A TERRIBLE DISASTER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 8, 9 January 1877, Page 4

A TERRIBLE DISASTER.

■■ ! B.opklyft Theatre, New Xork, was hurnpa; ori; the sth December. The fire broke out during the performance of the last scene, and in five' minutes mbre" the -audience would have been dismissed. The house was abbut tWothirds fille-i, those^ below sitting well forward towards tbe stage. The fire originated on'the at age, and spread with lightning rapidity, and the confusion among the audience was terrible. Qqq of the actresses .. came to the front of > the stage and said: " A small accident has occurred, bnt .don't be alarmed; only a^pipce of tbfe flies is on fire;" On this mention of fire the audience rose to iheir feet and made a wild rush for the doors. The smoke became suffo-cjtii-g, and women fell fainting in the aisles and were trampled over. Numbers jumped out of the windows and were severely injured. A youog man wtTO jumped oiit of the window says another man was with him arid got to the' window, and while holding ou with his hands became overpowered by the rtboke arid fell backhand must, have been consumed by the flames. Dresßeß weirriorri '"from the ladies while ' lying in the aisles, and on tbe sidewalk outside. A large pile of dr esses, so torn from their backs, and picked up by the police, were in tbe Police Station next to the theatre. All the company got out except a flyman, named Cumberson, who was badly burned and threw him- " self .out of -.the window. He will die. An actornamed Murdoch has not been

seen in Brooklyn since the fire. It is feared that he was burned to death, ror those in the family circle, dress circle, and galleries, there was no way of escape except by Washington-street. The panic-stricken people rushed pell nagil toward* and down .the s^airways.lhe main exit j>f>cam^ immediatt^j choked vp K and ca scene of terror con-" fusion and distress ensued, which Ipeggars desctjiptl([)ni^ /r3"u6T^ above the lauding pladef !6tf itie B^air lw:i^ f -'a woman (d tb&scr^ffhW^e?-footi-ktft).kgdKb^-(W-tfoita£ .bfefini^ters; and* ' * Mh& crowd b,ei-ind, forced, forward'by terrified people stil^further,behind,fell over ? er aD^RJ.#.Pft Itopltop of ,eacb ftti\eirifour pr five deep. ..Jibe,, police from the Station house nestdoor were promptly t the seen., b\it owing to lhe manner n which the'^-opi^'^brd F'pil^d on top j)f encsh* olhiiir^nd T^alfaed tpggtjbrer Jh.ay puld estrac^.iQoa) paraUveiy E fjaw, and these: were all bruised, 'bieeding, and juaimed. The firemen got to work on the ruins, and shortly after daylight ibi-saorufog they saccead.d in getting fis far as the wall of the dress circle, Where they found a great number of bodies, and immediately began the work •of.:.removal. .-, r..:, -,■:,;.- ........... Trif.,.....H ! the orfgin'of..tjjje fire',.wras'''tntii "thei jirpp .waft ignited i^'poi. the border.. lig»fcrt^, guarded from ■ the other. .-Tp.ei stage parpenter, Weaver, i;;a^d< ■♦ two.r supejrr endeavored to ,e_ttingiiJßh.the-;games, \ but the.-difflpjaltV; ,waa to reach-the ..*p«r.<; on iire;: jThe stage carpeuter, 1 with jthe supernumeraries, attempted to'eS-Ct their obj-Ct by lowering the drop; aigid, 1 in ','dofng;'- 6fo,:added*fbeli'toHh^-iariahtti' * j Wagoh'JdSds.©? rough bbkes: a'rear-. riving in frontf br the .iheki^and^ 'corpses'-ar^ pu^' in them and .'jcplvisre'd 7 and carried tp ihe morgue, ... .T_»e a'cen^grpwjL » mj?.f'jq^.rv%, '.every j.^in.-^te.' |M veh and women are crpwding-i rp'un-i j tb .ft • SRttohgupe^and,theatre entranct?, |makiog inquiries for!missing;,friends. .The bodies present every ioroi of contor-i ;tion. Arms and : l_gß"'are bent and 'twisted iofeveiy Way, hands 1 gre^QachadJ and reach oot as if-grasping for help. j. Brooklytiy^p.__;^Ohe*_..iacfred and jseventy-five bodies "Have beea taken from the ruiffi?l^-.-! WeEfirk The puins ari still burning, rnaki-g the work ,of removing the-bodies-very difficu If. jFlaig^ are at half-mast throughout the city. The theatres are draped in 'mourning. j -New-Yorlr,-S;3(>Twn;—Twohuudred fifty bodies have been removed up 0 this hour.