The New York Herald Newspaper, December 7, 1876, Page 3

A HORROR OF HORRORS Wholesale Holocaust at the Brooklyn Theatre. WHAT DAYLIGH? © YESTERDAY DISCOVERED. Men, Women and Children Buried in the Blazing Ruins. Two Hundred and Eighty Bodies Recovered. AFFRIGHTING SPECTACLES. The Ghastly Array of the Diefigured Dead. Heartrending Seenes in Identify- ing the Remains, THE STORY OF THE FIRE How It Swept in Four Minutes Over the House. ’ The Rush from the Galleries—A Wedge of Death INTO A PIT OF FIRE. Affecting and Exciting Sto- ries of Survivors. NO. WATER ON HAND. “If I Had a Hose-I Could Have Put Out the Fire.” THE IDENTIFIED--THE MISSING ‘How New York Theatres Are Provided Against Fire. * ‘The destruction of the Brooklyn Theatre on Tacsday hight proves to be tho most terrible calamity of its Kind that bas occurred tn this country. What was ‘first deemed to be an ordinary fire, naturally involving Berious Mnancial loss to tho owners, the lessecs and the actors, was really a catastrophe of the most heart- ” gending character, causing, as it did, the loss of 230 sex . No theatre fire on this continent had sé much sere lent to it, Even the Richmond Theatro disaster ‘was nothing in comparison to this latest evidence of the wicked carelessness and ignorance displayed in building places of public amusement. Two hundred and eighty buman beings of both sexes and of all ages wero thrust into eternity through: fn agonizing and painful death. They were thus doomed at a moment of pleasure and mental excitement over the mimic troubles of the dramatic Personages in & play possessing features that touchod the hearts of those who followed the scenes on the stage, At a moment when every eye was fixed on the painted scene and every ear strained onthe utterances of the soveral characters the dread- ful cry of “Fire !’? was raised, and ina fow moments Miter the entire building was filled with flame and » tmoke, and hundreds of men, women apd children Were suflocated and burned to death, and their charred and disigured remalas buried beneath the ruins. Such is the simple and terso record of this most dreadiul occurrence, and’ these tew sentences afford such outline and visible form to the picture that it scarcely needs the shocking details that necessarily follow to give it color and ghastliness. That so much horror should attend the destruction of a theatre will send a thrill of pain through every heart in the land. The full scope of the calumity and the dreadful scenes fattonding it aro depicted in the accounts that follow. THR DISCOVERY OF THE FIRE. No more awful moment can be imagined than that ‘whon the fire was discovered. ‘The play had proceoded to the last scene of the last act, Miss Kate Claxton was on the stage lying on the pallet of straw, which the siuation demands, and Mr. H. S. Murdoch, who played Fierre, was leaning over her. Mr. J. B. Stud- ley, who played the part of Jacques, wus also on the Mage. The set represented the boathouse inhabited by La Frochard, It wus o box scene, with a iow, Hoping ceiling, and with wide doors tn the centre and ‘small door at the left centre, As was natural from ber reclining position, which enabled her to look at the flies, the Gret fame caught the eye of Miss Clax- ton, It darted out like a flash of lightning and began to traverse thoso mysterious upper regions of the stago mto which the audience often peors with so much curiosity as if it was only 4 brilliant meteor im tho skies of the theatrical Orma- ment. This initiatory glimpse of a disaster the most verrible in the history of burned theatres was caught vy the eye of Miss Claxton and almost immediately by the others cn the stage, while the audience sat in their stalis looking at the mimic scene of sorrow on the boards, ail unconscious of the terrible reality soon vo be enacted both behind and beforo the footlighta, in five minutes more the play would have ended and the happy multitude quietiy wended its way out of the theatre, 1t may well be imagined that the mofnent was an awlul one to the young actress who lay there on the paliet simulating the blind girl of the play, while witnessing the forked flames of flashing fire which was © soon to doom tom fate worse than that of Louise, she beggar, a house full of sympathizing witnessos of ser suilerings. Almost simultaneously with the sight which met Miss Claxtou’s gaze sue heard some one in the wings whisper, “The theatre ts on tire,” It was Miss Dleves’ voice, and a moment later the whisper was re- peuted, ‘The theatre 18 on fire; look behind, for God's sake.” All tins was the work of an instant, and Mr. Murdoch, who must bave heard the whispering also, wus so moved by the sight of the flames that he begin to stammer in bis part. The suddenness of the danger pot only moved, it stunned him. ‘Go on, go on,” Miss Claxton whispered to him, but it was