Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-29
DIED TO SAVE HIS WIFE.
Heroism Displayed by LorelIa. the Gymnast,
at the Philadelphia Fire.

Heroism Displayed by LorelIa. the Gymn asst,
at the Philadelphia Fire.
Thomas Lorella, the dead gymnast, met mis-
death in an heroic attempt to save the life Of
bis wife at the burning Of the Grand Central
Theater in Philadelphia on Wednesday night.
When the fire broke out he easily made mis-
escape from the dressing room and reached
the street in safety. He supposed that his wife
had preceded him and was safe. Not finding
her in the street he returned to the alleyway
leading into the rear of the theater. 1t was
filed with smoke, and the flames were begin
ming to break out OF the roof OF the theaier.
Turning to friend, he said: ''Tll see if she is
SAFE, if il costs me nv life.
Without needing the circumstances of those
standing about him. he plunged into the dark
smoke-filled alley and disappeared from view.
He was true TO his word about seeking his wife.
though he met death on the way, and lies
buried beneath the ruins with her.
Director Of Public Safety Better and Fire
Marshal Johnson, after inspecting the burned
buildings. decided that until =. fragment os the
rear wall of the theater and the rear wall of
the Times annex. which still standing.
should be pulled down it would be unsafe to
attempt the work OF recovering the bodies. A
force of men was put to work in the afternoon
pulling down the walls and pumping the water
out.
COUNTING OF LOSSES.
day in the former quarters of the paper, at
the southwest corner of Sth and Chestnut
streets, where its business Office has always re-
manned. Proprietor Frank Mclaughlin an
nounced to his employees that the publication
of the Times would be continued usual and
all took up the daily routine of their work.
Portions of the building occupied by tenants
were cleared for the compositors editors and
reporters. Two presses were secured for tenn
porary and will be Immediately placed i'll
the basement of the old building.
The Times loss is found to be much smaller
than WIS at first anticipated. owing to the con-
stru.tion of the annex building which WIS
designed to save the valuable presses in the
basement in case of fire. Double arches were
built above the machinery. and IL was found
this morning that they had sustained the weight
of the hundreds OF tons of debris and the
presses and other machinery, valued at $780,
600. had escaped with comparatively little
damage. The build .ng, valued at Sli9.234. Is Il
total wreck. with fixtures which cost <49. O01.
lit will be at once rebuilt" said Mr. Mci.augh-
lin yesterday. land L think the same pian."
he added. The Times was insured for s 10 600
i'll large number OF companies.
Air. Hetherintop Of Dekoenko & Hetherinton,
art metal workers. who occupied fUur floors of
the Times annex. places their loss at 500. COO
including valuable models and designs. One
hundred and fifty men were employed by the
firm. which has secured quarters elsewhere and
will resume. The books and papers OF the firm
were recovered intact from their safe. Their
insurance is $50, 900. scattered among twenty
companies.
Half the Traction Company's cable line, ex-
tending south from Market street through the
lower portion OF the city. il being operated by
horse cars owing TO the fact that one of it's
motors i'll the SAMSON street POWER house was
buried beneath the fallen wallis of the Times
annex. Workmen succeeded in disenCumber-
ing it yesterday and. while the lighter portions
of the machinery were bent and twisted. most
of it is so ponderous as to be but little dana
aged and can be put IL use rs soon rs repaired.