3-070-524 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Burning of the Municipal Theatre at Nice: the fire viewed from the Rue St. Francis de Paul, 1881. 'A terrible disaster, which has caused the loss of nearly a hundred lives, took place at Nice on the Wednesday night of last week. The Municipal Theatre, at the opera representation of "Lucia di Lammermoor," by a special company of performers from Italy, with Signora Bianca Donadio for "prima donna," was occupied by a large audience... the pit and galleries were crowded, at the time when the fire broke out...It was caused by an explosion of gas at the back of the stage...in the upper galleries...there was a frightful panic and crush. Most of the helpless victims there were suffocated by the thick smoke; others were thrown down and trampled upon. It is said that not above ten or a dozen of these in the upper gallery escaped alive. Sixty-three dead bodies were got out of the ruins next day, but many more are believed to have perished...Signora Bianca Donadio escaped from her dressing-room, as did also most of the opera company, and M. Strakosch, the manager; but the basso, Signor Cottoni, was suffocated...The fire was extinguished about midnight; the town fire-brigade were assisted by soldiers of a French regiment, and by a party of French sailors'. From "Illustrated London News", 1881.