Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-02-16
Fatal Results OF False Alarm Of Fire
In Crowded Theater Building.


CINCINNATI, Ohio Feb. s.
THE allegory of 1.-THE Great Republic"
has been upon the stage at Robinson s
Opera House for the past two nights, un-
der the auspices of the Cincinnati Relief
Association. The proceeds were to be APP
piled to the relief Of the suffering poor of
the city The performers, numbering
nearly 600 children, were taken from the
public schools of the city; and, as the OBJ
iect was worthy one, and those who took
part children of old residents OF the city,
vast audiences were present at each pre-
sentation Of the allegory. The weather
this afternoon being propitious and there
being no session of the public schools,
the matinee audience in most part
was composed Of women and children
About half-past two O'Clock, while the
great house was densely packed and the
thousands of children among the audience
were at the height OF their enjoyment,
some boy in the gallery, through mischief
or ignorance, raised the cry of fire, as the
red light from the colored fires used in the
piece flashed out from the wings. Every
inch OF the theater was occupied, and the
dense crowd was pressing and surging
about the stair cases and in front Of the
doors. Some one in the audience took up
the cry Of fire, and it was re-echoed from
near the door by some one who caught n
glimpse OF red glare from the stage. There
was an immediate rush for the front doors.
A child was pushed down the steps and
screamed. Immediately after man thrust
his arm through window, and the scream
and crash were enough to set the panic in
full force.
The scene was terrible one in the mar
row vestibule leading to the street. The
people in the rear, mad with fear, pressed
upon those in front, shouting and ours
ing. Men, terror stricken, struck down
helpless woman and children in front, or
climbed over their heads to the top of the
staircase, and precipitated themselves
upon the screaming and bleeding mass of
children and women in the hallway.
The scene in and about the Opera House
after the accident was heartrending. The
news of the catastrophe spread like wild
fire over the city, and from every direction
came people hurrying to the scene until
the squares were impossible.
There are many conflicting stories as to
the origin of the panic. The building
was filled, from parquet to gallery, with
dense mass, which not only filed all the
seats and aisles, but crowded the stair
ways, and hundreds were outside seeking
to gain admission. Behind the scenes
were 500 school children, who were to
take part in the performance. When the
false alarm was given the audience be-
came panic stricken, and a rush was made
for the stairways. Some are said to have
leaped from the balcony upon the crowd
below. The lower circle OF the house is
but few steps above the level of the
street, but the steps are narrow, and soon
became blocked by the surging crowd in
size the house Multitudes were pressing
for the doorway, and in the panic women
and children were Overthrown and
trampled to death by the panic-stricken
crowd. The scene beggars description.
The alarm rapidly spread throughout the
city, and those who had wives or children
there hurried forward to their rescue.
A few heroic men placed themselves
near the doorway and endeavored to as
sure people there was no danger, and an
effort was made from the stage to check
the mad career of the affrighted audience,
but quiet was not restored until number
were tramped to death and many seri-
ously injured. Those able to walk at
once made their way homeward those
more seriously injured were taken to the
Ninth Street Station house and &c the
Commercial Hospital, and the dead were
gathered in one of the offices of the
Opera House Up to eight o'clock to-
night the following had been reported:
KILLED AND INJURED.
Mrs. Alfred White and her son Harry,
aged twelve; Mrs. Nancy Clark, reported
to have died from heart disease, caused by
excitement; August and Fred Loesch,
hrntharS inh nd I.tt
Leslie, age twelve; James Crowley, age
seven; Anna Mai Rienzi, of Alton, Ill,
who was visiting friends here; Miss
Feronica Massatt, age twenty Mrs
Henry kessler, suffered a severe concus-
sion of the brain, and is reported dead this
evening. One unknown woman dead
Among the injured are Fred. Strasburg,
Miss Pumphey, Master Harry Bliss, and
child named Coddington.
LATER
The following additional particulars of
the disaster have been learned: Carry Uhl
had the base of her skull crushed, and
collar bone broken; Mrs. Anna Flood was
hurt in the breast seriously; Mrs. Lyon
was injured internally; and Mrs. White,
who was killed, had five children with
her, one Of whom was killed another, the
youngest, was found clasped in her arms
uninjured.
Mrs. Rienzi of Alton, was in the gal.
lery, and was ether pushed over the rail
ing or jumped to the floor below, striking
on her head
CINCINNATI, Feb. g.
Information tonight from those injured
at the Robinson Opera House. yesterday,
Is favorable. Mrs. Henry Kessler, re-
ported dead is still living and will ra