The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1896-01-30
OPERA HOUSE FIRE.
RHODES OPERA HOUSE A COM.
PLETE WRECK.
FIRE CAUGHT EARLY THIS MORN
The House Had Been Occupied All Night
by Masquerade Party Origin of
the Fire Unknown-The Loss
Very Heavy One.

pletely burned to the ground at an
early hour this morning. The wreck is
so complete that there is hardly enough
of the wood work left to make kindling
wood of. The outer walls still stand
complete, but the entire inner works
we're so completely Quilted that they
stand up like the Whitened walls of
some sepulchre. One may enter the
doorway as heretofore and pass through
the broad open hallway and emerge
upon an open court. The sun looks
down upon a blackened mass of char
Goals, iron seat frames and a large
quantity of water. There is no trace
left to show where the stage stood.
There is a small black ridge left in two
or three place to show where there was
balcony. The roof has been so COM
pletely destroyed that one would not
know one had ever been on the place.
One would imagine the place in its
som berness a retreat for owls and bats.
There are only a few traces Of the
ruin to be seen from the outside. The
windows castings have been burned out,
and that is all.
How the fire started is a mystery.
There was no furnace fire in the build
ing at any time during the evening.
The masquerade party which occupied
the hall dispersed at AN early hour and
Mr.. Rhode made the rounds Of the
building to see if everything was all
right, as is his usual custom before re-
firing for the night. At that time he
could discover nothing which would
arouse suspicion, SO he went to bed.
He had not been abed very long when
he was told the whole building was
afire. Marsh Barber, who lives across
the road, looked out of his window at
about o'clock and saw the whole
building wreathed in flames. 1t seemed
to have been in this condition before
the alarm was given to the fire depart
ment. When the department arrived
the building was altogether beyond
saving in any particular part. The
wall between the opera house and the
hotel served in keeping the fire from
spreading outside. That with the
work of the fire laddies kept the hotel
intact, only the door joining the two
buildings was burned.
Peter Rhode when seen this morning
said that he was in his room at the
time the fire broke out, having gone
there about five minutes before. He
had been up around to see the mas
Queraders. This was an affair given
by the ushers. The people all went
home at an early hour, and the ushers
and Joseph Rhode were figuring up the
receipts of the affair. 1t was found
that they had cleared enough to come
out with nearly $40 apiece All of
them were feeling quite jubilant over
their success. While they were thus
figuring Jacob Eifer went through the
house to turn out all the lights and
close everything up. He came back
and reported everything all right.
1t is the usual custom of the house to
have someone about all night, and Mr..
Rhode asked Joseph if he would stay
up the rest of the morning, it being
then about $3.50 a. m. Joseph objected
that he was so tired he must have some
rest Thereupon Mr.. Rhode sent him
to bed, and then told his night clerk
that he would go to his room and
change his clothes and possibly rest an
hour himself; and instructed the clerk
nt TO oil To ole ftoT Oh
at most. He had not much more than
disrobed than the clerk told him the
opera house was afre somewhere; he
smelled smoke. Mr.. Rhode fastened
out and found a small fire on the stage
among the scenery. He called for as
sistance and believes that if he could
have had it at once the fire could have
been stayed. But every one to whom
he appealed made at once for his trunk
instead, and tried to get out with his
goods. Joseph was called and he ran
at once for the fire department., and
turned in an alarm. By the time the
fire department had arrived the build
ing was beyond saving.
Nevertheless the department. did an
excellent job in saving the hotel 1t
would undoubtedly have gone but for
its prompt response and efficient work.
When it arrived it could not get into
the building at all, and could only pre-
vent the spread to other buildings.
There were some of the boarders in
the house sleeping in the rooms on the
third floor over the front of the opera
house. Two of these failed to hear the
alarm of ire, and did not leave their
rooms. The smoke suffocated two of
them and they had to be taken out by
the fremen. They were soon revived.
Mr. Rhode says the house will be re-
built as soon as the insurance compan-