almost im. possibie for him to proceed. Still the audience was auconscious of what was about tu happen. Mise Clax- ton, as she says hersel!, ‘dazed’? by tue terror of the reul situation, and trying to carry iorward the action of the mimic scene, Was NOt awake to the actual peril ofthe moment. She uttered the line which gave the “euo’” for Mrs. Farren’s entrance, and the old ‘woman, Pierre’s mother, rusued upon tho stage and | injury. in the energetic manner required by the action, caught | from the trapped and frightened mags of bumanity a | their feet, but were trampled upon by others, who, im NEW YORK HERALD, THURS Louise by the hair and pulled it. Jast then the alarm | was communicated to the audience, Behind thero was a noise of shifting scenery. A panic was immi- neut Acry of ‘Fire’ was beard and the dames be- gan to shoot out from the flies in the sight of the audience, CHRCKED POR 4 MOMENT. Joining hands, Misa Claxton, Mrs, Farren, Mr. Mar- doch and Mr. Stadley came down to the front to reas- sure the audience. There was no preconcert in this action, but if t had been rehearsed tor weeks in ad- vance it could not have been more effective in hoid- ing @ terror-stricken audience in check. Fora mo- ment the people, especialiy those in the front part of the house, sank back into their seats, “Weare be- tween you andthe fire, sit still,”’ said one of the actors, ‘for God’s sake, sit still’? It is wonder- ful that such an entreaty was listened to much less obeyed, but momentarily there was complete silence ail over the house. The flames were rapidly extending and tho scenery at the rear of the stage was all on fire. ‘Sull there was no rush, but, while o ntleman was calmly advising the audience to remain quietly tn their places until their time came to pass out, anotber cried, “It is time to be out of this,” and then the stampede be- gav. The people in the dress circle andthe multitude in the gallery began to rush down the stairways; es- cape for those above was rendered impossible, and a scene of horror was enacted which baflles the power of pen to picture. STAMPRDE OF THR AUDIENCE. The terror of the moment was grand beyond de~ scription. Behind wasthe threatening, devouring Hamme, darting its flery tongues and nissing a requiuim of despair over the struggling mass seeking to escape jis anger, Belore was etther éafety or death. Soon even above them the fire raged and burned, The stage had become a tremendous volume of smoke and flame, Was thero hope of satety or only a horrible death in store for them? No one stopped to reason; no one stopped toask. The mad- ness of panic was upon them and forward they rushed, each seeking only to save himself. An usber opened a door leading into an ailey connecting Myrtle avenue and Johnson street, Through this streamed that part of the audience which had been stated in the parquet and-orchestra, and most of them escaped without much Had they been compelled to make their exit at the ordimary entrance on Washington strect most of them would have shared the fate of the multitude which rusbed panic siricken down the stairway, to be erushed and burned before they reached the lobby and buried bencath the debris of the falling walls. Tho stamped? bad scarcely begun until the scene became undcecribabie in horror, and the sufferings of the multitude were matched only by the terror of the despairing crowd, Almost immediately the front entrance became ehoked up. Op the stairway just above the landing place a woman's foot was caught in the railing of the baiustrade, She fell, and the crowd behind her, pushed forward by those still further be- hind, fell over her, Crushed, wounded, dying they lay four or five deep on the landing of the stairway, making escape for those who in their ter- ror had caused the accident impoasidle, Every moment, too, the fire was gaining headway. It roared and hissed and rushed, It licked up the paraphernalia of tho stage with its fiery tongues, and these only whettcd its appetite for more, Everything inflammabie inthe building might almostbe said to rash toward it. The roof was ablaze, the floors were a mass of fire, the dress circleand gallery were filled with smoke, and those who remained behind to escape a horrible death below were suffocated where they stood. Many dropped down in their tracks, Even ot thoso who might bave escaped uninjured, some fainted and were burned where they fell, The police endeavored to save a part of the struggling mass, but it was with the utmost difficulty that any of them were extricated, “Once I Icoked down,” said Miss j Claxton, in describing her escape, ‘and saw a human | face horribly distorted and burned. Ob, my God! it was a fearful sight.’