The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-25
Two THEATERS IN FLAMES
One Life Lost, But the Audiences ES-
cape in Safety.

The Victim q Stage Carpenter, Who
Was at Work Above the Scenery-An
Adjoining Hotel and Several Stores
Also Burned-The Guests of the
Hotel Escape With Their Effects.
The Actors Lose Their Wardrobes.
Two Men Missing.
Colum bus, o., Nov 24-Fire broke out
in the new Henrietta theater, corner of
Spring and Front streets, at S:l5 O'Clock
tonight, and in less than an hour and
half this elegant playhouse, the Chitten-
den hotel and auditorium, and the Park
aheater were in ruins.
Felix Morris, in the paper Chase, !"
was playing in the Henrietta theater, and
the orchestra had just finished the over
turc when the manager, Albert Owens,
appeared on the stage and informed the
audience that there was small blazeuin
the rear of the theater and suggested that
they leave the theater. AS no flames
we've to be seen and the audience was
su.al, they left in good order.
NOTHING SAVED BY THE COMPANY.
The members Of the company were
assured the theater was fireproof made no
effort to remove their wardro0es. In a
few moments the flames, which first ap-
peared in the large auditorium adjoining
the theater, which was unfinished, broke
out in the rear of the stage. Almost in
stantly the whole proscenium was ablaze.
The members of the company fed in their
stage clothes. The manager saved almost
nothing. A high wind was blowing from
i A.
when the fire department arrived the
theater was doomed and the Chittenden
hotel adjoining on the east was burning
STAGE HAND PERIsHEs.
A man who was recognized as Andrew
Armstrong, a stage hand, and who
worked above the scenery, appeared at a
fourth-story window of the theater and
cried for help. He was told not to Jump
and he would be saved. He disappeared
from the window and was not seen again.
The walls Of the theater fell in soon after.
So far as now known this was the only
life lost,
The guests Of the Chittenden hotel had
ample time to escape, but few of them
saved any property. Steadily the flames
worked away at the fine hotel, the fire
department. being apparently helpless.
In an hour after the fire broke out in the
Henrietta theater the hotel was fast fall
ing into ruins.
BURNING OF THE PARK THEATBR,
Just north of the hotel on the High
street front stood the Park theater.
Gray s. Stephens, with their trained
dogs and ponies, were giving an exhibit
ton Ghere. The curtain was suddenly
rung down there. and the audience was
informed that the hotel adjoining was on
hne. So far wathe audience from being
nj MIR 20
out, and demands were made that the
performance proceed. They finally went
out slowly. A half hour later, this
theater, which was frame and very COM
bustlble, was IN ruins. Here also the
company losts much property, but saved
their animals.
This theatre, the auditorium adjoining,
and the Chittenden hotel, were built three
Years ago, by Henry T. Chittenden, and
were owned by him. The Henrietta was
supposed to be freproof
The Henrietta theater had just entered
upon its second season.
The Park theater was owned by a stock
company.
THE LOSSES.
The loss on the Henrietta theater and
auditorium is about $500, 900; on the Chit
tenden hotel, including the furnishings
and property contained in it, $400, 600, and
the PARK theater $4,000 There were
also in the building, the Ohio Savings
Bank, the Star shoe store, Rice's drug
store and Goodman's clothing store The
losses on these will aggregate $4,000.
There was insurance on all the build
ngs and property burned, the exact
amount of which could not be secured in
The confusion tonight.
WHOLE SQUARE BURNED OVER.
The fire destroyed the whole square
bounded by High, Spring and Front
streets and the FIRST alley north of Spring
street.
1t is not known how the fire originated,
put 1t was probably from a defective tiue
IN the theater. The engineer of the thea
ter, named Thompson, is missing, but as
MS duties kept him i'll the basement it is
not likely that he has been burned.
Messrs. Dickson & Talbot, lessesof both
heaters, claim that an actor, named
toward, with the Felix Morris Company,
mas not been seen since the fire, and fear
he is lost.