DESTRUCTIVE AND FATAL FIRE AT SYDNEY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 53, 27 January 1872, Page 2

DESTRUCTIVE AND FATAL FIRE AT SYDNEY.

[From the Sydney Evening News, Jan 6.] It may be necessary to state for the information of those at a distance who do not happen to know the locality, that the Prince of Wales Theatre was one of the largest and most substantial buildings in Sydney. It was erected in 1861, on the spot of which, on the 3rd October, 1860, its predecessor had been destroyed by a similar calamity. The walls of the new theatre were of great thickness—three feet throughout, and were sixty feet high, and, when built, every precaution was taken to make the structure as free as possible from all liability of danger from fire. The building was surrounded on all sides by closely packed hotels, shops, and private houses, ranging from Messrs Hardy and Mitchell's baker's establishment and flour mills, in King street, round the corner, and into Castlereagh street, as far as Brougham place. This block included —almost in contact with the burning structure—about eighteen or twenty separate houses. From the great height of the burning building—towering far above all the surrounding houses, and burning with a fierceness that nothing could stop —it was at once seen that much danger to life as well as property existed, not only from fire but from the fact that the rending and tottering walls would inevitably soon fall and crush all within their reach.

Shortly after four o'clock the danger from the tottering walls became imminent.

The crowd was now fast increasing, and blocking up the thoroughfares round the theatre. In King street a great number of people had most carelessly placed themselves in the street and occupied the pathway on the south side, so that it was a mercy that numbers were not killed when the burning building fell. Shortly after the roof had fallen in, the southern wall began to show signs of bulging outwards, and loud cries of " Take care," "Keep clear," rancf through the air. The crowd at last became alarmed, and all began to get away as fast as possible, and in a few moments all but a few were out of danger, if we except the firemen, who true to their duty, continued to play upon the roofs of the adjoining houses. At last there was a cry, " It is falling," and in a few moments afterwards the great lofty wall toppled over with a tremendous crash, carrying with it in its downward course several houses on the north side of King street. Hundreds of tons of bricks and mortar, heavy joists, and other materials, fell in one mass on these houses, so that they all went down like a castle of cards.

At this juncture the excitement was great, for no one could tell how many persons might have been buried beneath the fallen mass. Suddenly there was an outcry for cabs, and one poor fellow was quickly placed in a cab and driven off to the Infirmary ; and soon after two other wounded men were pulled out and taken to the same place. Further particulars respecting these unfortunates will be lound in another part of this report. The danger to life ended with the falling of the south wall, although the fire was still raging furiously, and had now taken possession of the roof of Messrs Hardy & Mitchell's flour mills, which, together with the interior fittings of the theatre, served to increase the flames.

Great fears were now entertained that the fire would extend to the houses on the north side of the burning building, towards Brougham place and the apprehensions were soon realised. The buildings on this side of the burning theatre were densely crowded together, and from the fact that the terrified inhabitants when roused from their

slumbers were unable to do anything more than escape with their lives, their consternation and inability to save their property may be easily imagined. These houses were for the most part shingled, and, being very combustible, fell a rapid prey to the flames. The only wonder is- that only some seven or eight of them were burned. At one time it seemed as if nothing could prevent the total destruction of the whole.

From the testimony of all who were present when the fire occurred, or immediately afterwards, there seems good reason to believe that the conflagration originated in the property-room of the theatre. It appears that the wife of the watchman, Philip Le Gert, who sleeps under the property-room, was awoke by something falling from above ; her first impression was that it was a live goose, which had been used in the pantomime which had recently run so successfully, that was making the disturbance- She nevertheless rose and opened the door, when she experienced a smell as if chemicals were burning. She was proceeding to alarm her husband when a youth named Henry Petherick, who had been engaged selling pantomime books during the preceding evening, and who had been allowed to sleep under the stage, as it was too late for him to go home, ran in and told her the theatre was on fire. He had been awoke by the flames, and had not time, before escaping, to put on his boots. Mrs Le Gert ran up the gallery passage, crying out " the house is on fire." At this time Le Gert was in the front part of the theatre ; he took up a lamp and saw flames issuing from the property room. He then opened the gates, and jointly with his wife, who had awakened Mrs Hoare, who keeps a fruit shop in Castlereagh street, alarmed the neighbors.

None of the men connected with the Volunteer Companies or Fire Brigade have, we believe, sustained an injury ; but we regret to say that four men were taken to the Infirmary, more or less injured, viz : —Mr Coates, earthenware dealer, South Head Road, about twentyeight years of age, fatally wounded. 'He had been engaged during the fire on the private engine of Messrs Fanning, Griffiths & Co. Henry Vaughan (son of Mr Vaughan, hair dresser, of Pitt-st), about twenty-one years of age. He was assisting at one of the engines; dangerously wounded. Charles Toss, of Castlereagh street, aged eighteen, also dangerously wounded, having a cut across the forehead. Michael Murray, of 19 Brougham street, slightly burnt. At about half-past twelve to-day the house surgeon of the Infirmary informed us that the unfortunate Mr Coates was dead. The melancholy report created great sympathy throughout the city. Mr J. J. Bartlett, co-lessee of Mr Dind, was called, and went down to the fire. When he arrived he found the large doors leading to the dress-circle burning. He rushed into the office and saved a valuable quantity of books, papers, and agreements, but as there were few people about could not obtain assistance. It is stated that the wardrobe of the lessees was worth £2500. One hundred and twenty people have been suddenly thrown out of the means of earning their living by this catastrophe, and many of them have lost their all. The principal losers are Messrs Holloway, Rainford, Charles Young, I-lasker, Simms, M'Kellar, Power, Misses Carey, Dixon, and M'Keown. Messrs Holloway and Rainford had valuable property, not at present in use, which cannot be replaced, and Mr Bartlett lost a valuable collection of autograph letters from Walter Montgomery, Charles Matthews, and other celebrities. Mr W. J. Wilson lost all his sketches, and Mr Eenne his panorama of the European war, and other mechanical apparatus that was worth about £BOO. Mr Walter Rice, leader of the ochestra, lost £l5O worth of music, and as there was to be an afternoon performance of the pantomime, the members had all left their instruments behind them, and they were consequently destroyed. The total losses of the orchestral performers are estimated at about £230. Mr Drind was not insured for a penny. The building itself is the property of the family of the late Robert Fitzgerald, Esq, and is considered to be worth £IB,OOO or £19,000. It was wholly uninsured. Several other buildings were destroyed by the fire.