Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-02-10
A TERRIBLE CALAMITY.
A CRY OF FIRE IN A CROWD.
ED OPERA HOUSE.
Nine Women and Children Kill.
ed in the Stampede.

CINCINNATI, Feb. "a terrible dis
aster occurred this afternoon at RObiH-
sons Opera House, during the perform
ance of The AllegOry of the Great Re-
public. The proceeds we've to be ap-
piled to the suffering poor of the city.
The performers, numbering nearly six
hundred children, were taken from tine
public schools of the city. The wealth
er this afternoon being prOpitious, and
there being no session of the public
schools, the matinee audience in most
part consisted of women and children.
About half past 2 O'Clock, while the
great house was densely packed, and
the thousands of children in the audi
ence were at the height of their enjoy
ment, some boy in the gallery, either
through mischief or ignorance, raised
the cry of tirs as the red light from the
colOred fires used in the piece flashed
cut from the wings. Every inch of the
theatre was occupied, and the dense
crowd WAS pressing and surging about
the staircases and in front of the dcors.
Some one in tile audience took up the
cry of fire, and it was re-echOed from
near the door by some one who caught
a glimpse of the red glare from the
stage. There was an Immediate rush
for the front doors, and 0 ohiId was
pushed from the steps and screamed
Immediately afterward man thrust
his arm through the HindOW and the
crash was enough tn set the panic in
full force. The scene was u terrible one.
In the narrow vestibule which led to-
ward the streets, the people who were
in the rear, mad with fear, pressed
upon those in front, showing and curs-
Ing. Men, terror stricken, struck down
helpless women and children in front,
or climbed over their heads to the top
of the staircase and preeipitated them
selves upon the screaming and bleed
ing mass of children and women in the
hallway. The scene In and about the
Opera House after the accident was
heart rending. The news of The catas-
trOphe spread like Wildfire over the
city, and from every direction came
people hurfying to the scene, until the
square was inpassable.
There are many conflicting stories rs
to the origin OF the panic. The build
ing was filled with dense mass who
not only filled all the seats and aisles,
but crowded the stairways and hund-
TtuS WoiS OulSlut SeehiUk ~ gam tu"
trance. Behind the scenes were five
hundred school children who were TO
take part in the performance, which
consisted Of ALI allegory of the Repub-
lie. As the time approached for the
commencement of the calcium light in
the gallery flashed its glare upon the
stage, and Immediately cry of fire
was raised. The audience became panic
stricken and a rush was made for the
stairway. Some are said to have es-
capped from the balcony on the crowd
below. The lower circle of the house is
but few STEPS above the level of the
street, tut the steps are narrow and the
door became blocked by the surging
crowd inside of 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. Nine persons,
mostly children and young persons
were killed outright, and over twenty
were wounded.