Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-08-27
AN OPERATIC LOSS
Fire Destroys the Metro
pOlitan Opera House.
NARROW ESCAPE OF THREE
Employees Barely Save Their
Lives by Flight.

Temple Completely Guttcd by Flames /
which start aiystcriou.ly and Rage
Unchecked for an Hour The Firomen
Save the broadway side-Tho Loss lssti-
mated nt $500. 900 An Uneuuaiod Scene
of Desoiaiion- Wood and Iron Alike
Surcumb Ia the Intense Heat.
lBy Telegraph to the Evening Journnll
New Yo, Aug 2L-The theatre end
Of the Metropolitan Opera House build
ing at Broadway aud Fortieth stree, was
completely Quilted by fire which
started at 8. 30 this morning.
The fire ragged fercely for an hour and
only by the greatest efforts was pro
vented from entering tho Broadway end
OF the building II started ON the stage
at the Seventh avenue end of the build
ing, but the origin Is shrouicd in mys
terry.
The only persons In the building at the
time were the engineer, the ianitor and
scenic artist named Cornelius Maus. All
three were startled by the outburst of
flames and rushed for their lives.
Aiaus was painting over the dressing
rooms when the flames swept up the
stairway. He ran 90 window and
jumped 90 a storm door from which
place he was taken by Fireman Wash
burn of Patrol No. 8
ln less than ave minutes aftcrward fire
poured from every window on the Sew
enth avenue side and moment later
pyramid of smoke. flame and ciuders
swept skyward through the roof The
! draught into the building from an sides
5 was terrific, giving the flames a fearful
impetus.
4 Roaring Furnace.
The flames speedily swept through the
great auditorium. and in few minutes
4 littlo was left OF 10 except the iron work
s Tho fire caught the richly adorned circle
r of boxes and they were ot once a flaming
furnace The fire from the floor came mp
4 Co meet the circle of boxes, aud the con-
tinued flames then swept onward to Che
roof aud through It,
3 The roof was rapidly consumed, the
j. great beams falling inward The iron
work of the seats in the auditorium soon
y gave way. and the whole mass tumbled
e into the fiery furnace
a Scene OF Desolaiion.
: At 10 30 o'clock the fire was under con
troll There was scene OF desolatioi
then presented in the interior Of th,
famous building. the equal of which ha.
.e seldom been seen at fire ia this city
n There was a great gaping hole In IN,
@ roof, and the whole interior was Quilted
j. The stage was destroyed and the roomi
" adjoining were burned The walls of the
e building are blackened and somewhat
"a injured.
The work done by the fromen was ex
le cellcnt. They poured great streams o
or water ON the Gre and prevented 10 from
o. enveloping tho part of the struc ture fac
s. ing on Broadway.
's $500, 600 Loss.
On the Seventh avenue side the wall 4
.s standing, unsupported, five stories higl
,y and appears solid. An inner wall on th
lv Thirty ninth street side has fallen Ih
~ building Is owned by a stock COMPANY
and is believed 90 be fully insured TIN
~ damage is placed at about $500. 900. TIN
whole building is valued at more thar
81 600 coo
Over 100 persons were in the building
when the fire broke out and many wer
injured ia escaping Many are missing
- but the number of dead cannot b.
-e. learned yet. The inmates lied by nj
available exits. but many were injured IL
their efforts 10 escape.
va OF the injured the following are re
ported William Sperry, address ur
5 known buck head and shoulders burned
er Mary h. Hanley, So Catherine street
* seriously burned viii die. Mary GuinsoC
d. 2i9 Thompson street, body burned
ar Fireman Stack, engine company No I.
q frightful injuries by falling wall lir,
- man Langwasser, engine company NC
H. 3j, injuries by falling wall. The mjure
IA were removed TO ST. Nincont's Hospital
.e, The loss TO the buildings and stock
nd roughly estimated 40 $3.50. 600. divide
m- among the following tenants Unite
States Frame and Picture company; Bel
ny Butler & Co.. woods and raw furs
es Bloomstock hats aud caps W. j. kelll
he publisher, and Il. II. Wagner & Co., papl
IN box manufacturers.
"a Valuable Properties Burned.
A vast amount of valuable scener,
properties and costumes which il Ia
taken years TO accumulate have bee
oss totally destroyed, together with all Il
musical scores of the Opera House.
considerable part of the scenery
re- costumes and designs for the new oper'
ne to be produced during the coming seaso
ch belonged 20 Mr. Henry =. Abbey.
ear The work Of preparing this scener
u.s. has been going on all summer under u
ley direction of Mr. Hoyf, the scenic artis
Il is estimated that this loss VIII amour
?. TO more than SlO0001
,rd The Fire-Proof Curtain Unavailable.
to The freproof drop curtain was M
,v. available for il had been fastened up
a make room for the scene painters wor
Of ing on the stage aud there was nothin
TO prevent the FLAMES from shooting OF
into the auditorium.
ENpensiveiy Renovated FOR Naughi.
re- During the past six weeks the opera hou
m m,n' has been almost entirely renovated f
~ the coming season of German aud ltalis
"a. opera, which IL was planned TO NAL
elv more brilliant under the management
Mr.. Abbey than any preceding on
Thousands of dollars have been eXpendl
upon the renovation, both by the stoc
holders and Mr.. Abbey. Neither N
ere Abbey nor his partners are in town.