St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-04-28
Philadelphia Visited by a MILL
ion-Dollar Confiagra-
ton.
The Swlft-Srreading Flames
Originated in a Variety
TheateP.
Scores OF People Crushed and
Injured in a Mad Scram-
BILE.
Times Building Razed and a
Priceless Library Con-
verified to Ashes.

! PHILADELPHIA, April 27.-Tfe most
sensational fire that has visited this city
in years broke out tonight on the stage
! Of the Grand Central theater. and be-
| fore it was gotten under control nearly
! million dollars worth of property
| had been destroyed, 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. The Cen
| trail theater is located on Walnut street,
between Eighth and Ninth, IN the most
thlckly settled portion of the city, being
surrounded by hotels, restaurants,
boarding houses, newspaper Offices and
business houses. Immediately in the
rear OF the theater was the Times build
ing, which faced on SAMSON street.
The theater was usually devoted 10
variety performances, but this week Il
spectacular production, 1.-THE Devil's
Auction" was on the stage. Just be-
fore o'clock, while the stage hands
were lowering from the flies IA
portion of setting for the first
scene, 1t became entangled in
the border lights. In an instant
I Jhe flimsy canvas was mass Of flames.
tongues of fire shot up TO the roof, and
Blazing scenery fell to the stage, and in
short space OF time the entire rear
portion of the theater was mass of
fire. The production requires the serv-
ices of large number OF female Choir
listers and ballet dancers. These stood
I'm the wings and along the stage in
scanty attire. waiting for the perform
ance to begin. They were
Thrown Into a Panic
and rushed about, scarcely knowing
which way to turn TO avoid the quickly
spreading flames. All were, it is be
lieVed. gotten safely out, although there
Is a report that three ballet girls are
missing. During the panic behind the
| scenes a scene of even more in
tense excitement was being en-
acted before the footlights. Fort
unately, the house was only
partially filled. The audience had just
settled down in their seats, awaiting
the beginning of the performance, when
they were startled by the flash that
came when the scenery caught. The
next minute bright, white flame shot
through the curtain, and the audience
realized that they were face 10 face
with that most awful OF situations, a
theater fire.
Everybody started for the exits. The
weaker ones were borne down and
crushed under foot. One individual,
maddened and brutalized by excite
ment, drew a pocket knife, and with it
cut his way through the mass of people.
| Half q dozen or more people were found
at the hospital who had been victims OF
his frenzy. None of their wounds, how
ever, were of a painful character. This
man was one of the first to reach the
sidewalk.
q Men and boys fell on the stairways
leading from the galleries and were
bruised and scratched under the heels
of those following them. In all, 80 per
sons were cared for at the two hospitals
near the theatcr. Every body was out
side the burning structure within two
minutes from the time the fire started.
| The widest excitement prevailed on the
streets. Ballet girls
Gauve ana Tights.
rushed bare-headed around, almost Ia
of them in hysterical condition. Teh
fire spread with marvellous rapidity, and
| by the time the fire apparatus reached
the scene the theater was mass of
flames. Looming away up above the
! rear of the theater was the Times annex
building. occupied on the seventh floor
| by the editorial force, and on the eighth
by the composing and stereotpying force.
An alarm was promptly given, and all
the occupants OF the building got out in
| safety. The first, second. third and
! fourth floors were occupied by Dekos-
keno x HetherlngtOn, art metal work
erS. Their plant was one of the most
valuable of its kind in the country. The
wind was blowing in a direction to carry
| the flames to the newspaper building,
and in few minutes the latter struc-
ture was on fire. By $3.50 the entire in
terror had been Quilted.
At that hour portion of the west
wall fell, crushing in a large portion of
the one-story power house of the Phila
delphia Traction company, which con-
tanned the two immense engines which
| propelled the company's street cars over
the lower section of the city. The
| east wall crushed the four story build
! lug occupied by Hamilton IL Diesiuger,
manufacturing jewellers and portions of
several buildings below on Eighth
street. On the west was the Poulson
! house. The roof was burned and the
| building soaked with water. Above the
| Grand Central, at Ninth and Walnut
streets, stands the historic old Walnut
| Street theater. The performance there
was stopped, and the audience quietly
| dismissed. 1t was feared also the Con-
tinentai hotel would catch fire, but the
building escaped with a slight scorch-
ing.
An Irreparable Loss.
Col. A. K. Mcclure, editor of the
| Times. lost his invaluable political Ii
brary, which he has been collecting
during the past fifty years, and which
en- never be replaced. The losses, asL
naar as can be estimated, are as fol
loews: Central theater, building So, 900
insurance $4,000; costumes and,
| scenery of 1.-The Devils Auction
SIG GOO: insurance $500. Twelve
Re mptations." $4,000: insurance $500;
"S ca King" $4,000; no insurance.
The Times estimates its loss at about
S350,OOO. exclusive of its files and of
Col. McClure's library. The whole is
insured at about two-thirds its value.
Kosenko Il Hetherington's lossis at least
100000; Hamilton & Diesinger's, $75,-
600; partly insured. Other losses aggre-
gate $4,000. Mr.. Mclaughlin, the
| proprietor of the Times, when seen late
tonight, was inclined to take his loss
philosopnically. He said the burned
| structure would be rebuilt at once and in
the meantime an effort would be made TO
get the paper out from the old Times
building at the corner Of Eighth and
Chestnut streets. As the confusion fol-
| lowing the fire somewhat subsidized, the