3-070-481 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Burning of the Ring Theatre at Vienna drawn by J. Schönberg from a sketch by Mangold of Vienna, 1881. 'A terrible disaster...The cry of "Fire!" rose from all parts of the crowded building...the narrow passages above were soon blocked up..A few, more fortunate than the rest, crowded upon the exterior balconies...and endured a terrible period of suspense before any assistance could be given to them...the ladders were too short...a large cloth was spread, and first the children and ladies and then the men leapt down one after the other, and were caught..In this way seventy-two persons were saved from the first balcony...Some persons, however, would not avail themselves of this mode of escape, and remained behind. They all perished in the flames. The audience in the upper galleries was meantime shrieking and groaning...many were trampled to death in a few minutes after the outbreak of the fire...The cause of the fire is much discussed. It is believed that one of the stage lamp-lighters, while lighting the...gas jets, set fire to a piece of scenery representing clouds, painted on canvas of a particularly inflammable nature...The number of dead bodies found up to Saturday evening was officially reported at 243, but at least 300 more have perished'. From "Illustrated London News", 1881.