The age-herald., 1901-01-23
CINCINNATI HAS
 OPERA HOUSE FIRE
By Presence of Mind a Catas-
 trophe Was Averted
CROWD DISPERSED ORDERL Y
E. H. Sothern's Company, Which Was Playing Hamlet, Lost $5o,ooo in Scenery and Costumes-Loss
 to Building is $20o,ooo.

Cincinnati O., January S.-The Grand Op- era House was destroyed by fire tonight | but, happily, fearful catastrophe was | averted. The play was Hamlet" by the E. H. Sothern Company, and the house was | packed by a brilliant audience. The first scene had been fiishned, and in the second Mir. Sothern acting the part of Hamlet, hao spoken but few lines, when a slight dis. turbance was observed in the orchestra seats, caused by slight issue of smoke An usher quietly asked the people to be seated, saying there was nothing wrong l MT. Sothern at this point stepped to the | front of the stage and also assured the l audience that everything was right. TC | further remove apprehension Mir Sotherr resumed his part but before he had spoken two lines the smoke issued in such volume that there was spontaneous movement of the people in it's vicinity.
 Without order suggestion advice, one of the most remarkable scenes ever witnessed in crowded audience took place. 1t was as if the whole situation had been revealed to every person in the house and without d single shout or anything else indicating d leader, the dispersal of the audience began and was carried out with as much order and composure as if no such tHiHS Us ire ndu ever D6tn hOHWU LII lle lower part of the house. the abundant pas sage to Vine street gave easy egress to the greater part of the adience. large number seated near the orchestra were as- sisted by the actors and actresses to mount the stage and to make their exit by the stage door on Longworth street.
 No Panic Occurr d.
 Nothing to indicate the. possibility of a panic occurred.
 hat fha frA rtar ta1 ir way from the furnace underneath the or chestra. It soon communicated to the stage and this fact accounts for the loss of the greater portion of the properties of the Sothern company Mr. Sothern estimates his loss at s50,030 His company was com pelled to reach the streets clad in their costumes and to lose the greater portion C. their personal effects. Fortunately the gallery and balconies which have the least commooious means of exits were not crowded and their occupants escaped with no serious accidents.
 Late tonight the upper part of the Vine street front was still burning. This DOT tion of the building was occupied by the Cincinnati gymnasium, which had a costly equipment. At the rear of the opera house, separated by an alley is the large Butler building The fire entered this at the upper stories and the roof and the two. upper floors of that building were practically de-
 
 engine house which adjons the Butler building was seriously damaged by the fire. ~ 9sIs.zn .s
 Tie LOSS is $2oo,ooo. t''5
 The building belongs to Mrs. Charles P. Taft, whose husband is the proprietor of the Times-Star. The loss is $2G3,000 with no insurance. Raiforth G Haulen, the lessees, say their loss of $40OO0 is covered by ilsarance.
 he principal losers in the Butler build ing are the American Engraving Compa- ny. Achert Gs Henckel Engraving Compa- ny, who occupy the upper floor; the Brun- CT Woolen Company on the next floor and $, Rosenthal, printers; Proctor x Collier. adv -,tis.ng Max Wocher G Son. surgical instruments; Ilsen & Company music pub Ishers Rauch X Goldsmith and s. Silver, optician. The loss to the greater number of these is from water. The lllsen~Music Company report q loss of $25,0G0. The loss on the others will probably reach $75,0O0 to $1Gc eco. There was insurance on the grand opera house building. All the per sons who were in the gymnasium escaped.