The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-19
ROOF STAGE BURNED OFF.
TRAINED DOCS IN 4 FIRE DRILL
1T ROSTER e BI4L'S

The 90 Trained Cats Fled, but the 40 Dogs
Marched Downstairs in single File, Eyes
nt-FiremenCo llect ~ Cats--The Other
Suspected of u Reversion to Barbarian.
Trained dogs behaved better than trained
| cats yesterday morning at fire on the roof oil
Roster Balls Theatre in Thirty fourth street
which DESTROYED the stage with Its proscenium
arch and the rooms OF the lightning change al
lists ii the aerial palm garden.
The fire. which was said to have been caused
by an imperiectly insulated electric light wire
in contact with piece Of scenery. occurred at
$3.50 O'CLOCK. The stage on the roof. with its
scenery and drop eur aims and a few costumes
were totally DESTROYED and the damage was
about $4,000. The only stage performers ON
the roof at the time was professor OF dogs
and eats Iie had his forty dogs and twenty
three cats all out on the roof Tor an early
morning rehearsal. ono Of the watchmen
discovered smoke at the back OF the stage on
the north side Of the roof and yelled fire.
The professor. whose entire stock in trade
is his animals and a short whip that cracks
like a gun. shouted Fall i'm
The dogs obeyed the order and stood in
single line with eyes front like so many
images. The cats either saw the flames that
had begun to gain headway or else were fright
ened by the workmen about the place. who
were crying Fire" and running about tho
roof and uncoilDg the six lines OF hose at
tached to the roof hydrants. At auy rate. tho
cats didn't fall in. but scatt-red
Giving up his cats Tor the time being the
professor turned to The dogs and said h lGnr
was obeyed as promptly and wit no more fuss
than would have occurred at matinee, me
POSSESSION S OF 81 dogs Joys four. ounce specimen
rom Chihuahua had the RI ght Of the line while
l5O pound Great Dane brought IN the rear.
stairs. through the lobby OF the music hall to
the street y hair Oh the tip o. the tail OF the
last dog was. singed BY flying c,nldel: but.
barring one irrepreSSble yeIp. he dld morning.
to throw the retreat into disorder.
tho box T" on the ROOT H When the iiremen ar
Iived the workmen had six streams OF water.
fed from the roof tank. playing on the burn
ering the uphoIstered seats in the music hal,
d9wnstatrs with tarpaultns: c,,.,c,..,
Battalion Chiefs Bnns and Welsh were al! at
the FIRE. When the Deputy arrived the pros
Seni ~ arch forty feet high was hall Gi
ers OF sparks that fell over the entire area Of
the roof garden and also to the roofs OF nearby
then, and the Deputy sent In two more alarms
BY the time the extra tlremen got there the
blaze was under control, and as there was no,
cue cats, TWENTY-FIVE were oaptursd by fire
men and restored to their owne! downstairs
search was made OF adjoining back yards.
The stage. which was ON the Thirty. 9th street
side Of the roof. was twenty feet square. six
| feet above the roof and was equipped with n
! forty-foot proscenium, several curtains and a
| little scenery. On either side were little
| booths for the performers eating for their
! turns to go on" The fire was practically
confined to the stage. the arch and the booths
| and they we're ali burned clean down to the
| level. In front Of the stage for a distance OF
| about twenty feet the wooden flooring that COW
| erS the roof tiles was charred and the black
| ened boards were littered with fragments OF
| coOred glass from smashed lanlr globes some
| OF the palms were sinGei and little warsr
| leaked through and fell on the music hall
stage directly. under the roof stage,
| Edward l.. Bloom. business manager FOR
| Roster ~ Bia!. was at his home in West Forty
| third street and absd when messenger boy
| informed him Of the fire.
Roster II Balls burned fat to the ground
| said the boy.
Well. II It's fiat there's no neel Of getting
up." said Bloom.
| well, there may be a few Of the high.
priced seats still standing" added the messen-
| ger. Then Bloom got up and walked down
| to the theatre.
Why that's nothing he said. after look.
| ing at tho wreck on the roof. Well have the
| promenade concert MP here on the roof to-
night Just as IL nothing had hauuened. and
| we'll have the stage performance downstairs
II it was week day and we could get hold o.
all the workmen we wanted we could have a
new roof stage by night