Civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the County of Kings and the City of Brooklyn, N. Y., Part 117

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : Munsell
Number of Pages: 1360

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roughs rush to their respective dressing-rooms, which were on the same side of the stage, immediately in the rear of the upper right-hand box, as viewed from the auditorium, and con- sequently furthest from the stage-door. The dressing-rooms were arranged in tiers, approached by a narrow stairway, which led up to the painter's bridge which spans the stage. Mr. Mur- dock's* room was on the second tier, and Mr. Burroughs't on the third. Changing their clothing, their stage-garments being very scanty, and collecting what valuables they could, they made an effort to descend together, but during the time thus occupied the flames had made such headway, that when they made their appearance, the stairway was one sheet of flame. All chance of escape in this direction was now cut off, and the unfortunate men were compelled to beat a hasty retreat. There was still one chance left-they might effect their escape from the other side of the bridge, and thither they hurried ; but the hungry flames were doing their work here also, and the young men were now surrounded entirely by fire. Alone on the burning bridge-cut off from all aid-their sufferings must have been intense. Whether they made the frightful leap into the burning mass be- neath them, or remained upon the burning bridge until the last, meeting their fate as only men can, will never be known.

* Mr. HENRY S. MURDOCK was engaged in the cast of "The Two Orphans " as Pierre, the cripple, and was the sole support of his widowed mother and two sisters. Mr. Murdock was born in Boston, Aug. 5, 1845, and was con- sequently in the thirty-second year of his age. He received his education in Philadelphia, and made his debut at the Arch Street Theatre in that city, in the winter of 1864. During the season of 1865 he fulfilled an engagement at the Boston Museum, and from there he went to Cincinnati, where he performed at Pike's Opera House until its destruction by fire on March 22, 1866. In this case he narrowly escaped with his life, and lost his entire wardrobe in the fire. He next went to San Francisco, where he played with John Mccullough at the California Theatre. He remained there two years, 1867-8. He then performed short engagements at Washington, Balti- more, St. Lonis and Pittsburgh. In 1872-3 he played at the Arch Street Theatre, Philadelphia, under the management of Mrs. John Drew, taking the parts of " Fop and Walking Gentleman," and upon one or two occasions played leading parts. The season of 1873-4 he spent in Chicago, and acted at Hooley's Theatre, under the management of Mr. Frcd. Williams, of Bos- ton. He resigned his position before the close of the season, to support Miss Clara Morris at the Academy of Music in the same city, then under the management of Mr. C. R. Gardner. During his engagement with Miss Morris he made a decided hit as Armande, in the play of " Camille." At the conclusion of his engagement in Chicago he returned to Boston, where be remained one season, after which he commenced his engagement with Messrs. Shook & Palmer, when he played the part of Sandy Morton, in the play of "Two Men of Sandy Bar," at the Union Square Thea re, New York City. From there he went to the Brooklyn Theatre, on October 9, 1876. Mr. Murdock, whose real name was Hitchcock, was a nephew of Mr. James E. Murdock, the eminent tragedian, and a brother of Frank Murdock, the anthor of " David Crockett." He had a brother in New Orleans, also an actor, whose stage name was William Wallace. Mr. Murdock was an ac- complished and educated gentleman, and a rising actor. During his en- gagement in Boston, he played snch characters as Charles Middlewick, in the play of "Our Boys," and Harry Spreadbear, in "Sweethearts." He gave much satisfaction in Brooklyn in his interpretation of Eustace in "Con- science," Charles Surface in " School for Scandal," and was giving a good renditiou of Pierre, the cripple, in the " Two Orphans," at the time of the fire. He was a good vocalist, and an amateur artist. He had been suffering from sciatica for some time, and the malady had given him considerable pain, during the six weeks previous to his death, causing him to limp painfully at times. He occupied apartments at 53 Concord street, Brook- lyn, where his uncle, Mr. Henry Murdock, resided.

t Mr. CLAUDE BURROUGHS made his first appearance on the stage at the Winter Garden, New York City, in 1865, playing in " Hamlet" with Edwin Booth. At the conclusion of his engagement with Mr. Stuart, who was then managing the Winter Garden, he came to Brooklyn, where he played light comedy parts in the Park Theatre, then under Mrs. Conway's management. Upon the opening of the Union Square Theatre, New York City, by Messrs. Shook & Palmer, Mr. Burroughs was engaged to play light parts. His first appearance at that theatre was as a Reporter in " Agnes," the first piece pro- duced in the honse, and he had been in the cast of nearly every play produced there. Upon a few occasions, when not playing in New York, he accepted engagements in Brooklyn. He was the Fop in " Atherly Court," the Fop in "Jane Eyre," Maxime in "Ferrol," and a very clever representative of Talbot Champneys in "Our Boys." At the time of 'iis death he was playing Picard, the valet, in the "Two Orphans." He was but twenty-six years old, and unmarried.

