THE EXETER FIRE.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 57, 22 October 1887, Page 3

THE EXETER FIRE.

DETAILS OF THE DREADFUL AFFAIR. i Descriptive account. TERRIBLE AND SICKENING RESULTS. Tn following later detail* of the above came by the lost mail The Opera Comique fire had a parallel on September 5 at Exeter, Devonshire, io the burning; with great lore of life, of the new and large theatre there, opened for its second Season only two weeks before, Sims' popular play “ Romney Bye " wae under performance, ihd the pit and gallery were packed with auditors. The pieee proceeded all right till near the end of the third act, about half-past ten o’clock, when, as one of the characters was finishing his lines, a drop scene suddenly tell in front of him. MttSOVS LAVGHTBS. there wal some laughter ia the house at this, as it wae thought to be a stage blunder. In a moment, however, the scene bulged in the centre, and a great flame shot out. It w«s then seen that the whole stage was a mess M firs, and there was a wild panic instantly. The occupants of the stalls, pit, and drees cirole got away after a good deal of crushing and fighting. Many, especially ladies, were severely bruised and carried away in a faint-

ing condition. The actors and actresses were nearly all in* the dressing rooms and were saved. Aatid sntUn dr the raxts, Th* fire spread with marvellous rapidity And filled the house with suffocating smoke, The occupants of the upper circle and gallery rushed in numbers to the windows and screamed for ladders. As soon as possible theea were brought, but several persons had jumped into the street before they arrived, and were taken away more or less hurt. Others got on to the verandah over the door, and some jumped and others were taken off. tb suttotsc. sul'mszc. The theatre by this time was biasing fiercely, lighting up all the city, and the people were running up in thousands inquiring for friends or relatives. The fire-escape sbon came on the scene, and took off some more people. A stall occupant thus describes the scene:—“ The fire was discovered toward the close of the third act, immediately after the representation of the deck of the Saratoga. aw xwrrn scxnb. 11 What followed was awful. Men implored the audience to be cool, and tried to check the frantic rush, but to little purpose. Women were fainting and wringing their hands. Some husbands carried out their Wifes. Children were screaming, and everybody was making for the nearest exit. Short was the time, those who escaped into the corridor leading to the vestibule found the place filled with dense smoke, and escaped in a half-suffocated condition. In a few minutes the hose—always kept in readiness—was pumping water on the stage from the dress circle, but this had nd effect." THE FIM BRIGADE TOO LATE. Within five minutes of the outbreak the city fire brigade were on the spot, but the water then poured on the fire was absolutely without effect. . What occurred specifically may be imagined rather than at this late hour described. UOBZ THIS OXE HCSDBED BODIES. It is enough to say that at one o'clock in the morning, 106 bodies were lying in the London Inn Square awaiting identification.

They are all frightfully burned, chiefly about the head and hands. The majority of them are men and boys, although 30 women were counted as the stretchers passed. They were apparently for the most part occupants of the gallery. now Bonus nt the shins. A heap of bodies still remained in the higher gallery staircase, on the first dozen steps, before the fire destroyed that part of the building. Unfortunately, as was the case with the Paris theatre, the escape doors in ons street were fastened, and the people behind them yelled madly and threw their whole weight against the doors until they were wrenched off the hinges. The bodies presented a sickening aspect. Every shred of Clothing had been burnt off some of tha bodies, and the skin was burned off, presenting a raw, bloody surface, TBX worst wot. It waa evident that the worst crush had oe. tuned at an angle in the first flight of stairs from the gallery. As the policemen, military, and civilians, entered through a window they observed a great heap of bodies at this point. They were carried out and down the escapes and stairs quite dead and frightfully disfigured. Upon going a little higher on the Stairs more bodies were discovered and taken out, These bodies were laid in rows in an adjoining alley for identification. SOU* WHO MVIVZD, Those who showed signs of life were conveyed on stretchers to the hospital. All the medical men of the eity were on the spot rendering what assistance they could. The Sheriff state* that he has counted 130 dead bodies. The seine id th* streets and where th* bodies are lying is pitiful. Women are looking for missing husbands, husbands for wives and daughters, and mother* for their goas, - anothm account, Hr W. Jarrett, one of those fortunate enough to escape, says 11 1 occupied a front seat in the stalls. Between the second and fourth acta I left the theatre, and soon after I r*«umed, I saw the drop scene fait almost m Mr Graham's bead, as he was speaking. Ho finished what he bad to say after the curtain had passed hi* face, and I remarked to a friend, ■ What a strange thing! I never taw that occur I PwvXVt

TSB FUMM TAXX CHARGE. “At the same moment the curtain eame forward with a great puff, and seemed to graze my forehead. I saw at tha sides sparks and flames, and heard a crackling. Realising at once the terrible nature of the incident, I rushed for the door, and was over the stairs in a moment. When I reached the passage on a level with the dress circle I saw that there was a frightful rush for the front exit, and I turned into a passage on the right which I knew led to the special escape doors in th* New Norih Road. SOW Hl EBCAMD. 11 1 fell in going over the stain, and reached th* street exhausted. Just as I reached the Hg door* they were thrown back, but by whom I cannot say. The scene in the door, ways and on the outside balconies, which were crowded with men and women—mostly women calling piteously for rescue—with the flames near enough to burn and scorch them, wa* simply heartrending, THE VICTIMS. The victims by the burning of the Theatre _Bcyal at Exeter last night were mostly working people. As soon as the flames were extinguished a large force of men began ■aarnHag tor bodies. The stairway leading to- the gallery wa* literally packed with bodies, while at the head of the stairs there were score* of others, piled one on top of th* other. The unfortunate victims had rushed to the door when the alarm was given, but had found the stairway blocked and all means of escape cut off. In a short time the flames reached them, and they suffered a horrible death. INCENTIFYING THE BODIES. There were pitiful scenes in the vicinity of the burned theatre this morning as friends and relatives of the supposed victims awaited the recovery of the bodies. Several of the bodies were burned so that only a small cinder remained. The number of persons MWrdy injured is 60. It is feared that the death list will reach 140. MANY BODIES TOTALLY DESTROYED It has been ascertatned that there were 200 persons occuping seats in the gallery, and of these over 100 lost their lives. The search for the bodies still goes on. It is very probable that the total number of deaths will never be asoer -ained, owing to the fact that many of the bodie i were completly calcined. Two stalls of aU**le belonging to an hotel adjacent to the theatre are filled with remain* that it is imfottible to indentify.

FBW CHILDSES LOST. Most of the killed were adults, and chiefly men. But few children perished. In nearly every case the clothing had been torn off the victims. From many of the bodies limbs were missing, and the’ remains showed evidence that they had been wrenched off. Several whole families, numbering from two to five persons, lost their lives, THS FATAL GALLERY STAIRS, Th* construction of the gallery staircase accounts for the great loas of life among the gallery people. Half way down the flight there was a sharp angle. The first persons who left the gallery got past thia safely, but ■ everalof these who followed were thrown down and jammed into the angle and were I unable to extricate themselves owing to the | pressure behind. The staircase at thia I point waa thus effectually blocked, and ! -here was no other means of escape, WHAT CAUSED THS Ht’Slt. It has been ascertained that in the rush a ticket-box was upset at the gallery exit and that thia was the cause of the block at that point. The remains of nearly fifty persona were found there. Most of the bodies were completely reduced to ashes. A scene-shifter says that the fire originated among some gauze, which in some way became igni'ed. The flames spread to the scenery, of which the stage was unusually full, owing to the preparations in progress for the production of a pantomine. The audience numbered about eight hundred,