Year: 1876

experiences and the har-breadth escapes which they
had effected in the wild rush from the
upper gallery. From the scene of frantic
tumult described by witnesses, 1t Ii great
wonder that half the audience succeeded III escaping
uninJured. One very sef-possessed young man,
who had seat the fourth row from the orchestra
said that Just as Madame Frochdrd was descending
the fight of rickety stairs in the old house on
the Seine after locking Louise in the room, burning
iy fell upon the stage and blazed up ftfully. The
large audience arose as one person, and, panic
stricken, rushed in the widest confusion for the
doors He said that hardly had he fully realized
the nature of the calamity when the stage was de-
serted and every one around him was pressing
toward The entrance. 1t was like the rout
of an army, and each one Tor hlmsen
seemed to be the only thought OF nearly all In tne
struggling throng. II is pleasant to record nov"
ever that many instances of true manllness anu
courage were exhibited. This gentleman said that
before he had advanced ten feet lady immediately
in front of him tainted from fright and dropped
into his arms after that he knew hot
how he succeeded in reaching the street. III was
fierce fight for existence, and when he emergeu
from the binding smoke and the fierce heat OF 'he
tbeater into the fresh night air he found that he
still bore his fair burden. She was taken in charge
by watchful policeman and conveyed to the





Incidents such as these formed the staple of
conversation upon the street. and were rehearsed by
parrators to each new conner who wished to learn
the minutest details of the great fire.


A gentleman who in the thcater when the
first indication of the fire was apparent from the
front said that small burning corner OF the nys
dropped upon the stage and alarmed the audience.
Several Of the gentlement present eomprehended
that terrible disaster was threatening
and appreciated the fact that much might
be done by cOolness and presence of mind lhey
counseed everybody to be quiet until the real stare
Of tbe case could be asccrtained. The occupants of
the galleries had already taken the alarm and were
rust,iup out as rapidly as possible through both
the broad entrances upon Washington ana Johh-
son-sts Some Of the company ran from the stage
entrance down Theater-aey past the Past-Oihce
into Miyrtle-ave, and others sprang into the audi
forum and fed out to Westinghouse. In the pas
sagewavs the rush began and became so terrible that
for a few moments panic prevailed unchecked.


After the crowd got away the police gained access
TO the scene Some idea may he gained of the pres
sure Of the rushing crowd by the fact that the poco
found a large quantity of clothing OF every dcscrl-
ton that had been torn from people during the
struggle TO escape. Some had their boots stripped
from their feet ladies lost their mus, scaris col
lars. cuffs and bonnets gentlemen were deprived ot
hats canes and even their costs. The crowd was
hardly clear Of the blazing theaer before the flames
enveloped the whole interior of the building.


One man whose escape had been cut of appeared
at a window for a moment Stretched out ms arms "a
il entreating help and sprinGng into the air To
escape the flames that scorchcd him. fell with dnll
thud to the pavement below. He was taken up un-
conscious aud sent to the Long Island Hospital.


Police Capt. Smith ordered his men to take every
n In lao iDiu IN lp uplice
ton, and in the next two hours five were carried
there. Three were sent to the hospital and two
were taken home at their own request. The police
as well as many of the citizens who had witnessed
the progress of the fire hardly able To regard 1t
as possible that everybody could have got out of
the building. II is feared that the search Of the
ruins by day light may show that several persons
were suiiocated or burned to death


'Thc building was admirably constructed to meet
such an emergency" said one gentleman. There
can be no doubt that if nobody was caught In that


fire is due TO the ample means Of exit and the cool
ness of Miss Claxton and several gentlemen in the
audience. So far ~ known AZ present, more persons
were Injured by the panic created IN the passage
WAYS and the rush that followed than by any other
MEANS Ii this panic had been raised in the interior
Of the thcatcr many lives must have been lost and
many persons been seriously injured"


One Of the members of the company said that
when the fire started in the middle of the last act Of
the play Miss Claxton in the dress of bcggar GIRL
was in front going with the play az rapidly
as possible on account of the lateness OF the
hour. Tho majority Of the company were
IN the wings waiting for their cnrcs TO make
thcr appearance in front at the proper time. Some
body cried, Great layens, see there! That middle
is has caught from the gas jet" Everybody shrank
back and turned their faces toward the danger
dcatcd. voice cried, Keep cool and we shall
get away all right" As the flames leaped from fly
to hy, all being dry as tinder, the whole upper
portion of the stage part Of tho thoatcr
was filed with fire, it seemed in a moment.


Some members of the company started to get
their clothing, but more prudent person. who
preserved his presence of mind, stopped them at
the doors, and urged all to fly without delay.
Nobody saved anything, but all were glad TO escape
with their lives. A short time aftcrward Thcater
Alley was a mass Of flames cutting off all approach
TO the stage entrance The furniture, carpets and
other articles were quickly removed from DIcors
restaurant, which adjOins the thcatcT building,
but the flames did not gain much headwav in that
direction, and the loss is only by water. The Fire
Department labored hard and successfully 10 save
the buildings the other side of Johnson-st, oppo-
site the thcatcr. Five six of thine were
on fire at one time, their whole fronts blazing.
The building adjoining the theater on the same side
of JohnsOn-st. wa badly damaged and a large por-
ton of the furnita,c ,as destroyed ThiSbudng
was owned by three maiden ladies until about a
month ago. Then il sold by auction by j.
Johnson Of this city Tor $500 The present occu-
pants had been thorc only few weeks. The prop
erty was not insured.


STATEMENT BY WILLIAM c. KINGSLEY.
William G. Kingsley stated that this thcater was
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