? There 1s no simulated horror of deatn which can impress one as the actual horror of scenes like this must huye impressed those who witnessed them. The slaughter of the battlefield has nothing to compare with a disaster like this in intensity, despair and distortiog. There Death keeps his ter. rors well in hand and mostly strikes to kill ata single blow. Iféte the grim monster appeared in muny shapes and his threateniag was more terrible than the doom he finally, deals yy ESCA?E OF THE COMPANY. The play of ‘‘I'he Two Orphans’ had beon produced at the theatre on Monday evening, and as it was acted on the night of the firoit had tho following distribu- tion of charactors:— Chovalior De Vandroy -Mr. C. R. Thorne Count de Linieres, M Mr. H. F. Daly Picard, Vaiet to the C aude Burroughs Jacques Frochard, an U1 «Mr. J.B. Studley Pierro Frochard, tils Brothe: i. urdoc Murquis de Presies.... stir, JG. Peukes Doctor of the Hospitais st. Louis and Sai: Mr. H. B. Phillips ir. H. W, Mont bi? Jobn Mat Sister Therese. i. E. Seymour Of these Mr. Mardoch and Mr. Burroughs were lost m the flames. According to w atements of eye witnesses of the scene Murdoch was the last to leave the stage, and nothing further is known of him, He may have gone to his dressing room to endeavor to rescuo part of bis praperty, or to the green room to seo if all were safe, and so was cut off by the flames, Mr, Burroughs, who was in the green room when the fire broke out, weat to bis dressing room, and that is the last that was seen of him, Most of the members ot the company had notice of the fire, although tho alarm came to some of them only through the warning of the burning cetling of their dressing rooms—in other words, the stage floor, Few of them got away by the stage entrance on Johnson street, the flames stopping this way of exit almost in the beginning of the tire. A large party, among whom were Mr. Jobn Mathows, Mr. W. 5, Quigley, Mrs, Allen and others holding subordinate } positions sought this mode of exit, but wero turned | back, and then made a frantic rush along an unlightod | and anused passago ranning parallel with and directly | under the foottight row to the castern wall of the building and thence ata right angle tothe extreme | front of the house, This passage bad been constructed by Mra. F. B, Couway to enable her to gofrom the stage to the box office without being scen by the audience, and in the end is served a noble purpose in aflording these lew persons an opportunity success. fully to grope slong ite dark ways to light and life, while so many others were meeting with danger and death in the broader passages above. Tn the meantime escape had been made to the front ot the house, from tho stage, by Miss Claxton, Miss Maude Harrison (Henriotte), Mra. Farren, Mr. J. B, Studley und Mr. Charles Thorne and bis wile, the Inst named gentieman and lady being, at the ume of the breaking out of the fire, iu the stars’ dressing room, adjoining the lower stage box, on the Washington street side of the auditorium. But for the sub- terranean passago which Mrs. Conway had bad built for het own convenience and the means of communi. cation with the auditorium from below, the whole company or nearly the whole company would na: per ished in the flames, FLIGHT PROM THR GALLERIES, When the alarm of fire first rang through the house there was a momentary pause of horror, the poopie crowded in the galleries seemed to tvel the hopeless. ness of their position, and the bravest hearts wore momentarily stilied. Fora moment stupor seized all minds, but for a moment only, und was succeeded by a frantic impuise to escape, Men and women rose with ‘a common inetinct to flee. Each one thought only of himseif, the strong deserted the weak, and sudden as thought men and women were scrambling for the doors. In some heurts the vetter and nobler nature asserted itsell, and men who had deserted friends under the first selfish impulse, rusued back to save those they loved. It was a terri- ble moment, the danger which bad only threatened ‘was now upon the unfortunate mass crowded inio the dress and tamily circles—some seven handred and fitty souls alltoid. Tho spark of fire from the flies which had caused the first terror bad moved steadily and eer- pent-like till 1: had reached the wings, moving with the stealth and rapidity of a beast of prey, Then suddenly neizing on the scenery, it enveloped the stage in a sheet of flame, This was the end of hope, IN THE TRAP, ‘What each one had feared had come, and there rose ons wosTaiqseay at f DAY, cry of despair and borror that was heard outside the walla of the theatre and called to the scene the police, who were fortunately within easy reach, ‘The scene in the galleries now became terrible. Men rushed bither and thither, not knowing what they Were about, All sense of hamanity was lost in the one absorbing thought of reaching the stairs. Men and women jumped from seat to seat, not stopping to pick up those that fell, The Ggbt for