Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-28
A MILLION LOST BY FIRE.
Burning of tho Grand Central Theater and
the Times Building in Philadelphia.

Burning of the Grand Central Theater and
the Times Building In Philadelphia.
most disastrous fire broke out shortly be
fore O'Clock last night in the Grand Contra
theater on Walnut street between 9Th and 9tl
streets, Philadelphia, and before it was sub
dued nearly million dollars worth Of prop
erty had been destroyed, including the eight
story annex building occupied by the Times
newspaper. In the panic in the theater nearly
forty persons, mostly occupants OF the CALLER
les, were hurt, none, however, seriously.
SCENERY IN BLAZE.
The Central Theater is located on Walnut
street. between sth and 9th, being surrounded
by hotels, restaurants. boarding houses, news
paper offices and business houses. Imme-
diately in the rear of the thester was the Times
annex building, which faced on SAMSON street.
The theater was usually devoted to variety per-
formances, but this week Manager Gilmore,
who IL interested in several spectacular pro-
ductions. had one Of them, THE Devils Auc-
tion," on his stage. Just before 8 O'Clock,
while the stage hands were lowering from the
flies portion OF the setting for the first scene.
1T became entangled in the border lights. In
an instant tho fimsy canvas was mass OF
names. Tongues OF fire shot up to the roof
and blazing scenery fell to the stage, and in
a short space OF time the entire rear portion
OF the theater was mass OF IRE.
TIMES ANNEX BUILDING DESTROYED.
Looming away up above the rear Of the the
ater was the Times annox building, occupied
on the seventh floor by the editorial force, aud
ON the eighth floor by the composing and ster-
eotyping forces.
The city de apartment of the Times was in the
rear OF the building, the windows of its rooms
overlooking the rear OF the theater. One OF
the reporters saw from the window the flames
shoot Of NJ ha no v
OF alarm warned everybody in the room. No
body thought OF stopping to secure clothing or
other property, the main idea being to get to
the street. Everybody got out safely.
The scenes in the composing room, where
about seventy-fve people were at work, were
Of the same character. On the sixth floor was
the illustrating department of the Times. and,
too, the rooms Of the American Press AssOcia-
ton. The first, second, third and fourth floors
were occupied by DekOsenko h Hetherington,
most valuable Of it's kind in the country. BY
$50 the entire interior had been Quilted.
THE TIMES APPEARS As USUAL
The Times force went over to tho Record
building and got out this mornings issue in q
somewhat Abridged form, containing an ex-
haustive description OF tho fire.
Col. A. X. Mcclure. editor Of the Times. lost
his invaluable political library, which lie has
been collecting during the past fifty years and
which can never be replaced
CABLE POWER HOUSE
At 9 o'clock the west wall and a portion of
tho east wall fell IN, the latter crushing in a
large portion Of the one-story power house of
the Philadelphia Traction Company, which
contained the two immense engines recently
put in position, which propelled the company 3
street cars over the lower section of the city
These engines are covered with bricks and
debris to a depth Of twelve feet and it
will be several weeks before the cables can be
operated The east wall crushed the four
story building occupied by Hamilton Il Diesn-
ger, manufacturing jewellers, and portions OF
several buildings below it on sth street be-
tween SAMSON and Walnut streets. The front
and damagde buildings opposite. In the cellar
were the new presses Of the Times, the pride of
the owner, Frank Mclaughlin. These are
ruined.
PANIC IN THE THEArER.
Fortunately the theater was only partially
filled when the fire broke out A bright white
flame shot through the curtain. Everybody
started for the exits. One individual drew a
pocketknife and with is cut his way through
the mass of people. Half dozen or more
people were found at the hospital who had
been victims Of his frenzy.
Men and boys fell on the stairways leading
scratched under the heels of those following
them. In oil, fifty two persons we're cared for
at the two hospitals near the theater. Every
body was outside the burning structure within
two minutes from the time the fire started.
The police and the thester people say that
all of the company have been accounted for.
TIE PRINCIPAL LOSSES.
The losses. as near as could be estimated
last night, are as follows: Central Theater
building $50, 600. insuranc, $4,000; costumes
and scenery. Devils Auction" $4,000. in
surance 1880; Twelve Temptations" s18, 900,
insurance $500; Sea King" $4,000. no in
surance. The Times estimates its loss at about
S35O,OOO. Other losses are represented by
three presses. valued at $4,000, which lie be-
meath the ruins in the basement; engines. 500,
900; type. $4,000; stereotyping machinery,
$4,000. The building-S0xl20 feet and eight
stories high-was estimated at Sl50.00O. The
whole is insured at about two-thirds its value
In addition to the newspaper establishment
the four lower floors Of the building were &C.
cupied by DeKosenko 4 Hetherington. manu-
facturers OF art metal work, whose loss will
reach at least 100000.