The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-31
5The Richmond Theatre.

. : EEr ~ = q VI.
Ninety-two years ago when Chicago
had been q settlement for only eight
Z, ears and was then no more than q
trading station for Indians and frontiers
men, Rfchmcnd passed through her great
theatre calamity
The Richmond Theatre. which stood
unun the site OF the Monumental Church.
was burned on the night Of December 26.
&lS1l AS 1t was In tho Christmas holidays
and as tho performance was for the benc-
fit OF Mr.. Placide. one Of the most popu-
lar actors or tho company. the theatre.
q piain barn-like structure. was packed
10 tho doors by an audience which rep
resented The wealth and fashion Of tho
city.
drcd people. The playhouse was itself
a firc.trap. with one door. Tho Bleed
Ing Nun" was on the boards. and was
almost concluded. when Mr.. Robertson.
one of the actors, rushed to tho front
OF the stage and shouted:
"rha theatre Is on tir"p
At that instant sparks were seen TO
fly across tho stage The audience rose.
as enc man. and terrified and scream
Ing. started In Il mad rush for the door
and the wIEuows, The narrow door was
soon jammed. Women were knocked
down orr tainted. AL who fell wore
lrampled upon, and few were rescued.
Navy Jumped from windows and not
fcw who took this risk escaped. In help
Ing many women TO escape IRON inc
windows one of tho physicians OF Rich
nlond and u slave. a powerful man. dld
splendid e,vlce. The physician lot the
women down Is far as possible and tho
l,rawny man Beneath caught tlcm ~
u,,I,,per OF lives were saved In this way.
One gentleman relates seeing u lady
lump from q window. Upon looking for
Icr afterwards, her charred body lay
where she mad fallen. She had been
rendered unconscious by the fall, and
was burned before any one In the great
excitement and panic took note or her |
In the terrible struggle for the door
and windows, following the alarm or tire'
husbands were separated from wives
parents fron children, Marry persisted
because when they found themselves SAFE
they thought or loved ones whom they
could not find outside, and deliberately
and bravely went back into tho flame
warped structure to look for them. The
alarm Of fire naturally spread very
rapidly over the city, and every one or
the ten thousand people OF the CITY VINO
could possible do SO came 10 the scene,
1ho sight was horrible. Hardly was
there a. family in the city which had not
lost member or a connection All inc
living had lost friends and Lifetime ac-
n
iQllairtances
Deatl, came to tho high and the !owly
without dlsc, limitations lion. GEORGE w.
Smith, Governor OF Virginia, was among
those who persisted. Another widely
known man, who lost his life, was Hon,
iIe,ljamin Botts, an able lawyer, who
hsu defended Aaron Burr whe'l inc
former vice president was tried In Rich
nlond before Chief Justice Marshall four
years before for high treason AGAINST the
Gifted States. MIR. Bolts was tho father
NJ John Minor Bolts, q member OF con-
gress from this district. who served On
the grand jury In Norfolk which indicted
jefferson Davis tor treason. ana VINO IN
1ss5 IS described by Mordecai az the
.consplcuous politician" Some Of the
famous beauties of the city perlshed W
this fire.
The city was shocked through and
through, The reaction set IN AGAINST
theatres, and for four Or five years no one
had the heart to enter theatre, and
no company could produce play with
profit. A stock COMPANY was formed and
the Monumental Church was built upon
the sight Of the theatre, being completed
In 1911. The ashes and meagre remalns
Of those who persisted In the fire three
years before were put IN the great stoEs
urn to be seen now inithe yestlbule of
the church, and the names Of those VINO