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

The bodies of the two actors were found together, and it was apparent that they had died at the same time-perhaps when the Johnson street wall of the theatre fell, thereby depriving tho stage of its support.

Fortunately all the ladies engaged in the second and previous act had left the theatre as soon as they had performed their parts, and so escaped any danger.

ACTION OF THE PUBLIC AUTHORITIES. - In response to a call from Mayor Schroeder, a special mecting of the Brooklyn Board of Aldermen was held at four o'clock, Wednesday, December 6th, 1876. The Common Council Chamber was filled with citizens. who took a deep interest in the proccedings of the Board. The roll having been called, and considerably more than a quorum of the aldermen having responded to their names, Alderman French, the President of the Board, called for the reading of a special message from Mayor Schroeder. The docu- ment was as follows :

" MAYOR'S OFFICE, Dec. 6, 1876. To the Honorable the Common Council :

GENTLEMEN, -I have ealled you together to-day to deliberate and take action concerning the terrible calamity which has be fallen the people of this city, in tho burning of the Brooklyn Theatre last night. It is impossible at this hour to estimate the number of human beings who havo perished in the conflagration, though already over one hundred have been exhumed. From such observations as I have been able to make among the ruins, I do not think the relatives and friends of the dead will be able in many cases to identify the bodies of those whose loss, under circumstanees of such horror, must be mourned with unequaled grief. For this reason, it seems to me, arrangements, should be made by the publie authorities for the burial of the unrecognized dead, in a manner becoming a sympathetic and Christian people. To this end a committee should be at once appointed, and our merehants and tradespeople should close their stores on the day of the funeral, and participate in the obsequies. If, in addition, it should transpire that inany homes have been deprived of their support, by the loss of a father, brother, husband, or son, the at- tention of our churches and charitable institutions and our wealthy citizens should be promptly called to the fact, in order that neither the reality nor apprehension of immediate want may be superadded to an affliction in itself almost insup- portable.

Respectfully, FREDERICK A. SCHROEDER, Mayor."

At the conclusion of tho reading of the Mayor's message, President Fisher arose and, after a few feeling words, presented the following resolutions :

"Resolved, That a committee of nine be appointed to take into consideration the duty incumbent upon the municipal au- thorities, in view of the recent destruction of the Brooklyn Theatre, and the calamitous results flowing therefrom.

Resolved, That there be a special meeting of this Board at two o'clock, P. M., Thursday, the 7th inst., to receive report from said committee and take action thereon.

Resolved, That said committee be authorized to confer upon this subject with other organizations, official or other- wise."

These resolutions were appropriately seconded by Alderman Murtha, and unanimously adopted, and President Fisher ap- pointed tho following Aldermen as inembers of the committee called for : Aldermen Fisher, Burnett, Black, Murtha, Arnot, Rowley, Acker, Donovan and Guthrie.

Alderman Fisher announced that the Board of Supervisors had met earlier in tho afternoon, and had appointed a committee composed of Supervisors Strong, Sexton, Curran, Harman, Brown, Ryder and Byrne to confer and co-operate with tho committeo of the Board of Aldermen. He proposed that tho eounnittee, of which he was the chairman, should meet in the Common Council Chamber immediately on the adjournment of the Board.

A motion that the Board of Aldermen should hokl a special inceting. December 7, at two o'clock r. M., was earriod.

THE NUMBER THAT PERISHED. - Two hundred and ninety-five human beings were known to have perished in the flames of this ill-fated theatre. One hundred and ninety-seven of the

bodies were identified and taken away by their friends, and the ninety-eight unidentified bodies were buried by the city.

Iuimediately after the calamity, a Relief Committee of 250 of the first citizens of Brooklyn commenced their earnest work to assist the afflicted relatives of the dead. All of the theatres of Brooklyn and New York gave benefits, which were liberally attended, and over $40,000 was obtained by the united action of the committee, and the dramatic performances. The number of people who received aid from the fund was between five and six hundred. In some cases there were as many as five and six in one family. The highest amount paid to any one family was §20 per week, which was the case of a widow with eight children. The fund lasted over a year.

