The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-04-28
A THEATRE ON FIRE
The New Central, of Philadel-
phia. Burned.
He TIMES BUILDING RUINED
There are No Deaths SO Far as Known
Scenes of Wild Excitement-A Panic
Stricken Audience.


sensational fire that has visited this city in
years broke out tonight on the stage of
the Grand Central theatre and before it
was got under control nearly million
dollars worth of property was destroyed,
including the massive eight-story annex
building occupied by the Times. There
was panic in the theatre and nearly fifty
persons, mostly occupants of the galleries,
were hurt but none seriously.
just before O'Clock, while the stage
hands were lowering from the flies por-
lions of the setting they became entangled
in the border lights. Tongues of fire
shot up to the roof and the blazing scenery
Tell TO the stage, and in a short space of
time the entire rear portion of the theatre
was a mass of fire. A large number of
choristers and ballet dancers stood in the
wings, waiting for the performance to
begin. They were thrown into panic
aud rushed about scarcely knowing which
way TO turn TO avoid the q ickly spread
ing flames. Ali, il is believed, were
gotten safely out, although there is
report there are three ballet
girls missing. A scene OF even more
intense excitement was enacted before the
footllghts. The house was only partly
hlled. When the audience realized they
were face to face with a theatre on fire,
every body started for the exits The
weaker ones we're borne down ana crushed
under foot One Individual, maddened and
brutalized by the excitement. drew d
pocket-knife and cut his way through the
mass of people. Half dozen or more were
found at the hospital who had been the vic
tins of his frenzy. None of the wounds,
however, are more than of a painful
character, Men and boys who fell on the
stalrways leading from the galleries We're
bruised snd scratched under the heels of
those following them. Flfiy-two persons
we're cared for by two hospitals near the
theatre.
The widest excitement prevailed on the
streets. Ballet girls in gauze and tights
rushed around bareheaded, almost all OF
them In hystericsl condiuon. The fire
spread with marvellous rapidity and by the
time the ire apparatus arrived on the
scene the building was mass of flames.
An alarm was promptly given and all the
occupants of the Times annex building got
out in SAFETY. Tue first, second, third and
fourth floors were occupied by DeKoskeno
q Hetherington, art metal workers The
wind was blowing in direction to carry
the flames to the newspaper building, and
In lew minutes that structure was on
ire. By $3.50 the entire interior was
Quilted. The west wall and portion 81 the
east wall fell, the former crushing in g
large portion of the ole-story power house
OF the Philadelphia Traction company.
The east wall crushed a four-story build
ing occupied by Hamilton 81 Diesinger,
manufacturing jewelers., and portions of
several buildings below on Eighth street.
The front wall filed SAMSON street with
hr cks ana stone and damaged the building
opposite. IN the cellar were the new
presses OF the Times, which were ruined
beyond repair The. Poulson house roof
WIS burned and the building soaked with
water The audience at the old Walnut
Street theatre was quietly dismissed. The
Continental hotel escaped with a slight
scorching. Colonel 4. *. Mcclure. editor
OF the Times, lost an invaluable political
library. The losses, as near as can be
ascertained, are as follows: Central thea.
ire building, $50, 600. insurance $40, COO; cos
tunes and scenery Of the DEVILS Auction, y
$4,000, insurance $500; Twelve Temp.
tatlons," $4,000, insurance, 81, 500; "Sea
King" go, 00G; no insurance. The Times
estimates It's loss at about $780, coo exclu-
slve of its files and Colonel A K Nc.
Cures library. The whole was insured at
about two-thlrds its value. Dekoseno &
Hetherlngton's loss is at least Sl00. 600;
Hamilton & Diesinger's, So, 600, partly
insured. Other losses aggregate S150,U00.
AS the confusion following the fire some
what subsidized, the casualties were found
to be more serious than at first supposed.
torty-one persons were admitted to the
Pennsylvania hospital, about twenty in a
serious condition. The injuries are mainly
about the face, and many it is feared have
been blinded for life by the fierce wall of
ire through which they fought. The JEFF
ferson hospital attended thirty of the in
lured. OF this number nine were seri-
ously enough burned to be kept in
IN A hz
are missing and it is not known whether
they persisted or have remained among the
crowd around the ruins. 1t was not
known positively up to a late hour whether
or not any of the company which was
performing At the Central were killed or
injured, but 1t is reported William L.
Brooks, Vinceneita, Chitten, Sarah Gold
man, Thomas Lorella and wife, Flora and
Miss Conyers, all of whom were connected
with the company, are missing
The injured at Pennsylvania hospital are
Charles Briggs, William Lutz, Clarence
Ridgey. Robert Jaunty, Joe Prettyn1an.
Ia Aspinwall, Pete Swaney, August
Campbell, Joe Pigeon, Shoe Centre, Amos
Plchnely, Ralph Frazier, Joe Fenneisky,
August Shines, William Chsmberlin'
ClaGde Sharpe, John Scanlon, Felix Olde-
berg, Chris Heaser, John Heaser, Joseph
Siloe, Frank Robinson, William McClos-
key, +. T. Portions, Chris Warden. Will
lam Lopez, Albert Cromback. John Cor
man, L. f. Croker, w. q. Mattok. John
Ward, j. Batter, j. McCsuley, w. a. Morris,
Rudolph Patterson, Theodore Henderson
Charles Hodges, M. Kelly. Cornell p,
Long, Robert Eggers, James Rice.
At the ffersoI Hospital--A. Finley,
Thomas Faraquahsr, Fred Evans, viii,
liam Queenie. John Bepson, John Queenie.
A. Gray Tyndall, John Corbett, Marx Cra-
mer, Henry Wolfe, Bedford Emery. BE-
sides the above, eighteen or twenty
patients VINO suffered from comparatively
slight burns and from Commissions of yari-
Gus kinds, had their injuries dressed at the
Jefferson hospital and hurried away with
out giving their names or residences
This is the fourth time the sites of the
Central theatre and Times annex have been
the scene of fires. The first confederation
occurred in 1861, when many ballet girls
were burned to death. Again in 1867 the
theatre was visited by fire which burned
it to the ground. In this eleven persons
persisted and large number were seri
ously injured. The last time the fiery ele
ment visited the scene was on Saturday
morning, March a, 1888, when the new
Central theatre and International Comioue
on SAMSON street were reduced TO ashes.