Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-08-27
ODcra House Burned.

OpSih 1iOtoS A'hi
NEW YORK, Aug. 27.-The Met
ropolitan Opera House, one of
the most magnificent and expens-
i've of modern play houses, occupy
ing the entire block bounded by
Broadway, Seventh avenue, Thirty
ninth and Fortieth streets, in the short
space ofan hour this forenoon was ruin
ed by fire. The Broadway front was
saved blythe frcmen, but fullythree quar-
tiers of the square was made havoc of
by the flames. Just where the fire
started is yet unknown but it must
have been in the vicinity of the stage
which backs on 7th avenue. How the
flames managed to get such Roadway
without being discovered is also puz-
zlc. The special building signal was
rung at about $50 o'clock. When the
entire interior was fiery mass and it
was apparent that the block would be
consumed, help was called without de-
lay. Over a dozen steamers responded
to this summons and as it was clear
that there was no saving the theatre,
their united efforts were exerted to
save the Broadway front in which are
located the Bank of New Amsterdam
and Zancher and Gazzo restaurant. The
former covers the Both street corner
and the latter the 10th street corner
The main entrance to the Metropolitan
Opera House was ON the front between
the bank and restaurant. This they
succeeded in doing.
All the offices in six stories ofthe front
were not touched by the fire, but those
of the Opera House Company, which
were on the 39th street side, near 18th
avenue, were speedily Quilted. There
was also an expensive library in this
section which has also been more or less
ruined. A boy named Mans was in
jurcd. The boy was hemmed in by the
flames on the third floor but he made
his way to one ofthe windows and leap
ed down to storm-door shed. Artist
Operti arrived at the theatre just as the
fire was discovered, and had the morti-
fication of seeing works of art upon
which he had spent considerable time
and had travelled over the world to get
sketches of burned up. The house was
last used for ball. The pine flooring
had not been removed and this once ig-
nited carried the fire to the main en-
trance. The interior of the theatre had
been overhauled and was thoroughly
fitted for the opening of the season,
which would have taken place in
short time
The exterior of the burned theatre is of
pressed buff brick with dressings of terra
Gotta The auditorium, said to be the largest
in the world, contained three rows and a-half
OF boxes, 122 in all, with each Of which was
connected saloon twice the size of the box
itself The stage was 96 feet wide, rs feet
deep and 120 feet high. 1t also extended 80
feet below the floor, thus making the ayaila-
BILE space about $50 feet. The stockholders
will be Immediately called and the work of
refitting the opera house will be begun as
soon as the water can be got out of it. 1t
will be necessary to practically refit the en-
tire interior as everything that sill remains
there is so damaged that it must be removed
and nothing but the bare walls will remain.
The loss caused by the fire. is estimated at
100000. Had itnot been that the structure
is built of fire proof brick it would doubtless
have been wholly destroyed