lite was begun. Behind, the crackling flames had seized upon the Stage and were rapidly advancing through tne house. Huge clouds of suffocating smoke floated inward, and filied every nook and cranny, rendering breathing almost impossible, There was no time to be lost. Every instant seemed an age to tho agouized wretches who struggled at the doors to reach the outlet. Women screamed and fainted, and strong men struggled des- perately in that awtu! crush. ON THE GALLERY Stains. At last the stairs were reached, and those who had been lucky enough to get to them firs’ poured down to the corridor of the dresscircle. For a moment the stream flowed freely, but tne crowd behind pressed on flercely. The fire behind was growing more tntense and the smoke blinding, The oceupants of the family circle, descending by the stairs that led to the vestibule of the dress circle, which promised the best means of es cape, were met by the stream of people flying from the turn, were buried into the stragg’ mass by those behind, Once tallen it was impossible to rise Now arose the frenzied cries of those who bad yone down in the mélée, mingied with the groans of the wounded and the ceatn rattle of the dying. Women shricked im an agony of fear, and men with clenched teeth struggled savagely to regain their vantage, But their struggies Were as vain as the cries of the women. The tmexo ie «fates «held them = Jn their grasp, and would not let go their hold. And now the fire had wrapped in its terrible embraces the audito- rium, On ull sides the jurid dames shot forth and about, licking with a thousand flerce tongues whatever was combustibie tn the building and rapidly catting off all hope of escape from tho wretches imprisoned on the stairs But quicker than came the flames rolled in the blinding, choking smoke, tilling the eyes and the throats of the victims. Exhausted by their struggles the wedged in crowd ceased the violence of their offorts and gasped tor air, pure untainted atr, | but recetved onty the asphyxiating fumes of the burn- | ing wood and paint. Then there is heard a crumbling sound, and the air becomes hotter, and the smoke thicker and more dense, and the mass begins to settle THR PINAL CATASTROPAR, The pressure from behind continued. Afew min- {| utes more and it would be too ite to make an effort; | death would seize upon them all Another effort and Plan of Family Circle or Gallery.‘ Joknson street, “Sony §p A—Mr. Burroughs’ dressing room. B—Top of gallery stairs, Plan of Dress Circle. Jobnson street RopPuy ew sy “SouV Spools A—Mr. Murdoch's dressing room. Landing—Staircase from main lobby. Plan of Parquette, Dress Balcony, Jobnson STAIRCASE DIETERS = |=] RESTAURANT Jourze coSusryse yy STAIRCASE TO GALLERY MAIN 25 [(T Y Cc SWING DOORS |—— A—Miss Morant’s dressing room, B—Mr. Thorne’s dressing room. C C--Places where most of the bodies were found. DRESSING ROOMS ENTRANCE Lobbies and Stage. etreet Ss. STAIRCASE ‘YO DRESSING ROGMS STAGE “hoe 8, pool LOBBY BROAD LEADING TO IDRESS CIRCLE 1S Fr woe] P. DoE A | Plan of Basement Fioor, Showing Green Room and Dressing Rooms. Johnson STAIRCASE 7 STEPS. 70, STAGE. “qooays UO PSayYyse A WAY PASSAGE Cc | B—Area with skylights, giving light to dressing rooms. C—Passage way under auditorium through which Miss Claxton, Mrs, Farren and Miss Harrison escaped. street, “hore s,poorg PASSAGE WAY dress circle for their iives. The two streams meeting at the head of the stairs almost immediately formed an obstruction. The flames were gaining with in- consetvable rapidity, Panic had selzed ali hearts and blind instinct had taken the placo of reason, There was but one savage thought in ail breasts—to save themselves at any cost. The stairs led to safety. Then the stairs should bo made to do their work, and the mad mass crashed forward, push- ing those before them on to the stairway till tt choked up with o mingled mass of men and women—i human wedge that became more compact the closer it was drivon; but these terrified men did not reason, they did not think, they only knew that tbe outlet was by the stairs, and tho stairs should do their work. Bat, alas! the stairway was only seven or eight icot wide, and 760 men and women sought to drivo through this barrow passage all together, and it was impossivie, But the fre behind «rew apace and those in the rear could and would not understand that those in front could not get out of their way immediately, and they crushea forward and urged, with frantic yells, the clearing of the way. THE DRATH LOCK, Somo saw a ready way of escape and jumped over the banisters on the heads ® those below, Every means was sawiul—there was no thought but how to Teach the street, to escape with procious life. In this ureadiul struggle the wenk fainted, and the strong, pressed against them by those in the roar, foll ove: their weaker companions, who