The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-12-21
The brooklyn Calamity-Inter-
eStinS Incidents.

ONE gentleman who conspicuously
occupied private box, with his wife,
throughout the evening, at the first
cry Of fire abandoned his wife to her
fate and sought his own safety in
flight. lie was saved, but his wife
perjshed This would be called cow
ardly under ordinary circumstances,
but the testimony of many of those
who were saved is that they had no
knowledge whatever as to what they
were doing from the time the terrible
cry Of g fire WAS given until they
found themselves in the street. Men
were found bleeding from serious
wounds who had no idea of how they
were injured. So it is probable that
the man in the box lost his head entire
ly, and, for the time beng, was as
much out of his mind as any lunatic
on BlackWelfs Island, and hence not
responsible for his action. COnSterna-
ton seized on one and all upon the in
slant they saw the flames blazing up
among the scenery; reason was I'M
seated, and it was simply instinct that
taught most of them to fly to the street
for safety. In doing so the ladies
abandoned their seal-skin cloaks, muffs
and other outside garments, while gem
tlemcn forgot their overcOats. hats,
canes, etc Under such circumstances
of universal terror, it would be cruelty
to charge any one with inhumanity.
\ young lady of my acquaintance
was saved by the GOODNESS of her es-
cort. They were sitting near the Or
chestra and when the alarm was given
he said to her: keep cool; rely on
me, and | will save YOU He guided
her into and through the surging
crowd, till finally they reached the
street in safety, but with their CLOTH
ing torn into shreds. While pressing
forward in the frantic crowd, this
young lady was conscious of stepping
on a female form lying upon the floor
and being trampled under foot by the
crazy multitude. The PROSTATE woman
was struggling, but in vain, to regain
her footing, and crying frantically
save my mother" So pathetic was
her appeal, that the clear-headed escort
of the young lady determined to rescue
her if possible, and after leaving his
charge in safety in the street, he did
actually attempt to re-enter the burn
ing theater. But as we'll might he
have attempted to stem the torrent of
Niagara as to force his way through
that struggling mass of humanity.
Other young ladies were abandoned by
their escorts, and left to fight their
way out as best they could, or remain
and perish, as so many of them did.
\ prominent insurance officer in
New York was present with his
daughter, sitting well down in the
parquet. At the first alarm he
joined the crowd pressing for the door,
having his arms tightly clasped around |
his daughters waist. But for this she |
would have been torn from him and |
trampled under foot, for she tainted !
before reaching the door, and was car
ried forward by the surging of the |
crowd and the support of her father. |
He left her with a friend in neigh
boring drug store and returned to the
theater, hoping to be of assistance to
others. Just as he reached the middle
of the street in front of the theater,
there was terrific crash from
within, followed by a terrible
wall Of agony. This was doubt
less when the gallery, with its
load of human freight and the stairs