Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-13
CASINO BURNED.
New York's Famous Play
House in Ruins.
Goodness Of the Manager Pre-
vents a Panic.
Lillian RusseII's Company Has Scare
Loss Placed at $4,000.


Casino Theatre had occurred wv
hours later at the matinee perloi"i-
ance Of Lady TeaZie." with Llliidil
Russell in the title role, there W"ui'
almost surely have been anothe: tdie
10 relate than Of the property loss vi
$40 0u0 and the GOODNESS Of Stage Man.
ager Gerald Coventry, who threw hi'h-
self in front OF the panicky cioiu9
girls and forced them to descend inc
harrow stairs in cool, orderly anu
safe way. one young woman dld l"I
in her haste, ana was painfully put
not seriously injured. Lillian RuSSeii
was not taking part in the rehearsal
Ior was she in the theatre at the tlihe'
i,nt 4, persons were rehearsinS on tfe
stage. when the fire was dlscoFeie"'
Nearly all IF the scenery ana costumes
were saved.
As result Of the fire. the theatre
will be rcInnlclled and rebuilt on
plan tl.It Will be- made sale. 'eorse
i.yejf,.,I. trustee of the Bixby estate.
which owns the theatre, ana Lee Shu-
I..rt, one ui The leSSe"S. bntn Sild, SIT
uf,,ar. that in rebuilding the interior
such alterations will be made as VIII
remove tin. danger which mas hereto
tore. subjected TIE casino to criticism.
II Was 1905 o'clock saturday, when
the flames started in Il small room ON
the balcony floor. just back of the
seats. Gerald Coventry, stage maiIa-
ger, was conducting a rehearsal OF III"
IL adv TcaZit." company. which Is soon
to go ON the r0a'l with Lillian Russell
lie had Just dismissed the chorus, con
sisti,tg of about 20 me nand women,
ana was directing several of tn" prin-
,iual>; IN their roles, when smoke be-
gan to pour from the balcony. Harry
Goldberg. chief usher, had just entered
The theatre. and ran to the usher
rnnui ana then to the house cleaners
rom, where the flames We're located.
An odor of burning rubber indicated
that the fire WAS caused by crossed
electric wires with defective insula-
ton.
Goldberg used hand extinguisherS,
but was forced to flee and crying an
alarm h. ran down the several flights
Of winding stairs ana was joined by
T.. s. King. manager Of the theatre.
They hurried to the fire alarm box on
the corner. which was encased in ice
and had 10 be broken open by force.
Three alarms We're sent in ana the
fire engines. water tower and trucks
which responded soon flied broadway
and Thirty ninth street for several
blocks. around which gathered a ire
mrndoIlS throug of spectators
Meanwhile Mr.. Coventry, the stage
manager. bad promptly but cOolly in
formed the company that the rchear
sal was over ami toIh them to leave
the theatre by the stage entrance in
stead Of the main door ana 10 leave
their clothing. \ rush for the door
followed. but Coventry stopped it by
blocking the way and advising the
frantic chorus girls 10 take pleMty Of
time. In general the girls did. The
frantic rush was stopped anyway. one
Girl fell and Injured her leg. Another
gin VAS found partially overcome by
smoke in her dressing room after the
fire was well under way, but was re-
vfVcd ana taken out. The others
reached the street in safety. Lillian
Camille Wlen Shr found hers If in IL"
street in 4 short skirt. attempted to
return to the stage. She WAS almost
sulfnCated by smoke which filled the
auditorium She had to bc carried out
by u policeman.
Fifteen hundred seats had been sold
Cor the matinee. The exit Of an audi
ence composed in n large part of Wo-
men and children would have been
hampercd by The fact that the lowest
foor of the theatre is one story above
the street and that the main entrance
and exit is by Il winding staircase.
MEANWHILE the ;lSDeStoS curtain was
drawn down To protect the stage from
the flames. which ~ this time We're
leapns high from the balcony into the
rromenadeS Of the buffet floor above.
and higher still into the towers. lire
mon carried their hose up the fire es-
,aprs and many streams Of water werc
..oon turned upon the blaze. Fir"
Chief Croker took personal charge.
IF the fire had started two hours
later. when the matinee would have
hrcn in progress" he said. there would
he a different story to tell
Later Chief Croker said the damage
tn the theatre was about $50 600 the
interior willis about the balcony bein:,
all burned away and the buffet floor
above the balcony being completely
gutte". He says il will be necessary to
completely rebuild the interior of the
theatre.
Thousands of persons witnessed the
sprctaulIr blaze. When the flames
hurst from the windows of the upper
stories of the building and from the
towers, dwellers in the Auduhan apart
;rent house. on the opposite corner OF
Thirty-ninth street. became frighten-
ed and many of them fled from the
house.
In the Casino some of the most no
ted light opera productions have
achieved their first and greatest sue
cesses Erminie had its initial success
there with an all-star cast. including
Francis Wilson. Mark Smith. Pauline
Hall and Marie Jensen. and ran for two
years. 1t has been closely identified
with the successes of many of the
stars whose names are now familiar to
the patrons of light opera, including
I.liIgan Russell. Edna May. DeWoif
Hopper and jefferson DeAngelis.
rhe house was built by Rudolph