Fire Destroys Comedy Theatre

By Angela Gooch on December 12th, 2007

Source: Skegness Herald 1901

THE COMEDY THEATRE DESTROYED BY FIRE

Between one and two on Tuesday morning last, the Comedy Theatre, a wooden structure in the Lumley Hotel yard, and two wooden lock-up shops adjacent were totally destroyed by fire. The contents of the theatre, comprising the wardrobe and appointments, piano, etc belonging to Mr. Haggar’s theatrical company, have all been lost, and Mr. and Mrs. Haggar and family who were sleeping in a living waggon close to the theatre, narrowly escaped being burnt to death, as the waggon and its contents a re consumed in a very short time.

The origin of the fire is unknown, but it is supposed that after the performance the previous night someone dropped a lighted match on the sawdust, which smouldered for two or three hours till it ignited more inflammable material.

At half-past eleven on Monday night everything was apparently right, but shortly after one Mr. Haggar was awoke by fire and he and his family had barely time to escape with their lives.

An alarm was at once given, the fire bell rung, and the engine and brigade, and a large number of other willing helpers soon on the spot. Every assistance was rendered that was possible, but in consequence of the inflammableness of the material the whole was burnt in a very short space of time.

The brigade prevented the fire spreading to other adjacent property. The wood partition belonging to Mr. Wingate’s house had caught fire, but this was soon extinguished. It was fortunate that there was no wind at the time, or otherwise the railway station opposite or the Lumley Hotel on the one side and the villas on the other might not have escaped.

The wooden shops belonged to Mr. Dawson, fish dealer, and we understand that none of the property was insured. The result of the fire is that the theatrical company are not only thrown out of employment but have lost all that they were possessed of.

A subscription has been set on foot on behalf of the company, and an entertainment is to be given for their benefit in the new concert room at the Baths on Saturday evening next, and it is hoped that it will be largely patronized.

Previous to the entertainment on Saturday evening Mrs. Walter Martin is going to give a supper to the lifeboat crew and the coastguardmen, all of whom will afterwards be present in their uniforms at the entertainment to be given in the new concert room. This will no doubt prove an additional attraction to a large number of the visitors.