The record-union., 1898-05-08
THE METROPOLITAN THEATER
WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE LAST
NIGHT.
Neubourg's Mil. Badly Damaged
as Well as Several Lodging
Houses.

one OF the worst fires that has Wis
tied sacramento in years occurred last
night 1t broke out shortly after mid
night in the extreme rear of the Metro
politan Theater, in the block between
and K, Fourth and Fifth streets, Ell
ther in or near the roof.
| When first seen the flames were
bursting through the roof close up to
the alley wall, and before the alarm was
sounded and the firemen could get there
the roof was in blaze and the flames
bursting through the windows.
/ Owing to the network of wires in the
alley the fremen were a long time in
getting up a ladder from which a
stream of water could be turned on the
fire.
through the interior of the theater
which was very inflammable, and in q
few minutes the great building was a
seething caudron of flames.
| Chief Guthrie, seeing that it was 60
| ing to be very ugly fire to handle,
caused a general alarm to be sent in,
and the uptown engine was called into
action Streams of water were taken
from freplugs all around the block, but
for a time there was a bad mix-up of
hose in the alley which took some time
to straighten out.
| AS the fire spread it seemed to threat
r of fyrnr
Fourth to Fifth street on the north side
of K, and all were abandoned by their
occupants. Fortunately, however, the
! fire was confined to the Metropolitan
building, the rear portion of Wood
burns liquor store on the west, and
the Neubourg Touring mill on the east.
From Fourth to Fifth street on each
side of the theater all the upper stories
are occupied as lodging-houses. The
second story of the theater building
that portion fronting on K Streets
conducted by Mrs. Ketchum. The front
rooms We're not reached by the fire, but
there was considerable damage from
water.
The upper portion of the building oc-
cupied by James Woodburn's wholesale
liquor store is kept by a Mrs. Lewis.
The rear portion was burned, and
everything. had to be removed to the
sidewalk
The flames did not reach WOODBURY. s
stock of wines and liquors, but the rear
sheds and bottling works were burned.
About 1870 o'clock the entire rear
wall of the Metropolitan building fell
into the alley Nobody was caught by
it. as the firemen had plenty of warn
ing.
Inside the theater the fire burned
clear to the vestibule. Not thing in
side escaped-the scenery, chairs, fur
niture, everything being burned.
At O'Clock this morning the fire was
still burning, but Chief Guthrie said
his men had it under control, and no
1lrther damage would occur.
Nobody connected with the ownership
or lease of the Metropolitan Theater
was seen during the fire, and no esti-
mate could be obtained as to the prob
able loss. The property is owned by
Mrs Alice NJ Foye, and is under lease
to Charles P Hall of San Jose. The
building is virtually ruined, not even
what is left of the walls being worth
saving. At rough guess the loss must
be close upon $4,000 to $4,000. 1t
is probably insured.
No estimate could be formed of the
damage done to Neubourg's mill, as the
fire was still burning in the rear at =
o'clock this morning, but it will amount
to several thousand dollars.
Nearly every one occupying the upper
stories of buildings east and west of
the theater suffered more or less dam
age, owing to the breaking of furniture
and the floods of water poured over mad
into the buildings.
About 1870 o'clock Chief Guthrie,
who was inside the theater building,
was struck by a piece of the falling
gallery and knocked down He was in
sensible for few minutes, but re-
covered on being taken into the fresh
air. His head was cut and his back
badly hurt
Fireman Frank Casebolt was injured
about the face by falling bricks, and
his hands We're badly burned.
Extraman Woods of Engine No.
had very narrow escape in the the
ater, portion of the gallery falling on
him and cutting his head badly
Assistant Chief Engineer Montgail-
lard, while directing operations in the
Neubourg mill, fell through one of the
floors and sustained fracture of one
of his thighs. The accident will lay
him up for several months
The origin of the fire is unknown.
There was no performance in the the
ater last night, and no one could imag-
inc what started the fire