The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-23
CROWDED THEAIER
CATCHES FIRE
CINCINNATI GRAND OPERA HOUSE
PACKED TO SEE soTHERN,s
"EAAILET"
WAS BURNED TO THE GROUND
MOST REMARKABLE DISPLAY OF
GOODNESS ON PART OF THE
AUDIENCE
WAS BURNED TO THE GROUND
NO oNE KILLED OR INJURED
Large Audience Present Filed oua
In as Orderly Manner as If
1t Were the Close of
Performance.

CINCINNATI, o., jan 22.-The Grand
opera house was tonight totally DESTROYED
by fire except for its stanch outer walls.
Ihe play set for the night was Ham
let" by the Sothern company. The
house was packed by a brilliant audience.
Many ladies without escorts were pres
ent. The first scene had been finished
IN the second act Sothern, acting the
part of Hamlet, had spoken but a few
lines when a slight disturbance was OBJ
served in the orchestra seats about the
fourth row from the orchestra on the
south side of the center aisle. 1t was
caused by slight issue of smoke at that
point An usher went down the aisle
and quickly asked the people to be seat
ed, saying there was nothing wrong Mr.
Sothern at this point stepped to the front
Of the stage and also assured the audi
ence that everything was right To fur
ther remove apprehension, Mr.. Sothern
resumed his part, but before he had spok-
en- two lines the smoke issued in such
volumes that there was a spontaneous
movement of the people in it's vicinity.
Without further order or suggestion or
advice one of the most remarkable
scenes ever witnessed in a crowded au-
dience took place.
WITH A SINGLE IMPULSE.
1t was as If the whole situation had
been revealed to every person In the
house, and without a single shout or
anything else indicating a leader, the
disposal of the audience began and was
carried out with as much order and COM
posure as if such thing as fire had
never been heard of. In the lower part
of the house the abundant passage to
Vine street gave an easy egress to
part of the audience A large number
tod fha kaA
by the actors and actresses to mount the
stage and to make their exit by the stage
door on Longworth street. This assist
anee by the company was all the more
appreciated when 1t Is understood that
it was rendered at the cost of an entire
neglect of their own personal property. A
gentleman seated in the fourth row from
the orchestra describes the exit of the
audience as one of the most orderly that
he eyer witnessed He says that there
were many women near him without es-
corts who exhibited the utmost compo-
sure, and took the best and safest way to
reach place of safety. Nothing to in-
dicate the possibility of panic occurred.
1t appears from every indication that the
fire started in some way from the fur
mace underneath the orchestra. 1t soon
communicated to the stage, and to this
fact is owed the losses of the greater
portion of the property of the Sothern
loss at $5O,00O.
IN THEIR STAGE COSTUMES.
His company was compelled to reach
the streets clad in their costumes and
to lose the greater portion of their per-
sonal effects left in the theater For
tunately the gallery which had the least
conlmodious means of exits, was not
crowded and these who were in that part
OF the theater escaped with 10 serious
accidents. Here and there some one
stumbled on a steep stairway, but ready
help was rendered and there was no one
trampled or hurt The same caImnezs
marked the behavior of the people in the
balcony, ,whicn was eInptied as quietly and
quickly as. the play had been ended
Notwithstanding the combustible nature
of the interior the fire was a long time
in burning out AS late as 10 o'clock the
upper part Of the Vine street front was
still burning. This portion of the build
ing was occupied by the Cincinnati gym
nasium, Which had a costly equipment.
Adjoining the rear of the opera house,
separated by an alley, is the large But
Ter building. The ire entered this at the
upper stories and the roof and the two
upper floors of that building were prac-
hcalIy destroyed. The upper portion Of
the Gifts engine house, which adJons
the Butler building, was seriously DAM
aged by the fire.
The present lessees of the Grand opera
house are Rainforth and Havlini, SUI
ceSsors of the late Robert ]. Miles. The
building belongs to Mrs. Charles P. Taft,
whose husband is the proprietor of the
Tmes-Star. 1t was bought by her
father. the late David Sinton, from the
Catholic institute about thirty years ago
for $500 600. The additions that had been
made to it since that time are probably
balanced by the decrease in valuation OF
real estate so that the loss may be put