Putnam patriot., 1921-05-13
FIRE THREATENS BRADLEY THEATRE Blaze of Unknown Origin Starts In Corner Near Dressing
 Rooms Firemen Make Hard Fight To Conhne
 Blaze to Back Stage

\ fire of unknown origin. which started in corner by stairway near the dressing rooms under the stage of the Bradley Theatre. shortly after II o'clock, Tuesday night, caused dam age of several thousand dollars. ai- though nearly all of the loss is to the stage and properties. The greatest damage in front of the stage is to the valuable organ installed by the man. agement some months ago.
 The fact that the house is equipped with automatic fire doors and an auto matic asbestos curtain was probably all that saved a disasterous fire. for by the time the department reached the scene the flames had eaten their way from the dressing rooms below to the stage above where the light seen cry and stage settings burned fiercely. When the heat in the dressing room section became sufficient to melt the leads that release the fire doors, they closed automatically. thus keeping the flames from spreading to the cellar under the auditorium The ropes of the asbestos curtain having burned. this drop came down Held in place by wires. it protected the front of the house
 The flames did reach out over the footlights. however. and the piano ap- peared to be total loss and the organ was badly charred, although apparent ly not beyond rerair The edge of the box at the right of the stage was also slightly charred There was lit tie damage out front by water. The fire officials watched closely and pre- vented a deluge of water being shot into the orchestra section, and only when absolutely necessary was a stream directed in front of the as- beztos curtain.
 All of the scenery was destroyed, including the drops It will probably be necessary to lay q new floor for the stage, and below stairs repairs will be necessary. The owner of the building is R. H. Bradley, while David Smith < Son are lessees of the theatre. Both are fully covered by insurance. It seems that several yoaag men saw the smoke from the building at about the same time. Earle Hughes, who was on his way home, saw the smoke and pulled The alarm from box 4l at Bugbee corner. This box in the center of the busiBess section always brings cut a crowd. and soon many people gathered Tine fire however, was not spectacular The iremeH ar rived promptly md very soon hld the blaze under control although it Wa necessary te watch the premises all night
 Hy5e Smiti wFs spending the week n Sp1agieid tts father called him ca the telephone and he arrived home early "Wednesday morning. Neither cf the firm casei to estimate the lass. but it Twill probably ran into several thousand doliar,.
 Aceerline To Nll Smith the theatre was locked fol the night as soon as til. picture. Douslas Fairbanks i "The Nut" had been run of This Vas about e.30, o- aeaEiS teo hauas before tae Gfa bs5ae 5ut% Il has been stated ia the pres that the theatre was uot locked for the night until i0.30 bat this Mn Smith says is not so. He also says that ne one was allowed Co hang about the building or 10 use the dress irrg rooms or any other part of the theatre as a lounging place. If there was any such thing going on about the theatre. which Mir. Smith says is not true, it was not with the knowl- edge or consent of the lessees.
 As the blaze started near the elee- tric light switches. Mir Smith inclines to the defective wiring theory, al- though, like all others. he has no real knowledge. nothing but a theory based on the facts as found after the fire. When the insurance adjusters make their examination their experts may discover something that will make the origin of the fire more eer- tain. but in all probability it will al ways remain 8 mystery.