The Brooklyn Theater Fire on December 5, 1876 - 276 killed
The Brooklyn Theatre fire was a catastrophic theatre fire that broke out on the evening of December 5, 1876 in the city of Brooklyn (now a borough of New York City). The fire took place at the Brooklyn Theatre, near the corner of Washington and Johnson streets, with over a thousand guests attending. The conflagration killed at least 278 individuals, with some accounts reporting more than 300 dead. One hundred and three unidentified victims were interred in a common grave at Green-Wood Cemetery. An obelisk marks the burial site near the main entrance at Fifth Avenue and 25th Street. More than two dozen identified victims were interred individually in separate sections at the Cemetery of the Evergreens in Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn Theatre fire ranks third in fatalities among fires occurring in theatres and other public assembly buildings in the United States, falling behind the 1942 Cocoanut Grove fire and the 1903 Iroquois Theatre fire. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn_Theatre_fire)
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Note - BFD Engine 5 (FDNY Engine 205) was 1st due engine and arrived at 1122 PM shortly after the fire was reported.
The Brooklyn Theatre fire was a catastrophic theatre fire that broke out on the evening of December 5, 1876 in the city of Brooklyn (now a borough of New York City). The fire took place at the Brooklyn Theatre, near the corner of Washington and Johnson streets, with over a thousand guests attending. The conflagration killed at least 278 individuals, with some accounts reporting more than 300 dead. One hundred and three unidentified victims were interred in a common grave at Green-Wood Cemetery. An obelisk marks the burial site near the main entrance at Fifth Avenue and 25th Street. More than two dozen identified victims were interred individually in separate sections at the Cemetery of the Evergreens in Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn Theatre fire ranks third in fatalities among fires occurring in theatres and other public assembly buildings in the United States, falling behind the 1942 Cocoanut Grove fire and the 1903 Iroquois Theatre fire. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn_Theatre_fire)
The Terrible Brooklyn Theater Fire: The Worst Disaster In Brooklyn History - The Bowery Boys: New York City History
It is difficult to discuss calmly the frightful disaster which happened in Brooklyn on Tuesday night. No such awful sacrifice of human life has ever been known in this country, shipwreck and the casualties of war alone being excepted. — New York Times editorial, Dec. 7, 1876 This is a...
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Note - BFD Engine 5 (FDNY Engine 205) was 1st due engine and arrived at 1122 PM shortly after the fire was reported.
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