roof and windows of the great building flames were shooting-red and deeply orange, sometimes veined with purple gleams, and again shading into amethystine banners that waved fantasti- cally. Where streams of water were thrown columns of steam and of black smoke ascended, and through them played fiery jets of sparks, that fioated high into the air, and travelled far on the wings of the wind. The bitter north wind had al- ready done strange, effective work. Gi- gantic icicles, growing momently more massive under its arctic influence, hung, glittering and splendid, from every projec- tion on which the streams of water chanced to fall. The firemen were encased in gleaming mail that rattled with a loud sound. As they appeared for an instant within the glassy arches surrounding the windows, or moved about on the roof, the red light, falling upon their sparkling yes ture and their ice-covered hair and boards, was reflected back with prismatic gleams. Suddenly loud, peremptory command rang out, and a moment later, above the roar of the flames and the heavy panting of the engines and the continuous swash of the water, there arose a long, loud, hid eous crash, as portion of the eastern wall gave way.
 Felicia was swept with the retreating crowd out of the rain of cinders that drifted downward. Mechanically she dashed the burning fragments from her hair, her hands, her face: then, as she looked up, she stood as if turned to stone
 Many other eyes were fixed on Kennett. Never had drama more effective stage set ting; never had actor more intent audi | ence In the background, high above the high roofs of the building, rolled dense clouds of black smoke, permeated through | and through with upward drifting sparks | and elusive scarlet and orange plumes of flame that caprieiously waved and shot | swiftly out and vanished. to flare anew on higher level of the cloud.
 When he had spung suddenly upon the roof, it was as if he had emerged from that chaos of fire and smoke. He stood | for & moment gazing about him; then he walked to the edge of the building. At that great height he seemed to move with consummate grace and lightness. He was | dressed in the costume he wore in the last act of "Prince Roderick." The blue and silver vividly accented his figure against | the darkly rolling clouds He stood mo- tionless moment, looking at the sea of upturned faces, at the building across the al. ley, at the fiery gulf into which the eastern wall had fallen, at the firemen on the low CT roofs of the building, separated from | him by that maslstrom of flames; at those other flames, each moment fercer, more implacable, more asserrive, shooting out of the windows below him; then he looked again at the mass of human beings on the streets. There rose to him ineoherent murmurs, breaking into frantic e1clama tions. The intense terror, inherent in hu- man nature, of that most frightful fate, death by fire, manifested itself in quick, wild cries, uttered by men ordinarily sane enough, of insistance that he should jump. Then in a breath came countsr-cries. "Wait." "WaitI"-then loud calls for the hook and ladder companies, then asser- tions that there was no time to wait; and again desperate iniunctions to jump rose into loud chorus inexpressibly shattering to the nerves in its quality of uncontrolla, ble terror.