The Indianapolis times., 1935-07-25
100000 FIRE SWEEPS THEATER;;
INCENDIARY, ASSERT CITY PROBERS
Movie House Ripped Apart
by Explosion: InveSti-
cation On.
8 COMPANIES AT BLAZE
Many Neighboring Buildings
on South Side Are
Damaged.

intensive arson investigation
following discovery of un-
burned oil in the smoldering
ruins of the Roosevelt Thea
ter, 1431 S. Meridian-St,
which was totally destroyed
by a terrific explosion and
spectacular fire that imperiled
scores of sleeping persons at
4:30 this morning.
Fire Chief Fred c. Kennedy di-
rected Bernard Lynch fire preven-
ton head, to fix responsibility for
the destruction of the building. Chief
Lynch asserted he found abundant
evidence of incendiarism.
Prosecutor Herbert M. Spencer
ordered Edward Brennan, assistant
prosecutor, TO assist in the inquiry,
and Gordon Sherer. representing the
Indiana Fire Marshals office,
! launched an independent probe.
Chief Lynch reported he had
found oil on top of the pools Of
water inside the wrecked theater,
after nine fire companies battled for
hours to prevent spread of the
flames to adjoining wooden dwell
lings.
Started in Center of Building
Chief Lynch said the blaze ap-
peared to have started in the center
of the theater auditorium. The oil
was sent to the city chemist for
analysis, and Detective Chief Fred
Simon assigned detectives to aid
in the investigation.
Belief that the explosion and fire
we're of incendiary origin was
strengthened, Chief Lynch declared.
when neighboring residents re-
ported the entire building appeared
to be enveloped in flames an in
slant after the explosion had top
pied rear walls.
The structure was Of slow-burn-
ing construction, the fire prevention
head declared, and unless the in
terror had been oil soaked the blaze
could not have spread as rapidly as
it did.
Rear doors to the theater, which a
caretaker claimed had been locked
were found unlocked by Chief
Lynch during his investigation.
Two Walls Cave In
Flames shot 80 feet into the air.
Bricks and concrete blocks erupted
as from a volcano before the blaze
was brought under control after
causing 100000 damage. No serious
injuries were reported.
Two pipe organs in the theater
were twisted into a mass of tangled
metal by the blast.
Side and rear walls of the theater
caved in on the 1900 seats of the
neighborhood movie house.
When f1remen brought the fire
under control and quieted panic
stricken .neighborhood that had left
the theater only a few hours be-
fore, after watching the dancing
girls of George Whites Scandals of
1885. only the shows lobby, with
its announcement of "Clive of India
To-day" was left standing
Battalion Chief Harvey Kepple
stopped en- route to the fire to sound
a second alarm as flames from the
burning theater and nearby homes
licked adjoining wooden dwellings.
A drizzling rain made the twisted
debris of the ruined theater a dam
ger for fremen as they battled the
flames.
Sends Second Alarm
Approximately $50 feet of the
theater structure was torn into bits
of stone, cement and metal by the
force of the explosion
Residences on Charles-st-at the
rear of the theater-felt the brunt
of the blast as the explosion shat
tered the rear walls, lifted the roof
like a cardboard box and the whole
of the theater's auditorium, screen,
and stage crashed into the founda-
ton
Walls were blown into the street.
Bricks and concrete were hurled
into front yards, and on to nearby
porches.
The theater lobby, a f1ve-room
apartment on the second floor and
two storerooms, facing Meridian-st.
were the only sections Of the stEuc-
ture left u1damaged
Oddly the residents Of the apart
ment above the theater's lobby were
not awakened by the explosion.
Rooms Not Damaged
John T. Johns, 81, of 1885, s.
Meridian-st. and his wife and two
daughters, who lived in the theater
building apartment, heard the fall
ing walls and smelled smoke but
we're not awakened by the explo-
sion. They hurried from their
apartment. The rooms were not
damaged.
The theatsr building was erected
in 1923. Jacob Friedman, the owner,
operated the theater until two weeks
ago when company took over the
lease.
William Passen. 5255 N. New Jer-
sey-st. theater manager. formerly Of
Seymour. said attaches Of the the
ate- inspected the building carefully
after the last show at II last night.
Mr.. Passon declared the theater
had had no labor trouble and that
union employees had been aired by
the theater at all times.