struggled to regai the banisters gave way, precipitating a number of people on the heads of thoso below. The stairs are giving wuy., In an instant all hearts grew still, and despair is on every face. Slowly the rs seem to sink down and then with a crash give way. With a shout of agony and terror the mass of humanity fall through the gap- jog opening, down, down into the pit of death, The floors had given way and the tangled mass of human beings disappeared as though tho earth hod opened and swallowed them, ‘The aébris trom the falling gal- leries and roof covered them in and buried them as tn a grave of fire, Hundreds in this fatal moment were = sent out of the world Gghting flercely for lite into the presenco of their Creator. In the confusion their death was unheard, aud no hand was stretched to succor thom, Now the flames wrap- ped the whole building and cut off all aid, though the spot where the mass of the vicums fell wast 18 wide vostibale which runs trom Washington street to Flood’s alloy, within afew yards of the street. The calamity bad been so sudden, the progress of tho flames so rapid, that little chance had been given for the rendering of ossistahce. THE SILENCE OP DEATH. Death came almost instantancously, and no cry or moan told the firemen or police officers that almost within arm’s reach lay bundreds of haman betngs in their death throes, Tho fulling débris shut out trom view of the spectators in the street the terriblo drama x afew tcovaway, Nota soul hadany men had to stand upon the pyre regardless of the dead DECEMBER 7, 1876.—TRIPLE SHEET. 3 thought of the extent of the tragedy they were wit. | nessing. IN THR STREET DURING THR FIRE. ‘The scene in the street during the progress of the fire was one of wild confusion and incongruity. It | took about four minates for all who escaped to reach | the street, and many of those who gained the open air were batiess or coatiess, Ladies were reduced to a State of complete deshabille. The exelamations of grief were universal and incessant, and the unavailing | search for missing triends was kept up. Soon the | police came and Swept them mercilessly aside to make | room for the fremen, who vied with their forerunners and prototypes so telieitously deseribed by Horace Smith in the verse of Sir Walter Scott when the “Old Drury’ was burned. The flames leaped into the air, and hissed and crackled as they leaped. They med to be mad with joy, and embraced and kissed cach other. For many blocks the neighborhood was brill- iantly illuminated. In exactly twenty-five minutes from the ume the forked fame of fire sbot out from | the broken light in the flies the walls tell tn, and ail was over. Notwithstanding the excitement and alarm and anxiety, the full scope of the disaster was not even imagined. 1t was only in the morning, when the dead began to be unearthed, that the calamity was revealed in all its awful immensity. RKCOVERING THE BODINE. When the fire was got under control the fremen con- tinued to pour the streama of icy water through every possible orifice om the burning mass of furniture, up- | holstery, filigree work and scenery piled up together within the ruins, and the vestibule was fooded throug: the Washington street entry in the endeavor to cool the flooring and render 1% safe for the police and firemen, who were anxious to s for those who they feared were barned, Even at ume scarcely any one dreamed he great loss of iife, and, strange to say, the whole calamity Was regardedas disastrous to property rather than to hfe. The crowds, that could hardty be kept at a safe distance trom the confiagration by the police, surged to and fro in breathless expectation of some Dews as to casualties, ‘THB FIRST BODY. They had not long to wait. Before two o'clock an ambulance broke through the living throng, and, halt- ing before the Washington street door, received something wrapped up in coarse cloths from the bands of four or five men, who bore 1% out of the ruins to the vehicle It was the body of a woman who had been found insido the vestibule standing up against a portion of the framework, which sho had clutched in her death throes convulsivoly, She was almost naked and ut- terly unrecognizable, and had died on the very thresh- old of safety, no one knows how It ts supposed thas she bad been jammed against the partition by the panie-stricken audience who died around her and were buried beneath the débris afew moments later. The remains were carried to the Morguo in the vehicle which passed along Washington street down a narrow lane. From this timo until after daylight the dremen continued their efforts to put the fire out, at Dariicut. Tt was not until after six o'clock in the morning, however, that anything like work could be begun for the recovery of the bodies. It was commenced by Chief Engineer Novins, District