WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FIRE.

Evening Star, Issue 10339, 12 June 1897, Page 2

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FIRE.

Constables Findlay and Connelly, looking up High Btreet at 1.40 this morning, saw a reflection of fire in the pit exit of tho Princess's Theatre, and, running up, they saw smoke oozing from cracks and heard an explosion inside. Constable Broberg, joining the party almost at once, prooeeded to give the alarm, and on returning he and Constable M'Kenzie assisted their companions to break the door. For a few minutes they had a tough job to fight down the fire with their capes, for the fumes arising fiom certain chemicals were very strong, but the policemen stuck to their task, and, though feeling ill from tho stench, they had the fire pietty well beaten out when Captain Mitchell and the Fire Brigade men came on the scene and settled the matter with water from a handpump. There was practically no damage beyond the breaking of the door. We are unable to learn how the fire originated. Some of the workmen belonging to Mr Rignold's company had been occupied duriog the day in packing and removing ec?nery to be sent on after the oompany ; but they were all away when Mr T. Glaiiter, the caretaker, looked up at 4.30 p.m. Mr hal been engaged during the afternoon in grinding potash and sulphur ai the basis of a preparation for colored fires to be used at the forthcoming celebrations, and the presumption at first was that this stuff, which Mr QlaUter had left in a jar on a bench, where the fire evidently originated, had exploded and caused the trouble. Mr Glaister states, however, that the potash and sulphur mixture will not burn by itself, and he tested some of the stuff with a match in the presence of our reporter. It was Mr Glaister's practice to grind the potash and sulphur in the theatre, and then take the mixture to an open space in his garden and there put in the two chemicals that make the preparation combustible. Another curious fact is that, whereas Mr Glaister left the jar oa a .bench, the firemen found it on the floor, and, though tho jar had burst, the pieces were lying olose around, and there was no fire on the floor. It is suggested that possibly a smoker about the place during the dav may have thrown down a match, which caused tome bits of paper and raj;s to smoulder, and that the heat thus engendered caused the explosion. The subject is one on which no on; cm pretend to speak with ceitainty. The one consolation is that no damage was done, and it is also assuring to learn from Captain Mitchell that he is confident he could have kept the fire, even if it had got a firm hold, to the High street front, which is cut off from the auditorium, excepting for the one exit door, by a stout briok and stone wall. The burning down of the theatre would hivp meant a heavy loss to the proprietor, for the insurance was reduced by £I.OOO when the rates were raised, and Messrs Mason and Roberts, tenants of part of the front premises, are absolutely uninsured. Captain Mitchell's assurance however, goes far to remove from one's mind the fear of such a disaster. .