The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-28
GilmOre's Theater and the
Times" Building Burned.
1.-THE DEVILS AUCTION" ABLAzE.
Ballet Girls in Gauzy Dress Make the
Street Scene Picturesque.
The Loss Million Dollars-Colonel Nc
Ciure Loses His Library and the
Paper Saves Nothing-scores of In
3ured Persons in the Hospitals.

S-stSiA@A AAS bAAat Has NlSltcu bHls city III
years broke out tonight on the stage of the
Grand Central theater, and before it
could be gotten under control nearly
S1,o00,0O0 worth of property was de-
stroyed, including the massive eight-story
annex building occupied by the Times
newspaper. There was panic in the
theater, and nearly fifty persons, mostly
occupants of the galleries, were hurt, none,
however. seriously.
Just before o'clock, while stage hands
were lowering scenery from the flies por-
ton OF the setting became entangled in
the border of lights. Tongues of fire shot
up to the roof, and the blazing
scenery fell to the stage, and
IN short space of time the entire rear
portion of the theater was a mass of fire
A number Of female chorister and ballet
dancers stood in the wings waiting for the
performance to begin. They were thrown
into panic, and rushed about scarcely
knowing which way to turn to avoid the
quickly spreading flames. All, it is be-
lieved, were gotten out safely, although it
is reported that some of the ballet girls
are missing. A scene of even more
intense excitement was enacted before the
footlights. The house was only partly
filled. When the audience realized that
they were face to face with fire, everybody
started for the exits. The weaker ones
were borne down and crushed under foot.
One individual, maddened and brutal
lied by the excitement, drew a pocket
knife and cut his way through the mass of
people. Half dozen or more people were
found at the hospital who had been VIC
tins of his frenzy. None of the wounds,
however, are of more than a painful char
acter. Men and boys who fell on the stair
ways leading from the galleries were
bruised and scratched under the heels
of those following them. Fifty
two persons were cared for at
the two hospitals near the theater
The widest excitement prevailed on the
streets. Ballet girls in gauze and tights
ran around bareheaded, almost all of them
in hysterical condition. The fire spread
with marvellous rapidity, and by the time
the fire apparatus arrived the building
was mass OF flames.
The alarm was promptly given and all
the occupants of the Times annex building
got out in safety. The first, sec.
ond, third and fourth floors were
occupied by Dekoskene & Hetherington,
art metal workers. The wind was blow
ing in direction to carry the flames to
the newspaper building, and in few min
utes that structure was on fire. By $50
the entire interior was gutted. The
west wall and a portion of the east
wall fell, the former crushing in a large
portion of the one-story power-house of
the Philadelphia Traction Company. The
east wall crushed the four-story building
occupied by Hamilton e. Diesinger. manu-
featuring jewellers, and portions of several
buildings below on Eighth street. The
front wall filled Samson street with bricks
and stone, and damaged the buildings OPP
posite. In the cellar were the new presses of
the Times. which were ruined be-
yond repair. The Paulson house
roof was burned, and the building
was soaked with water. The audience
of the old Walnut street theater were
quickly dismissed. The Continental hotel
escaped with slight scorching Colonel
A. K. Mcclure, editor of the Times, lost
valuable political library. The losses, as
near as can be ascertained, are as follows:
Grand Central theater building $4,000 10000
Costumes and furniture of the
"Devils Auction. ........... 5000 1900
Twelve Temptations" s".......... 1900 1880
Times 'i 1Estimatedl .... ....'...... $4,000 -.
This is exclusive of the Times files and
Colonel A. K McClure's library The
whole was insured at about two-thirds of
its value. Dekoskene & Hetheringtons
loss is at least $1O0,OOO Hamilton & Die
singers $4,000, partly insured. Other
losses aggregate $3.50, 600.
When the confusion following the fire
had somewhat subsided the casualties
were found TO be more serious
than at first supposed. Forty-one
persons were admitted to the Pennsyl-
vania hospital, about twenty in a serious
condition. rleir injuries are mainly
about the face, and many. it is feared,
have been blinded for life by the fierce
fall of fire through which they fought
their way. The Jefferson hospital at
tended to thirty of the injured. OF this
number nine are seriously enough burned
to be kept in the institution.
number of people are missing, and il
is not known whether they persisted or
have remained among the crowd around
the ruins. 1t was not known positively
up to late hour whether or not
any of the company which was
performing at the Central were killed or
injured, but it is reported that William B.
Brooks. Vincencita Chiffon, Sarah Gold
man, Thomas Lorilla and wife, Flora. all
of whom were connected with the com.
pany, are missing.
lne lnJureo aL the fennsyIVanla hoSpi-
tai are:
Charles Briggs, William Lutz, Clarence Rid
gey, Robert Jaunty, Joe Prettyman, Ed Aspin-
wall. Pete Sweeny, August Campbell, Joe Pigeon.
Amos Pachnelly, Joe Fermorskey, August Ceing.
William Chamberlain, Claude sharpe, John
scanlan, Felix Chilberg, Chris Heaser John
Heaser, Joseph siloe, Frank Robinson. VIII
lam MeC.osky, John Frazier, e r.
Forshons, Chris Warden. William
Loper, Albert Crombsek, John Cor.
man, l. F. Crocker, W. II. Mattok, John
Ward, John Baxter, John McCauley, W. A. Mos-
rs, Rudolph Patterson. Theodore Henderson.
Charles Hodges, ". Kelly, Cornell p. Long,
Robert Eggers, James Rice.
At the jefferson hospital are:
A. Finley, Thomas Farquhsr, Fred Evens,
William Qaeene, John b. Epson, John Queenia.
A. Grey findall. John Corbstt, Mark Cramer.
Henry WOLFE BeIford Emery.
Besides above eighteen or twenty pa.
tients suffering from comparatively slight
burns and from the conclusions of various
kinds. had the injuries dressed at Jeffer-
son and hurried away without giving their
names or residences.
This is the fourth time that the Central
theater and Times annex has been the
scene of fire. The first confiagration oc.
Cured in 1861, when many ballet girls