Engineor Farley, Gi! Burns and a squad of firemen, They entered tho building from Washington street and began to tear away the timbers, charred beams, {razments of brick and tho rubbish which blocked tho passage way. These had all fallen from the galleries and floor- ing above and bid trom view what lay bo. | yond and beneath, The main body of the theatro was a complete ruin. Three of the walls had partially falien tn, and nothing was visible but a steaming, smoking heap, through which here and there leaped jets of fame not yet subdued by the sheets of water with which it had been deluged, The outer half of the hallway leading from the principal entrance was charred and shaky, so that the utmost caution had tw be exercised by those who first trod upon it. Then, too, it was evident that the basement below it had been gutted by the fire, and there was no way of learning to what extent the cross pieces and sup- porters had bcen injured, Nevertheless, tho chiet, his firemen and the police ventured along the danger- ous Spot, and were soon at work upon the ruins of the galleries, A moment’s labor sufficed to disclose to them tho dread effects of the conflagration. AN APPALLING SIGHT, Through whe ashes and wreck protruded arms and limbs, half burned heads and pieces of clothing in every direction, The sight was appalling and the men were so horrified by it that they paused for an instant mute and almost afraid to investigate any turther, It was plain to all now that scores of human beings lay buried in this vestibule, Tho shocking discovery was quickly made known to the thousands in the streets, and it required the most rigid entorcemont of the rule that no one should pass a cer- twin point witbin a hundred yards of tho building on eithor side, to keep the swaying, excited masadrom forcing their way into the charnel hou: resumed by the firemen, Beams and handed out and carted away and under- takers were sont for, They came with their black spring carte and ofdinary trucks, leaden-lined shelis withoat tops, and were ready for the | sad duties they were called apon to fulfil. Tho firemen still continued their efforts to got at the bodies, which they did after some hours of labor. When cvery obstacle was removed from the surface of the dead and around them, they were found tier upon tier, fifteen feet deep, packed one above the other. Heavy clouds of steam arose from tho terrible holocaust. The spot wherein these unfortunate beings were kilied was about fitty feet long, twenty feet wile and a full story deep. They had tallen on tho ground floor from the upper story, and the fire had burned through them to the basemont, into which the smold- ering mass of flesh and bone bad settled when the flooring was caten {rom under it And so they wero found yesterday morning burned to cinders, out of all their former semblance, blackened and nudo for tho most part, and disfigured in the most frigntiul manner, One could not belp wondering whether they had ever really looked like the living creatures engaged in their recovery, HOW THRY WRRE UNEARTHED, The firemen were provided with shovels, hoes and | other utensils for the removal of the stuff that wedged inthe bodies and they plied them vigorously. The they stepped upon, dragging them out one alter another and sending them tothe Morgue. It was found that the shovels could not be used without muii- therefore lating the remains; the men were constrained to work only with their hoe; which were better adapted for removing | the ashes and cinders trom the bodies under their feet, Once the work was well under way tho dead were constantly being handed out, placed in anells and carried to the trucks and carts awaiting them without, It was a sickening spectacle Tho iremen, in heavy rubber and leather boots, waded among the corpses, hoe in hand, trying to disengage the hideous remnants, which tm many instances were so consumed that it was difficult to raise a body with- out dismemboring tt, The men strove hard, however, to do their duty carefully and woll, feeling, no doubt, the sauctity of the offices they wore engaged in. Up to eleven o’clock forty-four bodies were removed. Most of them wore men, of what station in life it was impossible to tell, because their clothing had been entirely consumed and themselves wore more like scorched mummies than anything elso on earth, Very few females hud b on found up to this time, probably becauso those who were in the top tier were persons who, coming from the galery, bad fallen last through the trap on the second story, MEANS OF IDENTIFICATION. There was @ strange similarity between ail the corpses. Their nether limbs, aris and heads were almost invariably burned off, and their tranks looked like shrivelled sole leather. Some of these upper tier bodies were without a shred of clothing; others nad lost only the backs