Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-02

The second floor Of the building was par
itioned Off into compartments much in
the same manner as horse stalls. and each
stan held Its quota of dodgers, packed in
together like sardines. Some held twenty
some held thirty. There was no register.
Straw. shavings and other rubbish formed
the bedding and this furnished the neces-
sary fuel with which the fire completed
It's deadly work. 1t was q regular cubby-
hole and the inmates were caught like rats
BURNING OF BOSTON THEATER.
Heavy Loss Caused by Fire EARLY This
Morning.
BOSTON. Jan. 2-Four alarms, the first
one at lis this morning. in rapid success
sion for a fire in the Globe Theater, rang
| on Washington street 1t was said to have
| started In the coat room on the north side
In the basement
1t was burning vigorously inside when
the firemen arrived, and the flames reach
ing the interior of the theater itself, had
shot up through and along the balconies
and were bursting through the roof
Several heavy explosions took place be-
tween lao and 2:15, whether of gas, cal
cfum light tanks or of chemicals, said to
be used in the performance of the Han
Ions "Superba" Company, which has been
playing an engagement there. is not known.
The whole theater. from basement to
gallery and flies. from lobby to stage. was
soon afire and doomed. At y o'clock the
fairly burned out.
The large six-story Buffalo brick build
ing, owned by the Harvard College trustees.
on the northwest corner Of Washington
street and Hayward place; the building
occupied by the Briant and Stratton Com
mercial School, on the other side of the
theater on Washington street. and X. T..
Almy & Company's retail clothing house. on
the corner of Washington and Essex
streets. were. for a time, in imminent
danger.
A number rushed down the stairway
toward the rear. when warned by the
smoke and heat, and were badly burned
before being rescued by the fremen. Others
not so fortunate. or perhaps stupefied with
drink, were paralyzed with fear. when
confronted with their sudden danger, and
had to be carried out through the WIN
dows.
The firemen did heroic work, fearlessiy
entering the blazing rooms and rescuing
those unable to move themselves -Four
one Of whom died before he reached the
ground and the others seriously injured.
When the flames had been fairly well
subdued, a more thorough search was
made through the stalls. and the woman
victim was found, badly burned that
she cannot be identified.
The loss on the building Is about $1OOOO.
The only one, however, in which the
flames gained footing was the four-story
brick structure adjoining the scenery room
of the theater, formerly occupied as q resi-
dence by John Stetson. and which Is now
occupied by the Globe Theater cafe. Ham,
brock. proprietor. and the club room Of the
Massachusetts, Yacht Club.
The building was badly damaged by fire
and smoke. The roof Of the theater fell in
At 1:45.
Impeded by Trolley Wires.
The work Of the firemen was impeded for
time by the trolley wires. which. how
ever, were soon cut.
Lines OF hose were carried over the roofs
Of the buildings which surrounded the the
alter and streams were poured down into the
seething cauldron beneath.
Men with axes had already assaulted
the heavy doors guarding the Essex street
and Hayward place entrance to the theater,
and as they were broken in the flames
burst into their faces From these OPEN
ings the fremen directed streams into the
furiously burning interior
By this time the flames had eaten their
way into the scenery room, where were the
tanks OF compressed oxygen and hydrogen
used by the 'Hanlons in obtaining their cal
cium light effects and when these exploded
the fire spread into every nook and Granny
in the building and before o'clock the
voof of the main theater building had fallen
in with q crash.
Stage Properties Destroyed.
Shortly afterward the fire reached the
four-story brick building on Harrison ave-
nue. extension, in which are located the
green room and the players dressing rooms
this building was also Quilted and costly
wardrobes properties and stage accessories
were destroyed.
Progress of the Flames.
Creeping through an exit leading from
the foyer of the theater to Hayward place.
the flames soon reached the four-story
brick structure No. IL Hayward place, for
merly John Stetson's residence. on the up
per floors of which Hamilton Brock, the
proprietor Of the Globe cafe, in the adjoin-
ing building, resided. On the street floor
of this building was the entrance to the
scenery room and from this point the fire
reached upward and consumed the entire
interior of the structure.
The cafe occupied the ground floor Of
the adjoining building. No. Is Hayward
place. The upper floors are the winter
quarters Of the Massachusetts, Yacht Club.
Steward Willis and Caterer Roach were in
the club parlor and they had no time to
save either the club property or their own
personal effects. This building, also, was
Quilted.
The fire was by this time rapidly reach
ing toward Washington street, on Hayward
place, and it was then that 1t seemed i'm
possible that the new building of the Har-
ward trustees and the intervening buildings
could escape
Before 1t reached this point. however, it
was successfully checked In the building
occupied by the yacht club. and by O'Clock
the fire was subjected and at o'clock to-
tally extinguished. The two buildings on
Hayward place, which we're destroyed with
the theater building, were owned by Man
ager and Proprietor John Stetson of the
Globe Theater. and upon these. he says,
there is no insurance. The theater is leased
by Mr.. Stetson, and the bare property in
Guiding the land, il assessed at 100000