GREAT FIRE IN SYDNEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2505, 26 March 1902, Page 20

GREAT FIRE IN SYDNEY.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE DESTROYED. ONE LIFE LOST. SERIOUS LOSS OF PROPERTY. SYDNEY, March 23. Her Majesty'^ Theatre has> been completely destroyed by fire. Particulars of Her Majesty's Theatre fire are now available. Excepting the Pitt street frontage, consisting of the vestibule, and Her Majesty's and the George Hotels, flanking each corner, the theatre is a complete wreck. The whole body of the theatre was gutted from end to end, and only the bare walls are standing. A =ad fatality occurred in connection ivirh the fire. A young woman named I Bella Pye, employed in one of the shops | running behind the theatre in Market street, escaped, but, returning to warn ' the other inmates, or to recover some of fcrer property, teas buried beneath, a mass of debris, falling from the theatre. The caretaker discovered the outbreak shortly after G o'clock this morning, i about an hour after the cleaners, who.=e ! duties included fumigation of portion of the building, had left. The flames then had a good hold. He 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 very lightly clad. The fire spread with tremendous rapidity, and afforded a magnificent spectacle. The city was lit up for miles, and sparks and burning brands were carried long distances. By the time the brigades arrived on the «cene the interior was well ablaze, and, fed by a vast mass of scenery, theatre properties, j and other inflammable material, swept from end to end in fin incredibly short time. From the outlet there was not a chance of saving the theatre, and the firemen confined their efforts chiefly to preventing the gutting of Her Majesty's and the George Hotels and the shops along Market street, and, assisted by the cover of the towering walls along the lane on the Pitt street side and at the rear of the theatre, they were to a great extent successful. ! A portion of Her Majesty's Hotel. • along Market street, was damaged by i fire, but the brigades managed to keep it from spreading through the front part to Pitt street. The damage by water, however, as well as in George street and in several shops in Market street, is serious. Three firemen were injured by falling through the roof while working the hose — one, named Gray, somewhat seriously. Mr .]. C. Williamson, lessee of Her Majesty's, 10-es very heavily. He has been mo<-t unfortunate over the drama il% Bpu Hut." On the eve of the first 1 production the theatre was closed on account of an outbreak of plague, resulting in considerable financial loss. Now the whole properties and machinery ■-of this very expensively staged play have been completely^ destroyed. Mcmi bers of the company also suffer coii- , siderably. i The hist scene in '■ Ben Hur " it> j Palm Sunday on the Mount of Olives, • and on Palm Sunday the destruction of the theatre occurred. Mr Williamson • was uninsured. The cost of staging the piece was £6000. The season, as far as Australia is concerned, is thus terminated. Tt will take a year to replace all the properties, many of which had to be imported. It i^ estimated that Mr Williamson will 10-e quite £15,000 through being deprived of the us,e of the theatre. The building, including the hotel, was insured for £1R ; OOO. The Sun office holds the prime risk ; £10,000 was distributed amongst a number of offices, including the New • Zealand, South British, and National. The balance of £8000 was covered by a private insurance fund. The origin of the fire is a mystery, as it was in no way connected with the fumigation process.