Morning journal and courier., 1892-04-28
From All Quarters. QUAKER CITY IN FLAMES Its Business Thoroughfares Entirely Gutted. THE LOSS WILL BE ENORMOUS. Annual Meeting of the
 Union Pacific. THE GRANT MONUMENT CEREMONIES
THE GRANT MONUMENT CEREMONIES
Republicans and Demo.
 crats Elect Delegates.
IN THE HEART OF THE CITY

' OA SVOo AAA~Oo A/SAS3UONoO
 A Disastrous Fire Starts on tn,
 Stage of a Theater-It Spread,
 Rapidly. and Many Buildings Ar.
 Destroyed-Over Fifty Are Taken tc
 the Hospitals-Many Persons Ar.
 Reported Missing-The Loss is Es
 tImated to be in the NeighborhooI
 of 8 Million Dollars.
 PHILADELPHIA, April 27.-The most sen. sational fire that has visited this city in years broke out shortly before 8 o'clock to. night on the stage of the Grand Central theater and before it was got under con. trol nearly million dollars worth of property had been destroyed, including the massive eight-story annex building occupied by the Times newspaper. In the ! panic in the theater nearly fifty persons, ! mostly occupants. of the galleries, were hurt, none. however, seriously. Just before 8 o'clock while the stage l hands were lowering from the flies DOT tion of the setting for the first scene it be- came entangled in the border lights. In an instant the fiimsy canvas was mass of flames. Tongues of fire shot up to the roof and blazing scenery fell to the stage and in short time the entire rear portion of the theater was mass of fire.
 All the company, it is believed, were got safely out.
 The audience had just settled down in their seats awaiting the beginning when they were startled by the flash that came when the scenery caught, which could be seen through the lowered curtain. The next minute bright white flames shot through the curtain, and realizing that the theater was on fire everybody started for the exits.
 One individual, maddened by excite through the mass of people. Half dozen or more people were found at the hospital who had been victims of his frenzy. None of the wounds, however, were dangerous. In all, fifty-two persons were taken to the two hospitals near the theater.
 Everybody was outside the burning structure within two minues from the time the fire started. The widest excite ment prevailed on the streets. The fire spread rapidly. Looming away up above the rear of the theater was the Times ane~ building.
 The city department of the Times was in the rear of the building. A reporters cry of alarm warned everybody in the room, and all tho editors, reporters and compositors started for the elevator. Everybody got out safely. The first, sec- ond. third and fourth floors of the build ing were occupied by De Koskeno & Heth erington, art metal workers.
 The wind was blowing in direction to carry the flames from the theater to the newspaper building, and in few minutes the latter structure was on fire. By $50 the entire interior had been gutted. At that hour the west wall and portion of the east wall fell.
 Two immense engines of a cable car company were crushed and covered to depth of twelve feet.
 The four-story building occupied by Hamilton & Diesinger, manufacturing jewellers, was crushed, and also portions of several buildings on Eighth street be- tween Sansom and Walnut streets.
 On Eighth street, from Sansom to Wal nut, were eleven buildings. each having several tenants and occupied on the first floors by storekeepers. Three of these were completely gutted and the others were all badly damaged. Adjoining the theater on the west was the Poulson house. The roof was burn ed and the building soaked with water. Next was the building of the Tag gart Sunday Times. Its roof was burned and the composing room on the top floor filled with water. There was great dan ger that the Walnut street theater at Ninth and Walnut streets would catch fire. The performance was therefore stopped and the audience quietly dismissed. On the north side of Sansom street the principal loser is James s. Earle, dealer in high class pie lures.
  would catch fire, as the wind was carrying the flames directly toward it, but the build ing was only slightly scorched. Colonel A. K. Mcclure, editor of the Times, lost his valuable political library. The losses as near as can be estimated, are: Grand Central theater, building, $S2, 900, insurance s40,OO0; costumes and scenery-"Devils Auction," S16,000, in- surance $7,O00; "Twelve Temptations" $1S,OOO, insured $7,000; "Sea King," $22,- 900, no insurance. The Times estimates | it's loss at about $35O, ,O00. The three i ruined presses were valued at $130, ,00O. The building was estimated at $150,00O.
 The whole is insured at about two-thirds | it's value.
 Other losses are: De Kosenko & Heth- erington, art metal work, $100,000; Ham, ilton & Diesinger, s6O,0O0 on stock, half insured, and on building 15,OO0; J. O'Cal- laghan & Sons, silk banner and badge man. ufacturers, s2O, 900; Kitchen & Bowne's res taurant, $$1S, ,O0O; Vetterlein's cigar factory, $23, ,000; L. Lum Smiths Agents Herald, 5000; Coulter's shirt store, $l8,OO0; Saunders hat store, $15,000. A number of additional minor losses are reported. Forty-one people were admitted to the Pennsylvania hospital. Most of them were suffering from burns and about twenty are in a serious condition. Many, 1t is feared, have been blinded for life.
 The Jefferson hospital attended to thirty injured but nine were seriously burned.
 A number of people connected with the theatrical company are reported missing