'To do justice to all of the good citizens who showed their deep sympathy and took an active part, would require more space than here allotted. His Honor Mayor Schroeder, the members of the Common Council, and many of the first clergy- men of the city, including Henry Ward Beecher, did them- selves lasting honor. Actors and managers of theatres every- where through the country did nobly, and gave another evidence of their proverbial disposition for deeds of charity.

THE FUNERAL IN COLD AND STORM .- At two o'clock on Saturday, December the 9th, the gleam of bayonets was reflected from the struggling sunshine that peeped out now and then between the broken, dark storm-clouds.

The military were arrayed along Schermerhorn street. The head of the procession was nearing the point of establishmen of the right of the line. At Flatbush and Fulton avenue june tion it halted for ten minutes while the disposition of the various parts of the proces-ion was perfected. The Twenty third Regiment, that had marched up in hollow square forma tion, opened and rested at "order arms," while the Forty seventh Regiment passed through and took the right of the line Then the hearses and undertakers' wagons were broken from single to a double column, and the Twenty-third Regiment wa placed as a guard of honor, surrounding that portion of th mournful cortege. Then the march was begun, and the boiste' ous cold winds bore fitfully the strains of the saddening dirg played by a full band of sixty pieces, with the procession follow ing, at funeral pace and slow, in the following order :

Squad of Mounted Police-Sergeant Johnson, Alderman Fishe and Supervisor Quimby. Committoes, in Carriages. Forty-Seventlı Regiment Band. Forty-Seventh Regiment. Detachment of Fourteenth Regiment. Gatling Battery, without piece. Conterno's Band. Twenty-Third Regiment, as Guard of Honor, leading the dlan ing first Hearses. Hearses-Seventecn. Forty-five Undertakers' Wagons, with from one to four Coffins each. Carriages with Relatives and Friends. Carriages with Ministers and Officials. Thirteenth Regiment and Drum Corps of forty pieces.

All along Flatbush avenno and the line of march, the si walks were crowded with spectators, all with sad faces, A the DIRGE, which the band had been playing, ceased for time, whilo tho roll of forty muflled tenor drums marked t time of tho military. Solemnly impressive as had been t music of tho band, it seemed less effective than the roll of 1 drums. Now and then could be heard tho deep knell of t eity's fire and church bells, as the bitter, violent north wil swept from that portion of the eity. This effect had almost 1 form of melody, and impressod itself on the heart as monote sobs; and the air grew heavy with the weight of those me ured pulsations of half-voiced articulatives that seemed to d.

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lown from the black fringing clouds of the heavens. Along both sidewalks moved steadily a silent multitude; there was 10 talking to beguile the weary way ; only a sullen resistance to he frenzy of the gale, which, bitter as it was, seemed as a right contrast to the sufferings of the helpless hundreds who vere had been roasted, like hecatombs, alive.

The drums ceased, and from the military bands wailed forth nother dirge, more weirdly sad than the first. A trembling, brilling cry, as of a stricken soul, voiced by a single cornet a high trembling note, accompanied the deep sub-sonorous ounds of the base instruments, which seemed to utter sighs s they kept time to the dramatic situation.

The march was a terrible one, for its deep oppressive gloom, ne deadly cold, the grief on every hand ; but that portion of ixth avenue to the gate of Greenwood Cemetery was in all re- pects the worst. All the way across the wide vacant spaces to- ard the bay, the ice-blast seemed the breatlı of death itself. t three o'clock, the funeral halted on "Battle Hill," where le arrangements for the interment of the bodies in one com- on grave had already been made. Here a circular trench had een cut, seven feet deep and thirteen feet wide, surrounding a und sodded space ten feet in diameter, upon which a monu- ent was to stand. One by one, the hearses and the undertakers' agons passed up the main avenue, each in turn stopping to posit its ghastly freight, and then moving away. Twelve metery employees received the coffins and lowered them to eir last resting-place. They were placed in double row, the ads all pointing toward the monumental centre. The work is not delayed, but was necessarily slow. Meanwhile the ceme- ry bell kept up its sad tolling, "rolling on the human heart a one." The fury of the gale soon made it evident that human durance would not be able to bear any protracted obsequies. ith wonderful fortitude, not less than five thousand persons aintained their places around the grave. At length, the coffins re all in place, containing 101 bodies. Sixty German singers, embers of the Brooklyn Saengerbund, South Brooklyn Quartet ub, Schuetzenfest, and Brooklyn Maennerchor, led by W. oschel, stood upon the centre plot and sang Abt's "Repose." 'te Rev. John Parker read the Episcopal burial service. The v. Dr. Putnam, instead of the extended funeral oration ich he had prepared for the occasion, announced that the Creme cold would preclude the possibility of its delivery, and Ed a few brief words on the uncertainty of life and the blessed l pes of immortality. Then a benediction was pronounced ] the Rev, Mr. Odell, and the ceremony concluded with the ging by the Germania choir of Kuhlan's beautiful choral, ".bove all summits there is repose."

