The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-03
WAGON WHEAT
Highest Market Price.
ARCADE MILLS.
THEATER DESTROYED
Farnham-Street Opera House at
Omaha Burned Last Night.
Two Men Fatally Injured by Falling
Walls and Other Firemen Hurt
Loss Placed at $25O,00O.

OMAHA. Neb., Oct 2.-From till after
o'clock this evening the Omaha fire de-
partment had q campaign that tested it to
the utmost. At 500 O'clock an alarm
brought the downtown companies to the
Farnham-street TheateE. Here q fierce
blaze was raging on the stage. While the
opera house fire was at Its height q second
alarm called q portion of the lighting force
to Twenty y-seventh and Leavenworth
streets. where a huge frame block was
sending up cloud of lurid smoke to vie
with the rosy hue of the western sky. The
rheater bniiding was q huge fve-story
shell. the auditorium being on the second
floor. and above the stage the fly gallery
filed dome thirty feet higher than the
roof of the building.
1t was almost on the last stroke of
o'clock when hundred men Simultaneous
ly sent up the cry of ire. The burst of
smoke from the roof or the dome was noted
by thousands, the theater being located at
the busiest corner in the city. The smoke
was followed by flames. and before the
first fireman reached the stage the building
WAS doomed. The fire started on the
stage. In the fly gallery. The stage
for the evening production of the WAITS
of New York" fly swung against
q gas Jet. and In second the whole mass OF
painted canvas was blazing. 1t burned so
swiftly that there was no time for low erng
the tire.proof curtain that out off the stage
from the auditorium. Companies 3 and 2
were first there. and began the ii ght on the
stage. They were not permitted to remain
long there, for soon after they got to work
the roof of the dome tell In. At 3 O'clock
the tirs at the theater was under control,
and the other blaze. at tTwenty-seventh th and
Leavenworth. had been extinguished.
When the lire on the stage was burning
most fieroely the back wall of the building
fell outward. 1t crushed down into the
narrow alley. completely choking it to the
height of the first story of the karbach
Block OH the north. This building WAS
much damaged by tho tumbiing brick.
Whom the wall fell several firemcn were
caught and severely injured. Another ac-
cident occurred at O'Clock. While the
fire iiremen were playing ., on the ruins
ing. burying three tircmen under
heap of brick. The work of rescue was
quickly begun and in few moments the
men had been dragged froyl their perilous
position. Capt VIM. MCBRIDE. Of hose No.
2. was the worst hurt, apparently. of tho
three. his head and face had been crush ed
by tho weight of brick and his body seemed
mashed Hat Pipeman James Downs. of
No. ]. was hurt about the head. hut his
chest was crushed. Lineman Mattson was
caught about the lower part OF tho body
and badly crushed. Thomas Ruene Is bad
ly hurt about the head. The men were
sent TO st. Joseph's Hospital Six firemen
and ono bystander were injured during
the lire. Their names are:
JOHN MCBRIDE. captain No. 9 hose company;
face and head crushed. and injured internally;
may die.
THOMAS RUESE. Company No. 3; head cut and
legs broken.
JAMES Downs, pipeman, No. l; crushed about
chest: condition critical.
JAMES MATTsoS. nneman, No. 2; leg broken
and internal injuries; condition critical.
j: n. SCOTT. driver No. 2; face burned and
Jous SIMPSON, driver No. 3; same injuries as.
Scott
j. b. GAYNoR, dancing master; internal inju-
ries; may die.
1t was discovered late to-n,Qht that the
body of Albert Jerome q pipeman of No. 3.
IL under the fallen west wall. lie was
abont thirty-two years old and unmarried.
The WAITS OF New York" Company
loses everything but its fire engine. The
steamer was the only property of the COM
pany that had not been taken on tne stage.
All the members of the company lose their
warcrobss. The thester wae owned by
the American Loan & Trust Company.
was soon after reorganized. IL was valued
at $3.50. 900 and insured for $4,000. The
loss TO the owners OF the "Waifs OF New
York" Company Is S6 100 and the members
of the company lose almost rs much more.
The theater was built in 1881 by the then
Mayor. since Governor. James Z. Boyd. at
a cost of e260.O00. It was opened by the
Fay Templeton Opera Company in August,
1881, the piece being Mascot" During it's
time the stage has borne the stars of the
dramatic and operstic tirmament-Booth.
Barrett. Jefferson. Florence. Salviui father
and SOM Bernhardt. Patti. Kellogg. Abbott
and hundreds whose names are famous.
he wing appeared there. 1t was chrIsrened
two years ago. when Governor Boyd's now
theater was opened.