THE FIREPROOF CURTAIN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9254, 5 June 1908, Page 2

THE FIREPROOF CURTAIN.

ITS TRIUMPH AT THE DRURY LANE FIRE. Early on the -morning of March 25, the report spread through the metropolis that London's historic playhouse, the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, had, for the third time in its history, been destroyed by fire. Happily this proved to be an exaggerated estimate of the actual state ox affaitis, in itself sufficiently grave. The theatre was attacked by fire, and* very seriously damaged. The stage and wings were entirely destroyed, and little remains of this part of the' house save the- outer walls. But the great auditorium _ was untouched, and. its escape 13 attributable to the presence of the Ure-proof curtain dividing the house. The greatest credit is due to the fire brigade, which., perhaps, has never proved more rapid or esurient in its work than when confronted Avith a task which, taxed all its powers. Only a rough estimate of the loss sustained can yet be made, but it is likely to amount to £30,000. The consequence of all thifc damage is that the promised revival of " The Sins of Society " will have to be postponed, if not abandoned. It is stated, however, that it is hoped that all will be ready for the autumn production. DRAMATIC 'PHONE MESSAGE. The announcement of the outbreak was made at the firemen's headquarters with dramatic brevity over the telephone. "We are Drury Lane Theatre. The pit is on fire." The early morning- workws hurrying to their day's labours along the Strand and through the streets in. the neighbourhood of " the Lane " had the full benefit of the spectacle. It was one which, brought a thrill of horror to many, for' close to the theatre there is a huge block of County Council tenements, aJid many older dwellings are packed around. Sparks from the burning theatre might have set any one of these buildings alight, and sparks, in ever increasing volume, shot over the roof and brought alarm to the j residents of Simmonds tenements. The more nervous of the occupants rushed into the street, and from there watched with anxious faces the danger which threatened their homes. For a time it seemed as if the brigade would not be able to control and check the progress of the flames. Fiercer and ever fiercer they raged, and the. wind was blowing them in threatening volume towards Holborn, where they fell upon the house tops. So imminent was the peril here, and at the County Council dwellings, that some, of the residents began to move their furniture, but when they saw the firemen turning their hose upon the threatened houses they desisted, and scon all danger was over. . Half an hour after the outbreak the roof over the stage fell in with a great crash, followed by an upward flight of thousands of sparks. With them rose a dense body of smoke, caused for the most part by the play of water on the flames. INSIDE THE THEATRE. By far the more remarkable scene, however, was that to be witnessed inside the vast auditorium. The asbestos fireproof curtain presented the appearance of an enormous window alive with glowimr-red light, against which the flames "from behind were beating with relentless, but happily unsuccessful, fury. Every part of the house was lit up ac powerfully as if the electric lights had been switched on. The canvasses covering the boxes and 6eats were plainly visible. Every passage was distinctly marked. There was not a detail of the handsome furnishing that an artist might not have sketched by the light coming from behind the asbestos curtain. Every now and again the debris of rafters and woodwork could be seen dropping behind the cloth, and the fall of the roof provider! a pyrotechnic display which "'Old Drury" has never equalled, with all its glittering wealth of gold and gems. „-,-. But the fireproof curtain held its own. The flames even split in two places without breaking through- No stronger testimony to its' worth has been "provided by a fire in any theatre, and the chief of the brigade was 1 loud in its praise. Tt demonstrated the fact that if an audience had been in their seats at the time of the conflagration, they would have run no risk from the flames. By a quarter to six o'olock, owing to the splendid work of the firemen, it was possible to signal the "stop message, and a large, number of the steamers withdrew. Within the next half-hour the fire had been completely overcome, but until comparatively late in the afternoon a couple of hoses were kept at work, playing upon the smouldering ruins of the stage. Th* loss is covered by insurance.