of their garments; tho fronts were sound, stuck to their persons. All those who died on the top tier were almost beyond recognition as tho fro had robbed them of apparel and all distinguishing (features, Ono or two ot them, it is true, Were recovered with trinkets and articles of jow- eiry, by which they were afterward wWentiied, For example, the second body, that of a man, which was taken away about nine o'clock, had upon the iiusle Ginger of the left band a plain silver ring, and on the middle finger of the right hand @ gatts percha ring. On the third corpse was found a gold open iace watch and a thin gold chain. On the back of tho watch were inscribed the words ““A Mother's Giit.” Another body had only @ peculiar gold cullar butiou whereby identill- | to cation might be poszible, In all other respects it was simply @ misshapen cinder. On the person of another dead man was found @ hunting case silver wateb, N 41, worn with a gold chain, to which was attached a piece of the Hell Gate telegraph wire. A young girl with shapely shoulders and cleau cut torso was found lying ou Ler back. Hoth bér breasts had been burued off, Her face and the front part of her head were mere cinders, but the back of her head was encircled bya ridge of rich brown hair, and though all her clothes were gone, her back and shoul ders wero uaconsurned, i Whenever anything was found on @ corpse it was merely examined and sent to the Morgue with its owner, THR PIT OF DEATH. By two o'clock 100 bodies had been recovered, and it was found necessary tu increase the number of the carts for the transfer of the dead to the Morgue, Both doors, rear and front, were used. Tho fremen were pull- ing out corpses three and four at atime, and with these uutnbers each conveyance made its trip to the dead house. As the aiternoon wore onthe workmen got at the bodies more rapidly and coiling were tilled just as fastas they could be banded dowa into the pit of death, Ivshouid ve rememoered that not one of tho bodies had been taken from any spot out. side of aif area of forty feet The tureatre Proper bad not yet been disturbed, for no bumap being could have trod upon its still burning ruins, But bodies were visible near the walls in which bad been the exits and entrances. These poor people bad doubtless been killed while attempting force their way through the crowas then struggling themselves for lberty and life, At five o'clock over 200 bodies had been recovered, Sixty-eight of these bad been taken out by the little door opening into Flood lane; the rest were borne through the Washington street doorway. Even at this late hour only half the mound in the vestibule had been examined and relieved of its horrible treas ures; the other half had yot to give up its bur den of dead men aud women who were plainly visible, 1t was useless, however, to attempt to remove these untilthe work at the other section was properly com- pleted, ‘or the firemen had just as much as they could do to remove the remains within their reach, The undertakers complained of boing tired, and the police, who had been on duty for nearly twenty-four Loura, were almost worn out, 4 CALCIUM LIGHT oN THE DEAD, When the shadows of night began to deepen lan- terns were handed down to the soot begrimed searchers m the pit But they had not sufliciont light until cal. cium lights wero brought and placed co us to show everything in the vast grave more planiy than 1% could bo soon im the day uma, The —toilera looked lke miners inashaft, but that for which they delved was too palpably terrible, The white light of the calcium made the picture more ghastly than over. There were the empty coilins awaiting bodies, corpses ready for coflas and those recovered being hoisted to the street by un- dertakers’ men, At six o’clock tbe men who kept tally As both entrances announced, after comparing motes, that TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY BODIES had been dug out and sent away, A hundred more scemed to be left betind, for on every hand were vis ble the signs of dead people, Portions of garments stuck up here, a boot with a foot tn tt protruded there, and a charred skull blighted the vision eisowhere, In this connection it should be remurked that the bodies found in the lower ters were not so badly disfigured fas those on the apper tiers, Many of them pre sented the appearance of having been crushed rathes than burned to death. Some of them were slightly singed, but most of them were unrecognizable, They were not ail naked, however, as were the greater part of the rest, which may be accounted for by their being Qt the bottom of the heap, whieh the fre had to com sume ore it reached them. all day and evening tho fremen from Johnson an@ Washington streets continued to play upon the centre building, wherein work can hardty be commenced until this morning. SCENES OUTSIDE THR THEATRE Never was such a crowd collected there as asseme bled in front of the Brooklyn Theatre yesterday alters noon, The waste water from the burned theatre flooded the street, and notwithstanding the paving two inches of mud covered the way. Through this mire thousands passed all day long. For biocks in ail directions the pavements were smeared with the soil from she ruined Temple of Momus. The crowd was in all respects different from that which assem. bledin front of the market and Morgue. 