The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-28
FIRES AT NEW YORK.
A Big Business Block Burned
and an Occupant Killed.
THE METROPOLITAN Quilted.
Nothing Left but Bare, Blackened wallis
Destruction Of 040O. 900 Worth
OF Property In Augusta. Ga.


including 1.220, 1.222. 1,224 and IT, 2S Woos-
ter street today. and extending through to
side street. The flames started about 10
O'Clock and spread with such rapidity that
soon the entire building was ablaze. One
person was killed and five others severely
injured. and it is feared search of the ruins
will add to the death roll. The killed and
seriously injured are: Mary Ellen Hanley,
badly burned, died shortly after; Morris,
internally injured, will probably die; w.
d. Sperry. badly injured; Mary Guinnise,
burned about the head; Jacob Lewesser,
head badly injured by a falling wall. A
young man at work in the building was
rescued with difficulty. The cause of the
fire is not known. The damage, as near
as can be estimated, is $4,000 on the
building; $4,000 on the contents. The
heaviest losers are: Belt, Butler & Co.,
wool and fur merchants: United States
Frame and Picture Company; Comstock.
hats and caps; w. J. Kelly, publisher, and
X. II. Wagner. paper box manufacturer.
Five alarms called the fire department
to the Metropolitan opera-house this
morning, which was Quilted before the
fire could be checked. Only one person
was injured, boy. The boys name Is
Cornelius Mans and he was employed by
Alfred Operti, a scenic artist, who was
using part of the opera-house temper
arily as his studio. The boy was hemmed
in by the flames on the third floor, but he
made his way to one of the windows and
from there he leaped down to the storm
door shed, on the ground floor. He is not
believed to be seriously hurt. Artist
Operti arrived at the theater just as the
fire was discovered and had the NOR
LITIGATION to see his works of art,
upon which he had spent considerable of
his time and had travelled over the world
to get sketches of, burned up. Most of
the pictures which he was at present en-
gagged on were for use at the Worlds fair
Columbian celebration which is to take
place IN this city during the coming Oct
ober. Scenery for the new plays to be
produced in a few days at the Casino and
Days theater and the Academy of Music
was also burned. They are said to be
complete loss and in consequence will
probably cause delays in the production
of the plays.
When the flames had been sufficiently
subdued to permit an entrance to the
building 1t was seen that the stage and
everything from the proscenium arch to
the rear wall on Seventh avenue had
been entirely swept away excepting the
bare brick walls. The roof above the stage
was entirely burned away and the sky
could be seen above through the smoke
that still arose from the ruins. In the
auditorium the five tiers that rose above
the orchestra still remained. but all the
trappings of the boxes, the upholsterings
of the chairs, the frescoes Of the walls and
dome had vanished. On either corner of
the building facing Broadway it rises to a
height of seven stories. the six upper
stories being occupied as apartments by
bachelors and others. This portion of the
building was not even injured by water.
Noone was able to give an account exactly
of how the fire broke out except that it
seemed to come from beneath the stage.
There was large water tank above the
stage, and the engineer turned the crank
and let its hundreds Of gallons Of water
crash down upon the flames, but the water
produced no visible effect in the building.
The stage carpenter also turned the hose
on the flames. but in moment was
obliged to fly for his life. The fire spread
too rapidly and burned too fercely to per-
NIT those within tho building to
make further efforts to save it. A
meeting of stockholders will be immedi-
ately called. Undoubtedly the work of re-
fitting the opera-house will be begun as
soon as the water can be gotten out of it.
1t will be necessary to practically reft the
interior, rs everything is SO damaged
that it must be removed and nothing but
the bare walls will remain. Even these
must be repaired in places.
The police estimate the loss by the op-
era-house fire at 5000
Cornelius Heron 25 years old, assist
ant scene painter at the Metropolitan
opera-house. who was burned and other
wise injured at the fire this morning, died
tonight at Bellevue hospital.
CHrco, CAL. Aug. 27.-Fire at Butte City
last night destroyed a warehouse belonging
to the estate of Joseph Bounds containing
6.00 sacks of wheat, Jacobs store build
ing, Peckheimer's store, millinery store,
saloon and barber shop. The loss is be.
tween 10000 and $4,000; partially in
surea. The origin of the fire is unknown.
AUGUSTA, Ga, Aug. GA destructive
fire which broke out here early this morn
ing totally destroyed the Chronicle office
and five business houses. Total loss.
100000. The entire morning edition of
the Chronicle was worked off while the
building was in flames. The files Of the
paper from 1900 to date and the books
were saved. Insurance. about $500 900.
PETERSBURG, Mich, Aug 2T.-The entire
plant Of the North Michigan Lumber
Company at Odem. six miles north Of
here. was burned this morning The loss
may be anywhere from $500, 900 10 81 900
600, as no reliable data can be secured
upon which TO base an estimate. The in
surance is only slight, but it is probable
the works will be rebuilt.