The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-04-28
FIRE IN PHILADELPHIA.
The Blaze Starts in Theatre Filled With
People. and n Panic Ensues, In
juriDg 13O People.


utes to o'clock tonight the stage hands OF
the Central Theatre had all the preparations
made for the performance of the Devils
Auction" and the attaches were in the act OF
lighting the gas-jet overhead known
as the borderline While passing the
torch along tho second row OF
these lights suspended scene became ig-
nted and in an instant the entire loft was an
immense blaza. The alarm was at once given
and all the stage hands did their best to
smother the flames, but the fire spread too
rapidly. Charley Yale, the manager OF tii-
more's enterprises, was near the spot where
the fire originated and speedily threw open
all the exits OF the auditorium ana rushed 10
the Office on the second floor on tne Nalhut
street side Of the theatre and had JUS, time
enough 20 close the safe when the smoke ana
flames drove him from the room TO Inc hre-
escape on the front wall.
THE FIRE FIEND's COSTLY WORK.
A million dollars has gone up IN flames and
smoke and nearly an entire square consumed
is the record OF the fire hends WORK III
! Philadelphia tonight The territory ue-
vastated by the flames is bounded by Sanson'
| Walnut. Eighth and Ninth streets. In the
| block were the Central Theatre now a
smouldering ruin. and the historic old Wal,
| uut-Street Theatre which not reached
by the fire. The Times annex. which stood
| directly in rear of the Central Theatre
where the flames originated, Is also
| in ruins In addition TO the times.
which occupied two floors and the
basement. the building was occupied 10y, II
number OF business houses whose loss VIII be
! heavy. The amount of the loss is Impossible
| to he learned at this hour, as the ire. whlch
| is under control, Is still burning. laggarts
| Sunday Times and PoultOn's Hotel. which
stand on Walnut street above the theatre,
are badly gutted and the loss will be heavy.
LOSS oyER MILLION DOLLARS.
All the buildings on Eighth street between
Walnut and SansOm are badly damaged by
fire smoke and water. as are those fronting
on Walnut street At this hour, / \. NJ. u
careful estimate places the loss at over
Sl.CO0OOO and the insurance will not reach
| $500 900.
The fire is one Of the most sensational which
has ever occurred in this city. At o'clock
| Gilmore's Central Theatre, the most popular
variety theatre in the city. was crowded. the
attraction being the Devils Auction. Nhhe
the orchestra was playing the overture stage
| hand was startled by the discovery OF tre IN
| the flies. A sky border had swung
! AGAINST one of the border-lights and
, in an instant sheet of flames swept
| over the stage The infammabie seem
cry caught ike tinder and almost before the
alarm could be given the stage was mass or
| fire. Half dressed chorus girls ana actors
made a wild rush for life and sought 10 reach
the street. Those on the stage easily escaped;
but those in the dressing rooms under and
above the stage had hard struggle Tor me-
| "A they rushed from their dressing
rooms they were met at every turn
| by the flames and many had narrow escapes
4 number of the women tainted ana were
carried into the street almost AT the cost Oh
! their lives and those OF their rescuers. All OF
them lost everything except the costumes
which they had at the moment the hro
started
WILD RUSH FOR LIrF.
In the front Of the house the first warning
recelyed was from the crler on the stage.
which WAS followed by a burst OF smoke ana
tongues OF flame which swept through lhe
proscenium arch. Fire resounded on every
side. and there was a rush for the doors;
Men. women and boys were borne down ana
| crushed 10 the floor in the fight 10 reach
safety. In the top gallery the rush was the
| worst aS the staircase leading down 10 the
street is very narrow. Al the Nalnut-streSl
front are improved fire escapes and hundreus
reached the street by them. hundreds more
were however trampled under loot. crusheu
ord Irnised into insensiDility The force OF
officers on the spot worked like beavers ana
an alarm had been quickly followed by Soc
ond one. The police and tremen began wofh
al once. and brought ont those VINO had oeeh
injured and lett 10 perish. Many were
found to be but slight injured, ana tooA
care of themselves as best they could Ior
there were too many who needed heulcai "i0' "i0'
MT once to be pros ided tor. Anbulances from
the Jefferson, PENNSYLVANIA and university
hospitals were promptly on the ground "uu'
aided by the patrol wagons, carried ABOUT one
hundred and thirty injured TO the hosp'tals;;
The PENNSYLVANIA HOSPITAL alone received
forty and at midnight had lhlrlJ -eisnV oi 'N0
injured in the wards.
OTHER BUILDINGS IGNITE.
,rho aomes snread like wildfre and in an
incredibly short time the rear OF the theatre
was a mass of seething flames, which shot high
into the Air. Directly in the rear OF the Cen-
tral theatre and fronting on SansOm street was
the eicht-story Times annex separated tr0m
the theatre only by few feet OF space; AS
the flames shot up they licked the wall ana
burst through the WINDOWS ahu 'ha'' 100
was doomed.
When the alarm was given the whole force
of the Times was at work. The compOsltors
we're ON the top floor and the editorial and
city staff on the seventh floor Ample time
was afforded Tor escape and the employees lad
no trouble in leaving in safety. 1he Times
editorial rooms were elegantly ne,eu w ahu tLa
n valuable library occupied section or tne
door. Everything was eaten up by the hre'
which while il made very slow progress III
the Times building was no less elective
A cOoL-HEEDED MANAGER.
Al the southwest corner Of the square is the
cd Walnut-street Theatre where large audi.
ence had assembled 10 see n comedy. Nhen
the alarm was given Business Manager Slmp-
SON decided instantly 10 have the an,
nouncement made that no performance would
be Given and dismissed the assemblagt
with the assurances that tickets would DO re
deemed. Manager Price, Of the coined,
comnanv. wishing to avoid a panic announced
tbnt Tho continued illness OF one Of the &C
tors would prevent o performance from beins
givan tonight The audience lett ths
Theatre in order and no accident occurred
For a time it looked rs If the whole square
uould 90 SAMSON street IS narrow and iron
he burninp Times annex the flames swep
across and set fire 20 the store OF y NJ. Nana
maker n CO.. which fronts on Chestnut
street The flames on Wanamakef
wers however. kept from spreadin:
and were finally extingushed. but no
until considerable damage had been done
1'he Times annex. however, could not b'
saved aud bv ii O'Clock was mass OF runs
the front wall having tunbied into samson
street The stores and dwellings across iron
the annex of which there are a number
we're also damaged by smoke and water. AM
in some instances by hre -.
The rush down the fire escape was thrilling
like rats the men and boys OF the gallerie
rolled and tumbled down. with an occaslona
clutch at a rod or support TO stay their iiiSh'
Nanv fell with but few pauses IN their jour
nev and landed on the sidewalk with broke
limbs and other injuries. IL ~ miraculou
that no one was killed.