Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Grand Central Theater Fire

April 27, 1892

THEATRE FIRE HORROR.

More Than Fifty Persons Are Injured, Many of Them Fatally.

PHILADELPHIA, April 27. – The greatest sensational fire in this city for years broke out to-night on the stage of the Grand Central theater and before it was got under control nearly a million dollars worth of property had been destroyed, including the massive eight-story annex building occupied by the Times.

There was a panic in the theater and nearly fifty persons, most of them occupants of the galleries, were hurt, but none, however, seriously.

The Central theater is located on Walnut street between Eighth and Ninth in the most thickly settled portion of the city, being surrounded by hotels and restaurants, boarding houses, newspaper offices and business houses.

Immediately in the rear of the theater was the Times building which faced on Sunson(sic) street. The theater was usually devoted to variety performances, but this week a spectacular production, “The Devil’s Auction,” was on stage.

Just before 8 o’clock and while the stage hands were lowering from the flies a portion of the setting for the first scene, it became entangled in the border lights.

In an instant the flimsy canvass was a mass of flames. Tongues of fire shot up to the roof and blazing scenery fell to the stage and in a short space of time the greater portion of the theater was a mass of fire.

The production requires a large number of ballet dancers. These stood in the wings and along the stage in scanty attire waiting for the performance to begin. They were thrown into a panic and rushed about scarcely knowing which way to turn to avoid the quickly spreading flames. All were, it is believed, gotten safely out, although there is a report that three ballet girls are missing.

During the panic behind the scenes a scene of even more intense excitement was being enacted before the footlights. Fortunately the house was only partially filled. The audience had just settled down in their seats awaiting the beginning of the performance when they were startled by the flash that came when the scenery caught.

The next minute a bright white flame shot through the curtain and the audience realized they were face to face with that most awful situation – a theater fire. Everybody started for the exits. The weaker ones were borne down and crushed under foot. One individual, maddened and brutalized by excitement, drew a pocket knife and with it cut his way through the mass of people.

Half a dozen or more people were found at the hospital who had been victims of his frenzy. None of their wounds however, were of a more than painful character. This man was the first to reach the sidewalk. Men and boys fell on the stairways leading from the galleries and were bruised and scratched under the heels of those following them.

In all fifty-two persons were cared for at the two hospitals near the theater. Everybody was outside the burning structure within two minutes from the time the fire started.

The wildest excitement prevailed on the streets. Ballet girls in gauze and tights rushed [illegible] headed around almost all of them in a hysterical condition.

The fire spread with marvelous rapidity and by the time the fire apparatus reached the scene of the flames, looming away up above the rear of the theater was the Times annex building, occupied on the seventh floor by the editorial force and on the eighth by the composing and sterotyping [sic] forces. An alarm was promptly given and all the occupants of the building got out in safety.

The first, second, third and fourth floors were occupied by Dekoskens & Hetherington, art metal workers. Their plant was one of the most valuable of its kind in the country.

The losses as near as can be estimated are as follows: Central theater building, $82,000, insurance $40,000; costumes and scenery.

“Devil’s Auction” company, $16,000, insurance $7500; “Twelve Temptations,” $18,000, insurance $7500; “Sea King,” $22,000, no insurance.

The Times estimates its loss at about $350,000 exclusive of its files and Colonel McClure’s library. The whole is insured at about two-thirds its value.

Dekosenke & Hetherington’s loss is at least $100,000; Hamilton & Deissinger’s $75,000, partially insured. Other losses aggregate $150,000.

Those most seriously injured and who are being cared for at the Pennsylvania hospital are:

CLARENCE RIDLEY, very badly burned on hands and face.
ROBERT JAUNTY, severely burned about the face.
A. G. CAMPBELL, face and hands peeled off by flames.
GEORGE GENTER, severely burned on right side.
ROBERT FRASER, body burned and leg broken.
ROGER CINUE, clothes burned off and body scorched.
CLAUDE SHARPE, right side badly burned; fatally.
FELIX CILDERBERG, back scorched and suffering intensely.
FRANK ROBINSON, badly burned; probably fatally.
JEFFERSON HONS, left side badly scorched.
JOHN GORMAN, right side badly scorched.
I. F. CROCKER, burned on the face and injured by broken glass.
W. H. MATOOX, scorched left side and leg.
JOHN WARD, badly scorched; will die, no doubt.
JOHN MCCAULEY, face and chest injured.
W. A. MORRIS, seriously burned about the lower part of the body.
RUDOLPH PATTERSON, burned about the lower limbs.
F. O. HENDERSON, badly burned about the body.
GORNELL P. LONG, seriously injured by smoke and burned about the body.

Besides the above, some twenty-five patients who suffered from comparatively slight injuries had their injuries dressed at the Jefferson hospital aid [sic] left without giving their names.

PHILADELPHIA, April 28. – The distruction [sic] of the Grand Central theater by fire last night proves to have been far more terrible in its results than was anticipated.

Six members of the “Devil’s Auction” company lie dead beneath fallen walls of the building and nearly three score people are in the hospitals suffering from burns. Of the men and boys in the hospital, seven are in such a serious condition that their recovery is doubtful. All were members of the audience.

Besides those who were seriously enough hurt to remain in the hospitals, fully fifty others were treated for minor injuries. The unfortunate members of the company who lost their lives are:

THOMAS LORELLA, grotesque, and his wife FLORA, a ballet dancer.
VINCENTINA CHITTEN, premier danseues, one of the Chitten sisters.
MISS FANNIE CONNERS, juvenile, residence Chicago.
MRS. SARAH GOLDEN, ballet dancer, residence Chicago.
WILLIAM L. BROOKS, leading man of the company, residence Philadelphia.

The injured in the hospital who are likely to die are all suffering from burns about the face and head and from having inhaled the flames. In addition to the serious condition of the above it is feared that many will lose their eyesight as their burns are all mostly about the face.

By the light of day the destruction wrought by the fire was made more apparent and the desolation of the scene more terrible as it was without the accompanying grandeur given by the columns of flames shooting skyward above the tallest buildings. The ruin of the Central theater is complete only the front wall remaining standing. The other walls have fallen and fill the space they formerly enclosed. Directly back of the theater but a shell remains of the eight story building occupied by the Times.

The row of stores to the east of the two burned structures and facing on Eighth street and extending from Walnut to Sansom street are almost completely gutted by fire and water. Last night’s estimate placing the loss at $1,000,000 is about correct.

The Aspen Weekly Times, Aspen, CO 30 Apr 1892

Transcribed by Regina McVey.  Thank you, Regina!

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