Che graves were soon -filled in, and many of the spectators tok up handfuls of earth and dropped them reverently into t trench before turning away for their homes. One man, a slwart Englishman named Weeden, a Long Island farmer, spod on the central plot until all had departed, and with tear- dimed eyes bent upon the earth-covered coffins, he dropped s le flowers; for among that group of unrecognized dead rested h son.

'he early evening shadows fell upon the great mound rounded or the unclaimed dead, with a fragile but beautiful monument in he form of a large floral crown and cross, placed there by the G'mania Theatre Company. The wind had ceased its howling, tl'night became clear and bitter cold, and the bright stars in tl dark blue of the heaven looked like crystallized tears quiver- il cver the hill of the dead.

HE ACTORS' FUNERAL .- On Sunday afternoon, December 10th, tl funeral services of the two actors, Mr. HARRY MURDOCK and 1. CLAUDE BURROUGHS, took place in the "Little Church Around tl Corner," in Twenty-ninth street, New York City. Long be- fc the hour of service, two o'clock, a large crowd was gathered allt the doors and in the church. The celebrated Dr. Houghton cc ducted the service. At the words " Ashes to ashes," there

was a visible movement of agitation among the congregation, which comprised nearly all the leading members of the dramatic profession in the city. After the short burial-service had been read, the musical portion of the sad rites took place. Mesdames Gulager and Pappenheim, Conradi, Gomien and McDonald, and Messrs. Fritsch and Sohst, had volunteered, with Carl Berg and Louis Dachauer at the organ. "I know that my Redeemer liveth " was given with tearful effect. At the conclusion of the service, the coffins, which were covered with flowers, were carried to the hearses, followed by the pall-bearers. The coffin containing the remains of Harry Murdock was taken to the Pennsylvania Rail- road Depot, at Jersey City. Claude Burroughs' remains were conveyed to the receiving vault in Second avenue, in New York City.

THE MEMORIAL SERVICES, for all of the dead, were held on Sun- day night in many churches of New York, and in Brooklyn at the Academy of Music, Hooley's Opera House and Park Theatre. In all of them, crowds of people assembled to do homage to the memory of the lost. Among the speakers, Henry Ward Beecher was prominent. He held forth at Hooley's Opera House, on Court street, where now stands the new Dime Savings Bank. The Rev. Dr. Storrs was at the Academy of Music. At the Park Theatre the Episcopal burial service was read by Dr. D. N. Miller, and Rev. Dr. Theodore L. Cuyler delivered a feeling address. In many other churches throughout the city special services were held ; in fact, the whole Sabbath day was devoted to the memory of the heart-rending accident, and its afflictions to the living relatives.

A Monument now lifts its tall and graceful marble shaft where lie the congregated dead of this frightful calamity. "There is no evil so great but some good will come out of it." Every community throughout the civilized world took a lesson from the sad mishap by providing better safeguards for the es- cape of large assemblies of people, whether in theatres, concert-halls, or churches.

The ruins of the burnt theatre stood undisturbed until 1879, when Messrs. McCue, Kingsley and Keeney erected on the site, what is now known as

"Haverly's Theatre." It opened under his management, October 4th, 1879. The front of the theatre this time was placed on Johnson street, and in its construction cvery care was taken to make its places of egress equal to the greatest emergency, so that a full house can be emptied within the short space of five minutes.

We must now, in our condensed history of the drama in Brooklyn, go back to the days when the Conways left the management of the Park Theatre to risk their little fortune in the ill-fated Brooklyn Theatre, in 1871. Shortly after they took up their new dramatic abode, Messrs. Carroll and Mccluskey became the managers of the little Park Theatre, at the head of which they remained for about a year, performing melodramas and sensational plays with but moderate success. After these gentlemen came Mr. John P. Smith, who held the theatre for about the same length of time, with little, or no better success. In

1873 the owner of the property leased the Park Theatre to Mr. A. R. Samuells, who, at a large expensc,

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

altered it so that the parquette floor was on a level with the street (a great improvement), and the theatre was made equal in appointments to the new Brooklyn Theatre. It was then called the " New Park Theatre." But it did not snceeed under Mr. Samuells' manage- ment. In

1874 Mr. Edward Lamb, a genial gentleman and an excellent comedian, and a great favorite with the Brooklyn public, while under the Conways' management of the Park Theatre, now became the next lessee of the New Park Theatre. He opened it with a good com- pany, and played many of the best " star combinations," among whom were John Brougham, John E. Owens, Miss Lueille Western and others. Mr. Lamb's manage- ment was of short duration.