11 was com- posed of a crowd of signtsecrs, and few if any of those who bad lost friends went thither. Evory car from the Fulton ferry broaght a living treight to the scene of the disaster. None seomed to realize the full extent of tho horror, and few seemea to have any moro interest in the wreck than as if it were a thousand yoars old. Tho rattle of the car bells, the buzz aud hum of the crowd, the loud ordera to.“fall back’? from blue-coated Irenarchs and the deafening shouts of an army of urchins vending evening papera with tho latest details of the accident, lent a busy interest to the scene foreign tothe vicinity of the dead houses. The multitude bere was much more importunate than elsewhere, and the police found great difficulty tn preserving the line. In the front of the building it was impossible to preserve order, for the storekeepers on Fulton street whose premises rum through from street to street allowed people to enter on Fulton street and emorge on Washington street. ANNOYING THR POLICH, The police wero kept busy all day long fs bustling theso invaders from the pavement and keeping an open space at the entrance to the theatre, through which all the bodies were brought Jobnson street, running at the back of the theatre, being narrow, was more easily guarded, and better order was maintained, Still, many sightseers managed to make their way up to the rear of the burned building and bother the police. It is variously estimated that betwoen 15,000 and 20,000 people viewed the ruins between the hours of tes A. M, and sunset CLAIMING DODIRS FOR THE SPOILS. One of the most horrible incidents connected with the foil catastrophe ts vouched for by Captain Louisa Worth, of the Sixth precinct police. Among the many bodies fecovered was that of Louis Hecht, a bright and promising youth, residing at No, 431 Pulaski street. Louis was clad in good apparel and in addition to @ valuable gold watch and chain wore other articles of jeweiry which were plan to viow as the body lay with the rest in the terrible ranks of mortailiy prepared for identification, Mrj Jacobs Hecht, the parent of the dead boy, slowly tra- versed the line and at last recognized the sought-for remains For a time he was plunged ipto the deopest griet at finding his worst fears realized. He wasradely pushed aside, howevor, by two men who claimed alsoto recognize the corpse as that of a relative aud who en- dcuvored to get permission to remove it. Mr. Hecht spoke to them and clearly showed that it was the body of Lis son, wheroupon they moved off and presently claiined another body that seemed to have valuableg upor it, Atfrst Mr, Hecht thought they wore miss taken, but when they continued such work and three or four other parties tried to claim his sop, and one of them insisted that the personal property on the corpse should be given them, bis eyes were openea. He therefore ieft bis surviving son, about fourteen years of age, to watch over the corpse and protect it from st ghouls while be attempted to ob. tain a permit from the Coroner to remove the re- mains. Failing in this be epgagod a responsible party to watch ¢hem until they could be given up to bim, ‘ SCRNES OUTSIDE THR MORGUB, From early morning until late at aight a surgin crowd swayed around the entrance to the Morgue an clamored for admission, The polico, wearied with long hours of sorvice and unnerved by the sights and scenes around them, were powerless to keep back the army of morbid minded sightseers, Mon, apdcbildren in hundreds collected around the nal house, in hopes of getting a glimpse of the charred and distorted bodies within. Many women with in their artas, and two, and in some cases three, litt! onea Clinging to their skirts congregated the dead house and struggled to gaim admit tance. Many of these had no interest whatev. in the fate of the unfortunates, and only came to the sights. The police and dense crowd these from gaining admittance to the Morgue, of them who were repulsed at the entrance seemed take the matter much to hoart, and left the grumbling loudly at the rudeness of the offcors and the crowd. Jt was astoniabiag where all the people, came from, Thousands wero refused admission, an@ thousands came to repeat requests desied belore, All day long the crowd remained, and each hour to bring Iresh recruits. Young gitia and young mem