The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-04-29

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wiid stanpsds Tor Lifs IL which
MANY People Are Iniursa-TAeg>rt's
Sunday Times Bafldlng. Poalsen's Hotel
and the Central rheater Burned.
PHILADELPHIA, April 2a-A million dol
ars gone up IN flames and smoke and near
h an entire square consumed i the record
Of the ire dendS work IN Philadelphia last
night The territory devastated By the
flames b bounded on the north b. SAMSON
street. on the south By Walnut street. on
the east BY Eighth street and On the west
BY Ninth street In the block were the
Central theater. now . smolderine ruin.
and the historic old Walnut Street theater,
which was not reached BY the IRE. Tho
Times annex, which stood directly tn the
rear 81 the Central theater, whore The
flames originated, i also n runs u addi-
ton to The Times, which occupied two
floors and the basement, the building was
occupied BY number Of business houses.
whose los win be heavy. Taggart's sun
day Times and Ponlson's hotel. which stand
on Walnut street above the theatar, are
badly Quilted. and the loss win be heavy.
All the buildings on Eighth street between
Walnut and SAMSON are badly damaged BY
fire, smoke and water, as are those fronting
on Walnut street
The Loss 81 200. 600.
IA careful estimate places the entire loss
1T over loo, 900, and II Is said that the in
surance win not reach s4OO,000 The fire b
one Of the most sensational which has ever
visited this city. AT o'clock GiimoreAs
Central theater, the most popular variety
theater in the city, was crowded, the At
traction being THE Devils Auction While
the orchestra was playing the overture .
stage hand was startled by the discovery Of
FIRE in the flies. A sky border had swung
against one Of the border lights, and in an
instant q sheet Of fame swept over the
stage. The infiammabie scenery caught like
finder, and almost before the alarm could
be given the stage was q mass Of fire.
A wild Rush for Life.
Half dressed chorus girls and actors made
q wild rush for life and sought to reach the
street. Those on the stage easily escaped,
but those in the dressing rooms under and
above the stage had hard struggle for life.
As they rushed from their dressing rooms
they were met ct every turn by the flames
and many had narrow escapes. A number
Of the women tainted and were carried into
the street almost at the cost Of their lives
and those of their rescuers. All Of them
lost everything except the costumes which
they had on ct the moment the FIRE started
In the front Of the house the first warn
ing received was from the crier ON the
stage, which was followed by burst OF
smoke and there was avid rush for the
door. Men, women and boys were borne
down and crushed to the floor in the fight
to reach safety. In the top gallery the rush
was the worst, a. the staircase leading
down to the street Is narrow and tortuous.
At the Walnut street front were improved
fire escapes and hundreds reached the street
by them. Hundreds more were, however,
trampled under foot, crushed and bruised
into insensibility and left lying in the burn
ing theater. The police and dremen brought
out those who had been injured and left to
perish.
Ambulances from the jefferson, Pennsyl
vania, Hahnemann- and University hos
pitals carried about 100 injured TO the hos
pitfalls. In an incredibly short time the rear
OF the theater was a mass OF seething
flames. which shot high into the air.
Directly in the rear Of the Central theatei
and fronting on SAMSON street was the
eight story Times annex, separated from
the theater only by few feet Of space. As
the flames shot up they burst through the
windows and the building was doomed
When the alarm was given the whole force
of The Times was at work, but every one
escaped.
The Times editorial rooms were elegantly
fitted up and valuable library occupied a
section Of the floor. Everything was eaten
up by the fire
A Panic Ayerted ~ the walnut.
At the southwest corner Of the square at
Ninth and Walnut is the historic old Wal.
nut Street theater, where large audience
had assembled 70 see comedy. When the
alarm was given Business Manager Simpson
decided instantly TO have the announcement
made that no performance would be given,
and TO dismiss the assemblage with the
assurance thar tickets would be redeemed.
Manager E. b. Price, Of the comedy com
pany, wishing to avoid panic, announced
that on account Of the continued illness OF
one Of the actors no performance would be
given. The audience left the theater in or.
der and no accident occurred.
From the Central theater and The Times
building the flames spread TO Poulsonis res.
taurant, and fora time it looked a. II the
whole square would 60. SAMSON street il
narrow, and from the burning Times annex
the flames Swept across and set FIRE 10 the
store Of s. NJ WanamAker q Co., which
fronts on Chestnut street The flames In
Wanamaker's were finally extinguished, bur
not until considerable damage had been
done. The Times annex, however, could
not Be saved. and ~ II o'clock was mass
Of ruins.
Scenes % the Fire.
In 1.-THE Devils Auction company were
forty people eighteen men and twenty-five
women The stage manager Of the com.
pany reports that all are accounted for.
The rush down the IRE escapes was thrill
ing. Like rats the men and boys OF the
galleries rolled and tnmbled down, with an
occasional clutch at rod or support to stay
their fight Many fen with but very few
pauses in their journey and landed on the
sidewalk with broken limbs and other In.
;uries Il il miraculous that no one was
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