Palace Theater

The destruction of the Palace Theatre was reported in the July, 1917, issue of Safety Engineering:

“April 26, 1917. Hazleton, Pa. Palace theater and C. Sasso’s department store. Wyoming and Green streets. Vaudeville and motion pictures; department store. Two 2- and 3-story buildings destroyed. Walls, brick. Floors, wood. Roofs, slag. Cause, unknown. Fire started in rear of stage in theater. Discovered by passerby about 3:45 a. m. Alarm, box. Duration, 10 hours. Stopped at department store. Fire was favored by metal ceilings in both buildings. Private fire apparatus, several lines of hose and extinguishers. Persons in building, none. Injured, 1. Means of escape, fairly good. Value of buildings and contents, $220,000. Property loss, $85,000.”