People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 September 1893 — IN A BLAZING THEATER. [ARTICLE]

IN A BLAZING THEATER.

Fir* Breaks Out ia the Canton (III.) Opera House During a Performance—One Maa Missing—Many Persona Injured. Canton, IIL, Sept 20.— The new opera house at this place was burned to the ground Tuesday night during the progress of a play and eighteen persons were burned, some of them fatally. No one is known to have been killed outright but one man, Peter Curly, is missing and is thought to have perished in the flames. The estimated money loss is *IOO,OOO. The list of injured is: Pat Keenan, Pierri Morganson, Wilbur Dobbins, Elmer Martin, John Thomas, John Peckard, James Heck, John Belt, W. C. Walgamot, Dan Wills, Philander Downing, RUey Miller, Erneet McVan, Lawrence So ward, Martin Moran, Fred Walsh, Arthur Stevens, John Brady.

The Baldwin-Melville company was playing “Michael Strogoff.” During the battle scene in the third act the fireworks exploded, setting fire to the scenery. Instantly the audience was in an uproar, but the manager hastened to the front of the stage and urged every one to remain in his seat, saying there was no danger. This checked the panic for a moment, and it was this short delay in clearing the house that came near causing terrible loss of lifeIn less than a minute after the curtain dropped a sheet of flames burst from the stage, rolled along the ceiling of the gallery and enveloped those in that part of the house who had not yet escaped. Many of those in the gallery jumped to the balcony below, crushing and bruising tliemseves and those upon whom they fell. Their cries of pain could be heard for blocks. As quickly as possible those who were unable to walk were carried into the various drug stores about the public square on which the opera houße was situated and physicians were summoned. It is believed there are bodies in the ruins, but only one person, a tailor named Peter Curry, who is known to have been in the gallery, is not yet accounted for. There were, however, a number of strangers in the house. In less time than it takes to tell it the opera house was a mass of flames. The firemen were helpless to stay their progress and in less than twenty minutes the roof fell in. The flames spread to the opera house block, completely destroying it For two hours the firemen worked before they had the fire under control. • The third story of the opera house block was occupied by the masonic lodge. Only the records were saved. The second story was occupied by the offices of the Canton Masonic Mutual Insurance company, Dr. Whiting, dentist, and G. R. Cobleigh as living rooms. But little was saved from this story. The first floor was occupied by Woods & Wonderly, dry goods, and Schradzki & Sklarek, clothiers. The greater portion of these stocks were removed into the street. The loss on the ogera house block and the goods will amount to *IOO,OOO. The Bald win-Ms l*ille Company lost everything, the members escaping with only the costumes they had on. Walter 8. Baldwin, the manager, lost 12,000 in cash, which was left in one of his coat pockets on the stage. Some of the members of the company escaped from under the stage by forcing off the heavy wire grating. None of them were seriously injured.