Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-28
A Big Play House Burned in
Philadelphia.
Alex McClure's Newspaper Went
Down With It.
Scores of People Injured and a Num-
Der of Persons Missing.
Some of the Ballet Girls Believed to
Have Perished In the Flames.
The Loss IL Exceed
ingly Heavy.
Associated Press Dispatches.

PHILADELPHIA, April 27.-The most
sensational fire that visited this city in
years broke out tonight on the stage Of
the Grand Central theater, and before it
was gotten under control nearly a mill
ion dollars worth OF property was de-
stroyed, including the massive eight
story annex building occupied by the
Times newspaper. A panic occurred
in the theater, and nearly fifty persons,
mostly occupants OF the galleries, were
hurt, none, however, seriously.
Just before O'Clock, while the stage
hands were lowering scene from the
flies, a portion OF the setting became
entangled in the border lights. Tongues
of fire shot up to the root and the blaz-
ing scenery fell to the stage. and in a
short space of time the entire rear por-
tion of the theater was mass Of fire.
A large number OF female choristers
and ballet dancers stood in the wings
waiting for the performance to begin.
They were thrown into panic and
rushed about, scarcely knowing which
way to turn to avoid the quickly spread
ing flames. All, it is believed, were
gotten safely out, although there is q
report that there are
THREE BALLET GIRLS MISSING.
A scene OF intense excitement was
enacted before the footlights. The
house was only partially filled. When
the audience realized that they were
face to face with a theater FIRE every
body started for the exits. The weaker
ones were borne down and crushed
under foot. One individual, maddened
and brutalized by the excitement, drew
his pocket-knife and cut his way through
the mass OF people. Half q dozen or
more people were found at the hospital
who had been the victims of his frenzy.
None of the wounds, however, were
more than painful in character.
Men and boys fell on the stairways
leading from the galleries, bruised and
scratched under the heels of those fol-
lowing. them. Fifty-two persons have
been cared for at two hospitals near the
the theater. The widest excitement
prevailed on the streets. Ballet girls,
in gauze and tighte, rushed bareheaded
around, almost all of them in hyster-
ical condition. The fire spread with
marvellous rapidity, and by the time the
fire apparatus arrived at the scene the
building was mass OF flames.
THE SPREAD OF THE FLAMES.
The alarm was promptly given and
all the occupants of the Times annex
building got out safely. The first, sec
ond, third and fourth floors were occu
pied by De Joskeno q Hetherington, art
metal workers. The wind was blowing
in direction to carry the flames to the
newspaper building, and in a few min
utes the structure was on fire.
By s 80 the entire interior was Quilted.
The west wall aud a portion
of the east wall fell, the former crush
ing in large portion Of the one-story
power house of the Philadelphia Trac.
ton company. The east wall crushed
a four.story building occupied by Ham
ilton & Diesinger, manufacturing jew.
below on Eight street. The front wall
filed SAMSON street with bricks and
stone, and damaged the buildings oppo-
site. In the cellar were the new presses
of the Times, which were ruined beyond
repair. The Poulson house roof was
burned and the building soaked with
water. The audience of the old Walnut
street theater was quietly dismissed.
The Continental hotel escaped with
slight scorching.
HEAVY LOSS.
Col. A. X. Mcclure, editor of the
Times, lost an invaluable political IL
brary.
Losses, as near as can be ascertained,
are as follows: Central theater-build-
ings, $82, 900; insurance, $40 ,000 cos
tunes and scenery of the DEVILS Auc-
tion, $4,000; insurance, $500; the Sea
King. 1000; no insurance.
The Times estimates it's loss at about
$3.50, 900. exclusive of it's files and Col.
A. X. McClure's library. The whole
was insured at about two-thirds of it's
value.
Dekoseno &. Hetherington's loss is at
least 100000; Hamilton & Diesinger's
$4,000, partly insured. Other losses
aggregate $150,OO0.
NUMEROUS CASUALTIES.
Ae the confusion following the fire
somewhat subsided, the casualties were
found to be more serious than at first
supposed. Forty-one persons were ad-
mitted to the Pennsylvania hospital,
about twenty in serious condition.
Their injuries are mainly about the
face, and many, it is feared, are blinded
for life by the fierce wall of fire through
which they fought. The Jefferson hospi-
tai attended thirty of the injured. OF
this number none are seriously enough
burned to be kept in the institution.
A number of people are missing and
it is not known whether they perished
or have remained among the crowd
around the ruins. 1t is not known posi-
lively up to late hour, whether or not
any of the company which was perform
ing at the Central were killed or injured.
1t is reported that William Brooks,
Vinceniti Chitten, Sarah Goldman,
Thomas Lorlella and wife, Flora, and
Miss Conyers, all Of whom are connected
with the,company, are missing.
NAMES OF THE INJURED.
The injured at the Pennsylvania hos
pital are: Charles Briggs, William
Lutz, Clarence Ridley, Robert Jaunty,
Joe Prettyman, Ed Aspinwall, Pete
-Swaney, Aug. Campbell, Joe Pigeon,
George Center, Amos Pichnely, Ralph