The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-02
The Globe, Of Boston, To-
tally Destroyed By Fire
This Morning.
MANAGER STETSON'S LOSS.
Disastrous Fire in a Cheap Lodg-
ing House in Buffalo-Two
Persons Dead.

this morning. were rung in rapid succession
for fire in the Globe Theatre, on Washing
ton street. 1t was said to have started in
the coat room, on the north side of the base
ment.
1t was burning vigorously inside when the
firemen arrived, and the flames, reaching
the interior of the theatre itself, had shot up
through and along the balconies, and were
bursting through the roof
Several heavy explosions took place be-
tween twenty minutes to two o'clock and
fifteen minutes after two o'clock-whether
of gas, calcium light tanks or of chemicals
said to be used in the performance OF the
Hanlons' sSuperba' Company, which has
been playing an engagement there, it IS not
known.
THE THEATRE IN RUINS.
The whole theatre, from basement to gal
lery and flies from lobby to stage, was soon
afire and doomed. At three o'clock the en-
tire centre of the playhouse had been fairly
burned out.
The large six-story, buff brick building
owned by the Harvard College trustees on
the northwest corner of Washington street
and Hayward place; the building occupied
by the Bryant and strattoa Gommerelaa Sa aSasaaa
o2NAN
on Washington street, and T.. L.
Allny s. Co.'S retail clothing house
on the corner of Washington and Essex
streets, were for a time in imminent danger.
The only one, however, in which the flames
gained a footing was the four-story BRICK
structure adjoining the scenery room OF the
theatre, formerly occupied as residence by
John Stetson, and which is now occupied by
the Globe Theatre Cafe, Ham Brock pro-
prietor, and the club room of the Massa-
chusetts Yacht Club. The building was
badly damaged by fire and smoke. The roof
of the theatre fell in at forty-five minutes
past one. The work of the firemen was i'm
peded for a time by the trolley wires winch
however, were soon cut. i,
WORK CT THE FIREMEN.
Lines of hose were carried over the roofs
of the buildings which surrounded the the
atre 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 entrances to the theatre,
and as they were broken in, the flames burst
into their faces. From these openings the
firemen directed streams into the furlously
burning interior.
By this time the flames had eaten their
way into the scenery room where the tanks
of compressed oxygen and hydrogen used by
the Hanlon's in obtaining their calcium light
GHeCGS, ana Wileu UIltS0 60 Ak1JedCSt bhC ia e
.spread into every nook and Granny in the
building, and before 2 o'clock the roof ct the
main theatre building had fallen in with a
crash.
COSTLY wARDRoBEs DESTROYED.
Shortly afterward the fire reached the
four-story brick building on Harrison avenue
extension. in which are located the green
room and the players dressing rooms. In
spite of the heroic efforts of the firemen this
building was also Quilted, aud costly ward
robes, properties and stage accessories were
destroyed.
Creeping through an exit leading from the
foyer of the theatre to Hayward place, the
flames soon reached the four-story brick
structure, No. II Hayward place. formerly
john Stetson's residence, oo the upper floors
of which Hamilton Brock, the proprietor of
the Globe Cafe in the adjoining building, re-
sided 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 OF their own per-
sonal effects. This building also was Quilted.
The fire was by this time rapidly reaching
toward Washington street on Hayward
place, and it was then that it seemed i'm
possible that the new building of the Har-
yard Trustees and the intervening buildings
could escape.
SUCCESSFULLY CHECKED.
Before it reached this point, however, it
was successfully checked in the building oc
cupied by the yacht club, and by four o'clock
the fire was subdued and at five O'Clock
totally extinguished.
The two buildings on Hayward place
which were destroyed with the theatre build
ing were owned by manager and proprietor,
John Stetson of the Globe Theatre, and upon
these, he says, there is no insurance.
THE TOTAL LOSS.
The theatre is leased by Mr.. Stetson and
the bare property, including the land is
assessed at $50, ,000 The total loss is roughly
estimated at $3.50, 900.
1t is estimated that the Hanlon Bros. who
have had sSuperban on the Globe stage for
the past week, will lose about $25, ,000 Their
scenery, costumes and mechanical devices
destroyed. The Hanlons were burned out
year ago in the Euclid Avenue Theatre,
Cleveland, o.
The last theatre fire in Boston was that
which destroyed the Globe Theatre on May
30, 1873, and destroyed property valued at
over $1,00G,000. The theatre was rebuilt the
following year.
MR.. sTETsoN WILL REBUILD.
This morning Mr.. Stetson said he would re-
build, and he promises theatre in every
way superior to that destroyed.
The Hanlons were to have closed their en-
gagement at the theatre this week and the
'Prodigal Daughter was to have
opened the coming week. Francis
Wilson in ssErminie" and Thomas
Seabrooke in new opera were also under
engagement to appear soon In Mr.. Stetsons
safe in his private office were contracts
worth many thousands of dollars and also
about $4,000 in money 1t is not known as
ret whether these will be found intact
Laay papers of value belonging to Manager
ESsseson which were lying loose on his desk
wore saved by Mr.. Brock before he left the
building.
The fire, it is believed was caused by
defective electric wire igniting the woodwork
In the mems coat room in the front of the
theatre, under the balcony stairs The
loss on the building, with its annexed
property in Hayward place is $3.50, 900, par
tally insured Loss on the contents, the
property of Mr.. John Stetson, 5000
partially insured. The loss to A. ].
Hanlons' Superba Company, S25, 900,
partly insured loss to actors, $1,000, no in
surance; loss to the communicating four
story brick block on Hayward Place, owned
by John Stetson, and its contents, including
stored scenery, theater effects, household
goods and saloon stock and fixtures Of Ham
ilton Brock, 5000, partially insured.
Brock loss is $4,000 No insurance.
The theatre property was owned by syn
dicate consisting Of II E. Walsh, Treasurer:
Al neglected cough may lead to consrtin-