The morning call., 1892-04-28
OVER 4 MILLION GONE.
Extensive ConaagratiOn in the Cit! Of
Philadelphia.
THE TINES BUILDING TOTiLLY CONSU NED
flames Break Out in a Theater Before the Per.
lOrmante Commenced Panic on the Stage
and ImoRg the Audience.
ETteial to THE MORNING CALI.

EIteisl 10 The MORNING CALI.
PHILADELPHIA, April 27.-The most SEN
sational fire that has visited this city In
years broke out tonight on the stage OF the
Grand Central, variety theater. on Wal
nut street, near Eighth. and before it was
under control nearly S1,000,000 worth OF
property was destroyed, including the mas
sive eight-story annex building occupied by
the Times newspaper There was panic
in the theater, and nearly 90 persons. mostly
occupants of the galleries, were hurt. none,
however, seriously.
Just before o'clock this evening, while
the stagehauds were lowering from the flies
a portion of the stage setting, it became en-
tangled IN the border lights. Tongues of
Gre shot up TO the roof and the blazing seem
cry fell to the stage, aud in a short space OF
time the entire rear portion of the theater
was a mass of FIRE. A large number of
female chorus singers and ballet dancers
stood in the wings waiting for the perform
aBee 10 begin. Tney were thrown into r
panic and rushed about, scarcely knowing
which way 10 turn to avoid the quickly
spreading flames. AL, it is believed, were
safely gotten out. although there is report
that three ballet girls are missing.
Panic-StrIcken Audience.
A scene Of even more intense excitement
was enacted before the f00tights. The
house was only partially filled and when
the audience realized that they were con-
fronted with a theater fire everybody
started for the exits. The weaker ones
were borne down and crushed under foot
One individual, maddened and brutallZed
by the excitement. drew his p0cket-knife
and cnt bis way through mass OF people.
Half dozen or more people were found AT
ina no nj tai W bo han ms Df
frenzy. None Of the wounds, hOweYe r,
were more serious than OF a painful char
acter. Men and boys fell on the stairways
leading from the galleries and were bruised
and tTampled under the heels of those fol-
lowing them Ffty-two persons were cared
for at the two hospitals near the theater.
. The widest excitement has prevailed IN the
evening on the streets, and ballet girls in
gauZe and tights have rushed baTehead ed
around the vicinity Of the theateT, almost
ali Of them in hysterlcal condition.
The lines Building Burned.
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 Occu-
pants Of the Times annex building got out in
safety. The first. second, third and fourth
floors were occupied by De Joskeno &
HetherngtoD, art metal workers. The
wind was blowing in tie direction TO carry
e the flames 10 the newspaper building and IN
50 few minutes the structure was on fire.
BY $50 O'clock the entire interior was
gutted. The west wall and portion Of the
east wall fell, the former crushing in a
large portion Of the one-sfory power-house
OF the Philadelphia TrSctiOn Company.
The east wall crushed the four-stOry build
ing occupied by Hamilton IL Desinger.
manufacturing jewellers, and portions OF
several buildings below! on Eighth street
The front wall filled S6nsome street with
bricks and stone and damaged the buildings
opposite, In the ceaar were the new
presses Of the Times, which were ruined
beyond repair. The Poulson House roof
was burned and the building soaked with
water. The audience of toe old Walnut
street TheateT was quietly dismissed. The
Continental Hotel escaped with a slight
seorchiug. Colonel A Mcclure editor of
the Times. lost his invaluable political
library. The losses as near as can be
ascertained are as folowsi Central Tnea-
ter building $4,000, insurance $4,000;
costumes and scenery !'DevlPs Auction"
$4,000, Insurance $500; Twelve Tempta-
tions" $4,000, Insurance 1880; - Sea
King" $4,000, no insurance. The Times
estimates its less al about $3.50 coo.
This Is the fourth. time that the sites of
the Central Theater; and Times annex have
been the scene Of fires. The first cOndagra-
tlon occurred in 1861, when many ballet
girls were burned to death. Again,
in 1867, the theater was visited by
fire and burned TO the ground. In
this fire II persons peIished. and large
number were severely injured. The last
time the fiery element visited. this scene
was on Saturday morning, March q. 1888.
when the New Central Theater and the In
ternatiOnal Comlque on Sansome street
were reduced tofuins.
Exclusive Of Its. files and Colonel a. K.
'McClufe's library. the whole was insured
at ABOUT tw0-thirds Of its value. Dekoseno
81 He:heriDgton's loss is at least 500, 600
Hamilton d Diesinger's SO, 900, partly
INSURED. The other lOsses aggregate
$50, 600
A Number of Casualties.
AS the confusion following the fire some
what subsidedIhe casualties were found to
be more serious than at first supposed
'FOrty-one persons were admitted 10 the
Penn sylvanfa Hospital and about 20 are in
a serious condition.
he injuries are mainly about the face
and many it is feared have been blinded
for lie by the fierce wall of fire which they
fought Jefferson Hospital attended 80 of
the injured. OF fills number none were
seriously enough burned to be kept in the
institution. a number Of peOple are missing
: and 1t Is not known whether they perished
'. or remained among the crowd around the
ruins: 1t is not known positively up to a.
late hour whether or nOt'any of the company
: which was performing at the Central The
-ater were killed or injured, bat it is reported
that William L..BrO0ks, Viicencita ChTlten
Sarah Goodman. Thomas Lorella and his
wife, Flora. and Miss Conyers, all of whom
are connected with The company, are miss
ing. ="
: -. LIST ofthe Injured.
The injured at the Pennsylvania Hospital
are:. Chailes Briggs. William Lutz, Cfar-
ence Ridley. Robert .Jaunty, Joe Pretty
man. Ed Aspinwall.. Pete Swaney. Angus
tus Campbell, Joe Pigeon. George Center,
Amos Pichnely. Ralph Krazier, Joe Fen
. nersEy, Augustus Cineo, William Chambe
. lin, Claude Sharpe. John Scanlan. Felix
Cildberg, Chris Heasef. John Heaser,
Joseph Sif0e, Frank Robinson, William Nc
Closkey, Effort Hons. Chris Warden, VIII
liam Loper. Albert Cromback, John Ger
man, l.. X. Croker, w. III. Mattok, John
Ward. John Baxter John McCauley, w. a.
Morris; Rudolph Patterson. Theodore Hen
derson, Charles Hedges. NJ. Kelley, Cornell
J.: Long, Robert Eggers, James Rice.
AT Jefferson HosDtal-A. Finley, Thomas
Farquilai, Fred Evans. William 'Queenie
John Benson. John Queenie, A. Grey, d.
x. Jyndal. JOHN Corbett. Mark Cramer
Henry Wolfe, Belford Emery. Besides the
above, IS or 20 others Suffering from COM
paratively Slight BURNS and from coDtusions
oil various kinds had their injuries dressed
at the Jefferson HOSPITAL and hurried away