The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-10-15 00:00:00

PANIC IN • THEATRE AT LIVERPOOL

MIMI SOUL

Livo-a, Friday Night.
A terrible peak occurred to-night in the Colosseum
Theatre, Paradiseetreet, Liverpool. The theatre is
patronised by the working dames, and bolds between
four and five thousand people. It was crowded at the
time of the accident, which occurred at twenty
minute. pest eight. Mr. Fred Coyne, a comic
vocalist, was singing the last verse of a song, when •
fight took place In the pit, which caused a disturbance.
Some person or persona at the back of the pit raised
• cry of "Fire." A panic at once took place. The
ponces in the upper circle robe from their meta and
made a wild rush to the main entrance, which appears
to be the only available exit from those parts of the
house. The manager, Mr. Jacob Goodman, hearing
the cry, left the ticket-box where he was receiving
the money, and making his way into the theatre,
shouted to the people to remain seated, ensuring them
that there was no danger, and that there were ample
means for extinguishing any fire that might break out.
His words, however. were lost upon the excited crowd.
Though no symptoms of fire were apparent, the
surging mob crowded to the doors, the streams from
the pit and mow circle converging in • sort of well at
the bottom of the stairs. Here a door-poet further
helped to berth. way. The 'vault waa a shocking and
deadly crush. The people fell headlong down the
stairs until they lay in • pile five and six deep, After
some time • man attached to the theatre procured an
age and cut away the poet, and the police, who had
assembled with great promptness. Amsted by some of
the tamers by. began to extricate the fallen men and
women. 39 were taken to the Royal Infirmary, but on
arrival no fewer than 33 were dead.
Only nix paired the examination of the first doctor,
three were taken to the wards as partially suffocated,
two were able to leave in a abort time, and one man,
who appeared to be more drunk than injured, re-
mained to allow of his natural recovery. The 33
dead bodies were placed In • room apart, which they
completely filled. There were only two women
amongst them. Several of the bodies were those of
boys and youths. All showed by their distended
mouths that death wee from suffocation. Few bore
marks of external injury.
The official. of the theatre and all who have been
questioned on the subject are unanimous in declaring
that there was no outbreak of fire and that the
alarm was entirely unfounded. Mr. Goodman, the
manager. offers a reward of 420 for information of
the person who raked it, and who is supposed to have
&MO so from sheer malice. The orchestra and some
of Una interior fittings of the theatre were broken
down. After the people had all left the theatre •
portion of the cellist over the back of the pit was
noticed to have fallen. It is possible that this may
have given rise to the cry of fire.
The Colosseum is • theatre much frequented by the
poorer class in Liverpool. It stands in a street which,
although running at right angles with the finest line
of thoroughfares in the town, may be described as a
molt of combination of the New.cut and Wapping.
The theatre was at one time a lace of worship
belonging to a Direnting body, bathed been in great
part reconstructed to suit It. later purpose. It should,
= be discribed :saw as a wasio-hal than a