1875 .- The lessceship next fell into the hands of Colonel William E. Sinn, and up to the present time he still holds possession. Mr. Sinn was a man of great energy and business tact, and it can be safely said that he made more money during his management than any person who ever controlled the destinies of the Park Theatre. In rapid sneeession he played all of the best stars in the country, whether of tragedy, comedy, or English opera. It was a rare thing not to see the house filled to overflowing. The little Park Theatre, of which the writer had the honor of being the founder, has been the most successful place of amusement in the city of Brooklyn.

1876 .- Mr. George Wood, for many years man- ager of " Wood's Museum," New York, took Hooley's Opera House on Court street, and, re-decorating the whole interior, made it a beautiful little theatre. He opened it in the early part of this season with a small but excellent company. During his management, he produced some of the best light comedics, and several of the best combination companies performed there, with moderate success. Among these combinations were Daly's Fifth Avenue company, of New York.

On February 25th, 1848, Mr. Gabriel Harrison pro- duced for the first time his dramatization of Haw- thorne's " Scarlet Letter." His daughter, Viola Harri- son, made her first appearance upon any stage, in the character of Hester Prynne. Mr. Harrison painted new scenery for his own piece, and produced the drama with every detail of stage effects. The play had a run for an entire week to crowded houses, and the press of New York and Brooklyn spoke of the drama and per- formance in the highest terms. It is so seldom that an American play, in plot, is produced, that the cast of characters, &c., &c., becomes a dramatic fact worthy of record.

" THE SCARLET LETTER."

Roger Chillingworth, Gabriel Harrison

Hester Prynne Miss Viola Harrison

Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale .. E. E. Barry Mr. Bellingham, Governor of Boston, MA88 J. E. Howe

Rev. Mr. Wilson. T. R. Hann

Master Townsman .J. Montgomery

Citizen Raison. .J. Warner

Master Brackett (Town Beadle).

J. Greaver

Captain Goodwill.

W. Denny

Pearl, 7 years old. Miss Florence May

Mistress Hibbins, Governer Billingham's sister, and

a New England witch Mrs. Lemiene

Mistress Gossip Miss Edmonson

Mary Mercy. Miss Nelson

Mistress Small

Miss Storer

Witches and Indians:

Swamp- Fox J. Howard

Spear- Head. B. Failes

Fleet- Wing. .. D. Carroll

Blighted-Trunk, 80 years old G. Lentus

Weeping- Willow. Miss Foot

Scenery and Incidents in Boston, A. D. 1861.

Mr. Wood, though one of the most careful mana- gers in the country, failed to make this theatre a financ- ial suceess, and closed its doors in the early spring.

1879 .- The Hooley Opera House changed its name to the Court Square Theatre, and successively fell into the hands of several itinerant managers, who all failed of success. It then was leased to a Mr. Bun- nell, who turned the place into what he called a " Dime Museum," which under his management, was a suc- cess, and so it continued until May, 1883, when the property was sold to the Brooklyn Dime Savings Bank ; and, upon the spot of this once popular place of amuse- ment, now stands the splendid building that is one of the architectural adornments of the eity.

The next place of amusement that started up in the City of Brooklyn was

The Standard (or "Volks") Theatre. sitnated on Adams street, west side, and a few door: south of Myrtle avenue. This building was originally a market. It soon failed as sueh, and remained elosed før several years. The upper floor of this building was at one time used as a ball-room, with an entrance to it on Myrtle avenue.

Messrs. Hyde and Behman beeame lessees of this property, and taking out the upper floor converted the place into a theatre, and opened it as such on May 19tl1, 1877. The class of amusements given thierein i- known as " Varieties," and was visited by men and boys only, and for this style of amnsement the place became a great success.

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Civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the County of Kings and the City of Brooklyn, N. Y., Part 117

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909. Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : Munsell Number of Pages: 1360

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : Munsell
Number of Pages: 1360