New-York tribune., 1905-02-12
THE CASINO BURNED OUT.
Continued from first page.

blaze, yelling "Ffrei F1reP' at the TOP Oh MS
voice. Earl King manager of the house, hear
ing this alarm. came running up with second
fire extinguisher. Their efforts did no good,
however. and Goldberg ran to the fire alarm
box at Broadway and 39th-st. This, appar-
emily, was frozen shut. and Goldberg wrestled
with it in vain, until Patrolman Brady with
vigorous arms wrenched it open and sent in the
alarm.
Fire engines dashed up Broadway in few
minutes. followed by Chief Croker in his red
automobile. A second alarm had been sent in.
and when Chief Croker saw the fire and cast
one glance at the other theatres and hotels
near by he sent in the third alarm.
Broadway and the side streets were almost
choked by the engines and trucks which re-
sponded. Lines Of hose from all quarters were
turned toward the burning theatre. At first
great difficulty experienced from the burst
ing of hose, the water apparently freezing and
choking the hose until it could stand no more
pressure. 1t was necessary to fight the fire from
the inside. Firemen, rubber booted and hated,
clung at every landing of the zigzag fire es-
capes which Chamber over the Broadway side of
the old playhouse pouring streams of water
through each window. Through the corner cafe
hose lines were run, and through the various en-
frances of the theatre the firemen rushed hose
lines, whose streams were turned on the stub
bornly burning balcony and gallery.
The inside of the theatre was filed with smoke,
which apparently could find exit, it
swirled and eddied around the roof of the audi
torium The pail became so dense that Chief
Croker ordered the engineer of the building to
turn every electric light in the place, that the
fire fighters might see what they were doing.
Under the flood of water they poured on the
fire the blaze soon yielded. and in about an
hour Chief Croker declared the place out
of danger and the fire practically out. Much
damage had been done, however, to the orches-
ira floor. The place almost knee deep in
water which poured down the side walls and
dripped disconsolately from the roof. The fire
men had uprooted seats and torn down hangings
in fighting the blaze. The men Of the fire patrol
spread tarpaulins over almost everything in
sight
j. Hatfield Morton occupies the ground floor
of the Casino Building an auction room.
There ne keeps pictures and antique furniture.
Much of his stock was damaged In the Casino
cafe there was one of his pictures valued at
$1,000. which he had lent to the proprietor.
This Jake Wolff saved, with the original pct-
ure of Lillian Russell in tights. and some other
pictures.
It was when the f1remen began to withdraw
the hose that most of the trouble for the man
agennent and the police arrived. Patrons of the
theatre who held tickets for the afternoon per-
formance pushed their way through the police
lines and demanded to know when and where
they were to get their money back. One woman
narrowly escaped being struck by a large sec
ton of plaster which fell from tho water soaked
ceiling. The chorus girls. who had gone out of
the building at the first alarm came back to
get their dresses, and for most of the afternoon
there line Of them at the stage entrance,
whence they would come, each with small
pasteboard box under her arm. just about large
enough for pair of tights and slippers.
THE COMPANY TO GET A REST
Lee Shubert, after consultation with Chief
Croker. estimated the damage at $3.50 The
Lady Teazle" company intact. and all it's
property had been saved, he said so the fire
merely meant that the company would lay off
for week. 1t would probably be two or three
weeks before the theatre was usable again; he
didn't know how much repairs would be neces-
sary. His brother Sam had just landed in
Europe. he said. Word OF the fire had been
sent to him.
Later the following statement was given out
by Shubert Brothers.
Owing to the fact that the Casino is and
IT is ossbe 81 I to ae CO e6rTeey re Frs or pe
proXmately the damage done to the building or
Of dy r e Sa IN e re
be said positively when the house will be opened
From what can be gathered of the damage done
Lillian Russell win open her road season at Troy,
he n II os Gn s2na 20 The vii then go TO
Te % S ev made "a gef before - the fire Miss Rus
The Casino is the property of the Bixby estate.
till Tuesday. and shall then be better able to
say what alterations will be made in the theatre
Persons @ holding M tickets for seats for any per-
for tickets for the Lyric Princess Theatre at
the box offices of those houses, return OF the
money may be had at either OF those houses
SAVED MISS RUSsELLs GOWNS
Miss Lillian Russell after the fire said she con-
sidered that she and her company had more
to be thankful than sorry for that the fire had
done them no more harm than it did Her own |
personal effects and her costumes which she
valued at $4,000 saved. She told the fol-
lowing story of their rescue: Miss Lillian
Spencer, a young actress who will be a mem
ber of one Of the road companies which will
produce Lady Teazle," saved the costumes
Miss Russell said. Miss Russell first met Miss
Spencer in 1892, when the latter was only a
child, and took a part in La Cigale." which
Miss Russell was then producing at the Garden
Theatre. Miss Spencer was befriended by Miss
Russell. and the child, now grown to a Young
woman, remembered her kindness, although
they had not played in the same company
since When Miss Spencer, In her own panic
and flight from the Casino. passed the door OF
Miss Russell's dressing room and realized that
the costumes were in danger she gathered the
costly dresses in her arms and ran with them
making several trips to a place near by where
they could be safely left Thus all the Costumes
of the star were saved.
Thomas Shea. of the Empire Theatre safd:
/ don't think it would have been a repetition OF
the Chicago Iroquois fire, because that served to
audience today would have osty been Of tnsd the
! think they would have kept cool, and the loss of
l am thankful, as IS every manager in Broadway