New-York tribune., 1901-12-11
FLAMES THREATEN BIJOU,
FlREPROOF WALL SAVES THEATRE
TOO EARLY FOR AUDIENCE
WOMEN TAKEN UNCONSCIOUS FROM
BURNING DANCING ACADEMY-EN-
CINE CAUSES A RUNAWAY-THOU-
SANDS BLOCK BROADWAY

and Thlrty-hrSt SITS, started after q o'clock
last night on the second floor of the southern
part Of the theatre building For few mo-
! ments it thought that the theatre could not
be saved. but the prompt work of the firemen
and the presence Of a 1reproof wall prevented
the flames from spreading beyond the southern
| part of the building. The theatre was filled
with smoke, however and some of the fixtures
were damaged by water. Had the fire occurred
| few hours lsker. when the theatre was filled
| for the evening performance, a panic, with prob
| ably appalling loss of life would have been
inevitable. Henry r. Sire one of the owners Of
the theatre. announced at I O'Clock that the
fire would not prevent the appearance of David
Warield and his company in The Auctioneer."
The fire started in Charles Constantine's dane
| ing academy, the second floor. Policeman
John McGinnis of Broadway Squad at
| his post, at Thirty-second-st. and Broadway.
| when his attention was directed smoke is
| suing from the windows. He turned in alarm
and hurried to the building where he was Joined
/ by Policemen Diehl and Heuck There were five
six girls in the dancing academy. who made
! their escape through the hallway before the fire
well started
BY this time people had begun to make their
! appearance on the fire escapes on the Broad
! way side of the building and several descended
| to the street by that means. The cry of fire had
| alarmed the tenants of the building. and the
! floors made people afraid to venture down the
! stairs On the third floor of the building, occu-
pied by a theatrical and lithographing firm, the
policemen found six young women, three or
! whom had tainted. The others were in a state
bordering on Each of the policemen
grabbed one of the unconscious girls and carried
her to the street. They soon revived and went
to their homes.
AS soon as the ffremen arrived they sent in
/ to he
good headway and from all appearances the
Riiou Theatre was doomed The fire wall which
separates the two buildings was, however, ef-
fective The members of hook and ladder
company rescued Benjamin Van Slyke over sew
entv wears old who for thirty-five years has
been boxing instructor in Broadway. van
Syke with a pupil, in the instructor room
on the third floor of the building fhey hrsI
tried to descend the stairs. but the sitting smoke
! made them believe that ali the lower floors were
afame They turned back and the pupil climbed
down the fire escape Mr. Van Slyke would not
intrust himself to the escape ladders. but stayed
on the iron landing until ladders were raised
Then fremen carried him to the street
The poIice of the West Thirtieth-st. station
say that the fir: was caused by cigarette.
In the Constantine Dancing Academy is small
anteroom. They say that several young men
were lounging in this room, and that one OF
them set firo to couch by carelessiy discard
ing his cigarette II is known that the young
men fed in great haste TO TIE street, one OF
them not descending the stairs. but dropping
from the bottom of the fire escape to the side
walk
No. 237 Broadway is in one sense a part
of the Bijou Theatre building The two build
irgs are separated by fire wall, but an en-
trance into the gallery OF the theatre has been
cut through the wall. and patrons of the thea
he gall 90 O
through the hallway of No. 1,231.
PROGRESS OF FIRE STOPPED.
The fire had little to consume in the dancing
academy. but made its way to the floor above.
and there had chance to ignite the gallery
of the theatre. This prevented, however,
bys the water hat poured into the fire
frcm the lines of hose that the firemen dragged
into the theatre. For few minutes the fire
was somewhat spectacular. the flames shooting
from the second and third story windows in
Broadway.
Except for the water that flooded the gal
lery. some of which trckled through to the bal
cony little damage done to the theatre
At Z O'Clock when the fire practically out
Henry B. Sire. Chief Croker and Fire Com
missioner Scannel went through the theatre.
Mr.. Sire, after the inspection. announced that
the evening performance would be given as
usual He already had number of scrub
women on hdnd. ana they SCI TO Work TO mop
up the water that stood IN pools in the gallery
and balcony.
Chief Croker estimated the damage by fire
and water at several thousand dollars. The po-
lice made their estimate S1o,HD.
In an hours time all practically at
the fire. In that hour the police more than had
their hands full. Thousands of persons blocked
broadway Sixth-ave. and the neighborng side
streets, and exaggerated reports were current
as to- the extent of the fire Police Captain
Flood ordered his reserves and every other avail
able man to establish fire lines, and the detec-
tives Of the West Thirteth-st station kept a
sharp lookout for thieves. When the fire was
under control Detective Schoenick, of the West
Thirtieth-st. station entered the box office of
the theatre and found $50, although it sup
posed that all the money had been removed at
the first alarm of fire
The building that was partly burned is five
story one. and extends nearly back to Sixth-aVe.
effectively. the firemen chopped a hole through
the roof of the theatre. The Cygolf Shoe Com
nany which occupies the store at No. 1,2Si
Rroadway suffered damage to its stock by water
and smoke. Hundreds of persons, so many that
the fifemen almost inpeded in their work |
were within the fire lines wearing ostensible hre
badges Commissioner SCapnei said he could
not explain why there were such a great NUMBER
of persons possessing fire badges, unless lt We're
that some of them were fictitious. He said that
he had been trying to stop the ndiscrimlnate
granting of fire badges except to those that
should rightfully have them
ENGINES CAUSE A RUNAWAY
Frederick S Nauge president of the Onon-
aao vitrifed Brick Company, of Syracuse,
~ Y who is staying at The Hotel St Denis
.+ood in front of DaIy's Thea trs at t:4o. watch-
iny three fire horses attached TO an englne' ID
re Toeubered afterward that d ne"spoE T.,
80 oIose m him and flashed a newspaper ii
Mr. Nauele entered the theatre ioppS
=, . Iittle while and felt for his watch 10 re-; r.
~ he was in time for the performance. NJ .hs
u.,tcb was gone He reported the loss 10 @
49,: sn1-;,e. that the value of the Watch va