Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1904-04-28
TRAPPED IN FLAMES
STCST OF AMERICAS FIRST GREAT
THEATER HOLOCAUST.

Thc Burning of the RicEInond Play
house In 1911, Wherein Two Hum
dred Lives Were Lost In "A Fright
full Struggle to Escape the MercI-
less Rush of Fire
The following graphic description of
the first great theater disaster in this
country is taken from a volume of adj
dresses to children and youth, as the
title page has it, by the Rev. Robert
May, an English clergyman, who visit
ed in America from December, 1910,
to early in the spring of 1872. when he
left for India. He made the burning
of the Richmond theater, where 200
lives were lost, the occasion for q
strong TRADE against the evils of the
theater and besought his hearers 10
"shun the theater; avoid the Eaunts Of
Satan, the destroyer of your souls;
seek for real pleasure; do not pursue
the phantom of imaginary happiness"
The clergy all through the country took
up the cry, and for years the destruc-
ton of the theater was proclaimed
from many pulpits as the direct act of
God, intended as an example TO those
who persisted in the sin of theater go
ing.
'The fire took place on the night of
the Goth of December, 1911. The thea
ter which was built entirely of wood
and otherwise badly constructed, stood
upon the brow of Shockhoe hill and up
on the very spot which is now the site
Of what is called the Monumental
church. On this night particularly n
new play and pantomime had been got
up, and a large and brilliant crowd OF
gentlemen and ladies, of the very 1ow-
er OF the population, embracing the
newly elected governor OF the common
wealth and many citizens of wealth
and fashion, were assembled at an ear
ly hour to enjoy the entertainments Of
the evening.
at was truly brilliant display, and
for some time all went on gayly and
happily enough. The play was over
the first act of the pantomime had
passed blythe second and last was
now begun-and all eyes were intenty
fixed upon the actor who had come
forward on the stage toward the lights
and was moving to the music OF the
orchestra, when suddenly a busting
noise was heard FROM behind the
scenes toward the rear Of the building
This, il seems, was occasloned by the
fact that Il servant who had been or
dered to hoist up chandelier in doing
so had got the rope entangled and,
jerking to clear it, had swung it
against one of the painted scenes,
which instantly caught fire and sent
up sheet of flame to the roof. This
was not plastered, but, consisting only
OF rafters covered with light pine
boards and shingles, very dry, it kin
died at once, and the actors, with their
assistants, were trying 70 tear down
the scenes to put out the fire. This
movement, however, was not immedi-
ately seen by the spectators, being hid
den from their view by the interposinS
scene, and they were still watching the
progress Of the piece when they saw a
shower of sparks and burning matter
fall upon the actor before them. AT
this some were startled. while others
apparently thought that it might be
only a part Of the show. 4 moment
afterward some one exclaimed, There
IL no danger and only forced the
sense OF It more strongly upon their
fears when one of the performers
rushed forward to the front OF the
stage and cried, The house is on fire.
pointing at the same time 20 the cell
Ing, where the fire was now seen run
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