These observations were made twenty-nine years after the disastrous Brooklyn Theatre fire . Engineer Fred J. Manning , Engine Number 5 , arriving at 11:22 p.m. , testified that the scene doors were about two-thirds open , with " one or two men attempting to bring something out of these doors . " Abner C. Keeny , part owner and contractor of the building , commenting on the fire the following morning , believed that the sudden inrush of air from the scenic entrance fanned the fire and triggered its spread from the stage to the theatre at large , leading to the rapid advance of smoke onto the family circle
Brooklyn Theatre fire
Brooklyn Theatre fire
Theatre Detail Officers