Red Bank, NJ Opera House Burns, June 1905

BOSTON IDEALS BURNED OUT.

COMPANY LOSES COSTUMES AND PROPERTIES IN RED BANK THEATRE.

Special to The New York Times.
Red Bank, N. J., June 24. -- The Red Bank Opera House was destroyed by fire early this morning. Two hours after the alarm was given nothing was left of the structure but a pile of twisted iron and bricks.
Adjoining the Opera House to the east is the Central House, in which were forty members of the Boston Ideal Opera Company. Those in the hotel knew nothing of the fire until some one ran through the halls and gave the alarm. Then there was a wild scramble to escape.
The actors, aided by firemen, stuffed the personal effects of the company into trunks, which they carried down from the bedrooms.
In the theatre were all the costumes used in the numerous operas in the company's repertoire, besides property effects and music. Not a thing was saved from the burning building, and the manager went to New York this morning to get costumes for the company. It is to appear at Asbury Park next week.
In a narrow passage between the Opera House and the hotel a number of firemen played streams of water to keep the flames from the hotel. Most of them were members of independent engine companies.
When the roof of the theatre fell the side wall on the east side collapsed with a crash, burying some of the fire fighters under the debris.
Several were severely hurt. JOHN HOLMSTODT'S shoulder and hip were dislocated, and he was burned and cut. He was so firmly imbedded in the mass that his rescuers were ten minutes or more in liberating him. FRANK DICKMAN and DEWITT CARHARAT were cut by flying bricks and THOMAS DAVIS'S back was injured.
It is not likely that the opera house will be rebuilt. The total loss is put at $35,000.

The New York Times New York 1905-06-25
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!