The New York herald., 1878-10-13
CRUSHED IN A THEATRE.

THE RESULT OF FALSE ALARM OF FIRK-
MASSES OF HUMANITY STRUGGLING FOR
LlFE-NEcIssITY OF PROPER THEATRE
EXITS.
Prom the Evening Telegram OF yesterday
ESPECIAL CABLE DESPATCH TO THE TELEGRAM.
LIVERPOOL, Oct IL, 1878.
Terrible excitement exists In Liverpool to-day
respecting last nights catastrophe, comparable
only that which existed In your city and Brooklyn
after the holocaust at the Brooklyn Theatre, a
couple OF years ago, where such imperfect means
OF exit existed The following are the details Of
the slaughter at the Colosseum Music Hall This
establishment is capable OF holding no less than
four thousand people. 1t is q large building,
somewhat nimsily constructed and much fre.
quentcd by the medium and lower classes to wit
ness the variety performance which is nightly
given. The programme consists OF acrobatic ieats,
with comic songs and recitations alternating
owing to the hard times prevailing, the attend.
ance had fallen or considerably OF late, but last
night 1t happened to be large. Several OF the
audience under the gallery were seen to be, when
the curtain went up, under the influence OF liquor.
and tile officers duty demonstrated with them
and told them that II they were not well be-
haved they would be elected IRON tho place as
disordcriy characters
TEMPORARY QUIET.
namely, till about haii-past eight, while the IA
vorite "Komiker," Mr.. Coyne, was giving one
OF his most humorous songs. The dispute this
time was between some OF the audience, some
drunken ssilors IL s said being the instgators OF
81 afIair The singing was soon stopped, because
0 perfect Babel OF noise existed While this cx.
citement was progressing a general tight com.
menced
"FIREw "rrREr'
"Fire ~ The alarm false one. Almost rs II
by magic o stampede was made for the door. Men,
women and children rushed wildly to make their
escape, and, as they thought, TO save their lives
People from the galleries who had slid down by
the pillars cll OF into the pit and orchestra stalls
seriously wouuding and in some cases killing the
unfortunate wrctcbes pcnned up below. who
were trying to rush out OF the place. The
scene that cnsucd bafIlcs description Prayers
curses and soos were heard on all sides. IL
was Impossible Tor any OF the crowd TO make their
exit, stiu tney fought with desperate energy to
rcacn the street. All discipline and system on the
part Of the officers OF the theatre was at an end.
At last the theatre was empticd, and the police
and Gremen made their way In and removed the
dead. the dying and the wounded. The building
was originally a Unitarian chapel. The only
trance and exit was a divided stairway leading
into the street
THE FIGHT FOR EXISTENCE.
On the stairs Irightu struggle took place.
Men, forgetting oil their manhood, tramplcd over
helpless women and children The screaming OF
the women and the mprecations made an un.
earthly chorus, as OF lost souls. Soon a
mass OF quivering anG dying human beings
was packed in heap at the foot OF the stairs
struggling Tor lie. They were soon surfocated
while others fell on them. Others who had passed
shis point were met by a barrier placed little
peyond the stairway, where dead and wounded
were packed up In pile some six or seven feet
deep The nremen land those Of this city are brave
fellows, must say rushed IN to try and save iife,
but IL was some time before the panic had at all