Fatal Fire at a Theatre.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 158, 26 June 1886, Page 4

Fatal Fire at a Theatre.

The Grand Theatie at Derby «as totally destroyed by fire on the mght'of May (Jrh, just btfoiS tht; timoat which a p.iformancj was to be «ivtn by Mr Ed waul Teiry and his company Th-s fho is said to have originated m a iras explosion at the back, of the ot^e, iv -« to me -f'i'.re ,io_»r, and a larce quantity of gi-* being itrmred the flames nz oucv shot to the loof and to -k hold of the fcceuory. The piopiktor, Mr Melville, u;id eeveral of his assistants were on the stage, and about a seoie of per=ona had already entered the theatrd to nitneeS the performance They had no difhjulty in getting away, and those on the stage also made tneir ctCue without injury. The ho-e belonging to the theatre vis attached to a hydrant; in hunt of the gallery door ; but &d great a hold had the flames taken of the structure that when the brigade an ived it \\as evident that the destruction of the buildiner was inevitable. As a lesult, the wh-le ot the interior, &a\e a few room', wa= dertroyed. A fow* mmi were inj ired, and ono of them, named Allen, died hat night in the infirmary. Air J. W. Adams, a young comedian, vas suffocated in his dressing room. Other soembers of the company had .some difficulty in escaping. Mr Teiry'fc company have lost all their dresses and properties.