The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-08
PARK THEATER BURNS
a TOTAL FIRE LOSS LAST EVENING
OF ABOUT sI22.OOO.
Oldest Amusement House in Indian
apolis Destroyed by Unusually
Fierce Flames.
WILL BE REBUILT AT ONCE
a FAMOUS PLACE WHERE GREAT
ACTORS ONCE APPEARED.
Junius and wilkes Booth and Other
Old-Time Favorites Played There
Quarter of u Century Ago.
| MORE RECENTLY A GOLD MINE
ORIGIN OF FIRE PROBABLY DUE TO
ELECTRIC-LIGHT WIRES.
Deuartment Found the Building
Junius and Wilkes Booth and Other
Quarter of u Century Ago.
MORE RECENTLY A GOLD MINE
ORIGIN OF FIRE PROBABLY DUE TO
ELECTRIC-LIGHT WIRES.
Department Found the Building
ChemicaI-SOme "Reminiscences.

The Park Theatcr, at Washington street
and Capitol avenue, the Oldest place OF
amusement in the city. was totally de-
stroyed by fire early last evening. The
building was erected in 1857 and has been
used for "a thcater or other place of amuse-
ment since that time. Dickson & Talbot,
the owners estimate their loss at $l00,Wo.
with only $50, 500 insurance. The other losses
will be between $4,000 and $4,000. much of
il being by water in adjoining buildings.
When 1t was seen that the theater could
not be saved there was great danger that
the entire block would be destroyed or that
the fire might not stop within the limits of
TIE square. The wind rot strong, but
was blowing directly from the west. For
tunately, shortly after the fire broke
through the roof and began sending up
sparks. the wind SHIFTED to the southeast
thus removing the danger from that quar-
ter
Last night Dickson 6, Talbot announced
that they would put men to work this
morning as soon as they could enter the
building to clear away the debris, and plans
will be drawn Immediately Tor "a new thea
ter which will be built at once. The new
building will be modern in every respect
and as large as the old house, which was
the largest in the city. 1t will probably
be still continued as a popular-price house.
The fire was discovered by Harry Callen
foreman for knight * Jillson, who had
eaten his supper in Lee BurnettS restau-
rant. He came out of the restaurant and
noticed that there was fire in the theater.
He broke open Il door and grabbed a hand
eXtingusher, intending to take il on his
search for the fire. but he dropped it i'm
mcdiately. 1t was too hot TO hold. He then
realized that there was big fire to contend
with and rushed out and gave the alarm.
1t was just 6;i6 o'clock when the fire head
quarters received a telerh )ne message that
the Park Theater was burning. Box AZ
was struck and q large number of pieces or
apparatus went to the scene. In less than
four minutes second and a third alarm
were turned in. which brought out almost
the entire department. No. 6 hosewagon
vas the first to arrive on the enc. Seeing
that there was work for every fireman,
Callen took charge of the horses that draw
this wagon so all the men could get TO
work.
UNUSUAL FIERCENESS OF FLAMES
1t has been many years since a fire in
this city burned with the almost human
determination of this one. From the very
beginning ii seemed that there were no pos
sible means of getting to the fire. while all
the time it was known to be eating its way
up through the center of the building. Con-
sidering the fierceness with which il burned.
il is remarkable that ii did not communi-
cate to any other building. Although the
building and its contents were totally de-
stroyed. those who saw the fire said it
was well handled.
When the department reached the scene
of the fire it was practically impossible to
enter the building at any point. The fire
originated in the center of the first floor,
which placed the department at a disad-
vantage. Ii appeared that 1T might have
been smoldering for several hours before it
was discovered. Near where it began there
was a large electric battery and also sew
eral electric light wires. Either of these
might have started the fire. but this theory
is merely conjecture. These wires were
carefully covered. 1t was readily seen that
the fire had started Immediately back of
the box office, but it may have been half
way between the office and the stage. When
the front doors were opened dense roll of
smoke came out, and this was so great as
to absolutely bar firemen who were bent
upon going inside the building. BY this
dows above the first floor.
WATER TOWER DIDN'T BREAK
The water tower was placed on Capitol
avenue, near the front of the building, and
two streams were soon flooding the inside
of the building through west windows. Lad
ders were placed against the front balcony
and several streams of water were turned
into the building from this point. Almost
every one in the city is familiar with the
plan of the inside of this building and
knows that water thrown from these two
points could not reach the fire until it had
burned through the floor of the main part
of the theater. From the front the water
was cut of from the auditorium by large
doors which were between the hallway and
the auditorium. While the water from the
west windows could enter the auditorium
directly it merely ran forward to the stage
until such time as the fire had gained suffi-
cient Roadway TO burn through the main
floor. Not until then was any water thrown
that reached the fire, but this can hardly
be said 10 be the fault of the fire depart
ment. for those who were there saw that IL
was impossible To enter the building.
AS the fire worked upward il was forced
by the water from the tower to the east
side of the building. and it gradually passed
through floor after floor until at 7:2O
o'clock. thirty-six minutes after the alarm
was sounded, the fire was seen 10 break
from the roof of the building close to the
east side that for long time il was be-
lieved that the roof of the building i'm which
the Cleveland Club is located was on fire.
Long before this il was seen that there
could be no hope Of saving the theater, and
the efforts were directed to preventing a
spread OF the flames. The water tower was
removed from Capitol avenue 10 the east
| side of the front of the building, and its
| two streams were directed 10 the roof of
the theater in the hope of saving the ad-