A SYDNEY THEATRE DESTROYED.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11231, 24 March 1902, Page 5

A SYDNEY THEATRE DESTROYED.

"HER MAJESTTS" GUTTED BY FIRE.

ONE LIFE LOST.

THREE FIREMEN INJURED

United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright. (Received March 23rd, 4.53 p.m.)

SYDNEY, March 25. Her Majesty's Theatre has been completely destroyed by fire.

Excepting the Pitt street frontage, consisting of the vestibule and Her Majesty's and George Hotels, flanking each corner, the theatre is a complete wreck. The whole body of the building is gutted from end to end, only the bare walls standing.

A sad fatality occurred in connection with the fire. A young woman named Bella Pye, employed in one of the shops running behind the theatre in _3arket street, escaped, but returning to warn the other inmates, >or to recover some of her property, she was buried under a mass of debris which fell from the theatre.

The caretaker discovered the outbreak shortly after six o'clock this morning, about an hour after the cleaners, whose, duties included _the fumigation of a portion of the building, had left. The flames had then obtained a good hold. The caretaker warned the inmates of the two hotels in front, and of the adjoining shops in Market and Pitt streets, who made a hurried exit, many being very lightly clad.

The fire spread with .tremendous rapidity, and afforded a magnificent spectacle, lighting up the city tfor miles. Sparks and brands were carried long distances.

By the time the brigades arrived on the scene the interior of t_e theatre was well ablaze. The flames, fed by the vast mass of scenery, theatre properties, and other inflammable material, swept from end to end in an incredibly short time. From tfhe outset there was no chance of saving the theatre, and the firemen confined their efforts chiefly to preventing the gutting of her Maj_sy's and the George Hotels, and the shops along Maaket street. They were assisted by the towering walls efjong the lane on the Pitt street side of the rear of the theatre, and were to a great extent successful. The portion of Her Majesty's Hotel a-oag Market street was damaged byfire, but the brigad, managed to keep it from spreading through the -front part to Pitt street. The damage by water, however, as well as in the George Hotel and in several shops in Mai-ket street, will be serious. ,

Three firemen were injured through falling -thronigh the roof, while working a hose, one of them, Gray, somewhat seriously.

Mr J. C. WOliamson, the lessee of Her Majesty's, loses very heavily. He has been most unfortunate over the drama "Ben Hur." Just after its first production, a few weeks ago, the theatre was closed on account of the outbreak of plague, resulting in considerable financial loss. Now the whole of the properties and machinery of this very expensively staged play have been completely destroyed. :

The members of the -tSompany also suffer considerably.

'Received March 24th, 1.7 a.m.) SYDNEY, March 23. It as a strange coi_cddl_nce that the theatre should have * been diestroyed oq Palm Sunday, for the last -scene of "Ben Huri". the piece that has been played at the theatre, is Palm Sunday on Mount Olivet.

Mr Williamson was not insured. The cost of staging the piece was £6000. The season, as far as Australia ia concerned., is thus terminated, as it would', take a year to replace all the properties, many of wfhkh had ; been imported. It •is estimated that Mr Williamson will lose quite £15,000 through being, deprived of the use of tlho theatre.

The building, including the hotel, was insured for -£118,000. The Sun office holds the prime risk of £10,000 i which, is distributed among a number of offices, including the New Zealand, South British, and National. The balance of £8000 is covered by a private insurance fund-

The origin of the fire is a mystery. It was in no way connected with the fumiga-

tion proceia,