New Ulm review., 1894-04-11
Terrible Catastrophe In Connection
With a Fire In a Theatre at
Milwaukee.
While Fighting Flames on Ton of
the Davidson Building the Roof
Fell In,
Carrying With It a Score of Fireuen.
e.. A Dozen Dead or Fatally
Injured.

Waukee and one of the handsomest an,
costllest theaters in the country, wa
destroyed by fire which broke out be
tween and 5 o'clock a. m.
Shortly after o'clock, when the fir
was seemingly under control. tn
theater roof, on which a score or NOR
; OF the brave firemen stood as they tough
J the flames, went down and the
Brave Men Were Carried With 1t
to the floor of the auditorium below
Some were extricated from the furnace
OF flames in which the whole interio
was now enveloped by their brave ant
more fortunate comrades, who risket
their lives to drag out the prostrat,
forms of the dead and injured men
Six or eight men were soon brought out
and those who are able to speak sale
there must be 10 more in the ruins
where living death awaited them. Fol
these poor fellows there was no chance
The burning roof had fallen on them
and they were roasted to death if they
had not been killed in that
/ Terrible Plunge From the Roof
A cry OF horror went up from the
tremen who saw the awful catastrophe.
The members of the insurance patrol
were covering up the seats in the par.
quette Of the theater when suddenly a
light was seen through the roof above.
The men in the theater ran back Just in
time, and the next moment the roof fell
into the parquette of the theater. Sew.
eral OF the men in the theater were
caught by the falling timhers. The
scene that followed is never to be for
| gotten by those who witnessed it. For a
moment all was dark, then suddenly a
tremendous sheet of fame shot up, and
with it came the cries of the fremen
who had fallen through the roof to the
theatre below.
Little Hope Remained.
The men were buried under the blaz-
ing roof, aud there seemed to be little
hope if any would come out alive.
even If they had not been killed by their
terrible fall. There was trouble in get
ting water on the fire, which now rap
idly made its way through the theatre
and scenery. The water was finally
turned on, and several of the fire,nen
who had fallen near the front door of
the lobby We're dragged from the burn
ing debris and carried out more or less
injured. The men were removed to the
saloon across the street and their
wounds dressed, while the fremen
brave]y kept at work pouring a deluge
Of water on the debris, and trying to
rescue others Of the unfortunates.
Their Cries Were Hushed
But soon no more cries were heard,
and it was evident that all who had not
been brought out must now be past
hope. The interior of the auditorium
soon became seething mass of flames,
which the firemen vainly endeavored to
subdue in order to save their doomed
comrades. While the frantic men were
at work amidst the ruins on the floor of
the parquette the gallery began to burn,
! and while directing their attention to
this blaze another portion of the roof
| fell, making the rescue of the imprisoned
men impossible and adding more fuel
to the fire.
| Rescuing Dead and Wounded.
The work of rescuing the bodies of
the killed and the men who were not
killed began Immediately after the roof
fell. William Crowley remained in the
ruins alive for several hours and his
comrades put forth tremendous exer-
tions to save him. There was fire all
all around him, and the spot where he
was pinned down Was kept flooded.
Along about 10 o'clock the fremen cot
near enough to him to speak to- him and
were a good deal surprised to find him
conscious and able to talk. He asked
his rescuers to be careful and not drown
him with the streams. He said there
was dead man near him, but did not
know who it was. After that Crowlev's
voice could not be heard for some little
time and it was feared that he had died,
but be subsequently was able to make
himself heard again. He said the BODY
near him was that of man who had been
| drowned, Some iron rods are pinioninp
Crowley down, and the firemen cannot
/ stop throwing water on the burning
ruins above him for fear that the unfor-
tunate man will be burned to death. An
engine is drawing water from point
directly under Crowley, and it is hoped
| that he can be kept alive. At noon the
awful alternative was considered of
cutting off Crowley's legs to save his
life, and it is said the poor fellow re-
quested this to be done. There is 10
feet Of burning debris about the pin
Toned man. It seems that the men were
! not on the roof when it collapsed, hut
were Immediately under it. in the din
ing room and kitchen apartments of the
| hotel. When they were at work. the
trusses holding up the rooms over the
| auditorium collapsed and let them drop
| into the seething furnace below.
Valuable Scenery Burned.
s. The valuable scenery carried by the
Liliputians, whose 10 days engagement
at the theater was to close Wednesday.
is all gone. Manager Rosenthal of the
u company says it was worth $25, 700.
. The Davidson theater was opened in
September, 1881, by the Emma Juch
Opera company. Manager Sherman
Brown stated as he stood watching the
smoke curling up to- the studded and