Year: 1876

derry. chad aeru ycry " during the night,
scarcely 10 ~ with the play, and
At this having ien the stage was prob
ably in his dressing room taxing smoke.


our idea in speaking to the audience was that some
OF them nigh, think IL 10 climb upon the stage
and get ont through the back door than to 20
through The front OF the house We cried
out 10 them continually. The front passage
Is clear; 60 back and you'll all be
saved when called out many brave women sat
down and that surely pulled the their places.
Ono in the front OF the orchestra got up and
said, you're risht Miss Claxton.' The musi-
cians acted noby. think they all sa,
still In their seats, because some
OF them looking at me, you know. The
In the end OF the orchestra looked at
mo the whole timc--hc was . trombone player,
think-he looked and gritted his teeth as he
turned survey the panic stricken audience At this
time all the scenery had sLrivelled into tnder II
canvas you know"


.srhe fire must have gained great headway about
this time" remarked to the reporter.


LIKE TRANSPORTATION SCENE.


The lady wrung her hands and compressed her lips
with absent look though she mentally
veying the terrible scene She replied, Tho beams
falling all sides OF We in
perfect rain OF nre. looked up turn
ing half around and bright blaze OF fire shoot
Ing out heads toward the audience. IL was
like transformation scene In spectacle, you know
Then caught Mr.. Murdoch by the arm and said to
him, Come, 1t is foolhardy to wait any longer; let
GO But no pulled away from me u dazcd sort
Of way and went toward his dressing room
which by that time almost burned He
must have actually rushed into the flames l made
my way rapidly down the little aigh: OF steps
which led from the stage tho level OF the dressing
and Knocked loudly at the door Of that
by Maude HARRISON who was picking up some OF her
wardrobe


WONDERFUL ESCAPE.


The back entrance by this time perfect hell OF
fire. Miss Harrison, my call, rushed from her
room and darred by into little subterranean pas
sage which led from the stage under tho floor tho
box ofnce In front OF the house. No such passage
exists in other theatres. 1t was designed BY Mrs
Conway when tho theatre was bul SO that she could
readily communicate with her treasurer. rapidly
followed Miss Harrison, and it seemed NJ nrc
swep. by tho draught almost licked the clothes
from our backs as entered the passage.
AS we fled through It remembered that It closed
the other end by door with spring lock. and
usually kept closed OF the ushers carrying the
key


TERRIBLE SUSPENSE


As reached the flight three four stops leading
up TO- the door my heart stood still, and
l hestatcd to try 1t. l thought, "My God.
suppose IL Is lockedl" Outside OF the door could
hear the roaring OF tho maddened multitude struggling
through the passage without We must really have
hesitated only lash, but It seemed to me that we
stood thcre for hours. The door fortunately was
open aud wo were In a second inside the box office.
With tho strength OF despair burst the door open
against tho struggling throng and in instant
In their midst


Miss Claxton illustrated with thrilling dramatic
effect the In which she pressed her way under
the arms and over the heads OF tho strong men who
struggled in her path 10 the entrance rhc impression
produced upon her by stepping over the dead bodice
great that she has not yet recovered IRON the
shock.


Miss Claxton made her way into tho station house,
adjoining the burning theatre clad only In the rags of
Louise. gentlemen there sent for carriage to tako
her home, but upon arrival It was devoted to the
use of two OF tho halt suTocated victims, who
were even then being carried out She then
threw over her the coat Of the gentleman, who
stranger to her. and accompanied by MIN ran rapidly
in her scanty garments TO her home, at tho Pierre
pont House. All of the adys wardrobe dsstroyed
but seemed to have thought OF that ihner sot
for the victims OF the calamity and their bsreaved
friends


Mss IDA vRRNoNs LOSSES


This lady, whose singuiarly gentle and feeling i'm
pcrsonaton OF Sister Genevieve has made that
ter Of tho most popular IN the 1.-TWO Orphans, !"
was happily drawn from the theatre by duty of love
at the moment when the conhagration turned it into
Of DEATH She had resided since the beginning
OF her present engagement in house johnson
street. quite to the theatre and thcre her leisure
has been occupied during the last low weeks rurs
ing her brother who is lying at tho point OF death.
The curtain fell upon tho prison OF La saltpcriero
shortly alter ten O'clock and shc had had time dor
tho costume Of the Mother Superior and reach
her abode before tho alarm OF lre rang
out. or course she hastened to the window,
but ouy in iimo TO the flames bursting from the
building in which her diamonds, her stage wardrobe
and her manuscripts were lett TO reporter who
conversed with hor Miss Vernon sad.- .-"I was OF
shocked at tho appearance Of the cona
and thought Of tho poor people who struggling
out, less than my own losses, hurried through my
mind. But II only for instant Ny poor
brother was lying dying In the room behind me, and
how him all thought Of have sat be
side his pillow whenever could be spared from The
theatre, and since Saturday had no sleep
While he was lying therc and likely to breathe his
last you well believe that l had no thought 10
spare the burning theatre although the little prop
erty had was being consumed in it."


Have you ary idea OF the amount Of the losses you
have sustained 2"


'Yes, suppose know the value Of my diamonds
They are all gone and they worth about 81. .0o0
Ny wardrobe Is burned and most of my private attire
This poor dress you about all have left
had my Queen and Woman costumes In the Theatre
too. They worth over 81 900, and they too are
destroyed But regret much as anything else tho
loss of my manuscripts, many of which unplaycd
parts, but all OF which lost"


You certainly havc reason to grievc" said the re-
porter


YES" said Miss Vernon, my losses arc great But
thanks be to God, he has removed the danger most
dreaded, Ny brother has survived that dreadful night
and he hope Is SAFE Under the troubles which this
unhappy event has brought upon that is consola-
ton for which am grateful"


MISS FANNY MoRAyT.


Miss Fanny Morant took the part OF the Countess do
Lniercs Until last Thursday she had appeared In the