The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-12-28
Every body Rushed Towards the Exits When q
Woman Called Fire, and q Terrible Strug-
gle on the BlOckaded Stairway Resulted.
Children and Women Cruelty Trampled
Under the Feet of Strong Men.
Nine of the Former and q Nan Found Lifeless
When the Excitement Had Subsided-Sey-
eral Instances of Heroic Conduct.
PANIC IN A THEATER.


LONDON, Dec GA frightful panic oc-
Cured Saturday night in the Royal Thea
ter, Gateshead. resulting in the loss of a
number of lives. Gateshead is consider
able city in Durham. and as nearly the
whole population is engaged IN the manu-
featuring industries during the week. the
places of amusement are usually crowded
OH Saturday. Yesterday, owing to the
Christmas season. the Royal Theater was
thrOnged with working people. The au-
dience, while not unruly, INDUCED In more
license than is allowed in most London
theaters, and boys smoked in the balcony
without any apparent objection on the
part of the attendants. The piece on the
stage was of a sort familiar in the provin-
cialmanufacturing places, including magic.
sleight-of- hand and other variety. One of
the boys smoking got so interested in the
play that be accidentally dropped burn
ing match on the people below him. The
match set fire to some of the theatrical fur
niture, exactly what is not vet known, but
at any rate the slight blaze communicated
to a partition.
A woman noticed the fire and shrieked
that the theater was burning. At once tho
audience, which had been all attention to
the play. was aroused, and not compre-
bending the exact danger, made q sudden
and simultaneous rush to escape. Every
aisle and avenue became packed and the
audience, which was numerous enough to
have made exit slow and difficult had
there been no panic, became one painting,
struggling mass of cursing men and crying.
half sutfocated women and children.
The strong. hearty men from iron-works
and mills showed no pity for the weaker
sex. Ii a woman child fell beneath the
strain. she or it was at once crushed under
iron-shod heels. Men climbed each
others heads and sought to tread over the
sQuirming mass of humanity safety.
Women pleaded for their little ones, hold
ing them above their heads as far arms
could reach andthe babes, with the breath
being squeezed ont of them, were saved in
several instances by being grasped In the
strong hands of men able 20 hold them
with one arm above tie crowd.
THEIR Ines eEAzirDo. OCT. '--
Down the main staircase the multitude
struggled and painted. The janitor had
rushed to open the door at the foot of the
stairs. The solid crowd fell on him like an
immense Krupp hammer, crushing the life
ont of his body. which was flattened TO the
door. Down with him went eight or ten at
the head of the mass, and they, too. had
the lives stamped ont of them. Behind, the
shrieks ana loud oaths, with appeals for
mercy and eXecrations against the Creator,
made a hell; in front at the foot of the
stairs was the rampant of dying and dead,
over which the escaping multitude had to
climb.
Meanwhile those on the stage had not
been idle. 1t was soon apparent to the.
players that the panic had little or no
cause. aud that they should appeal to the
people to be still. One actor in the attire
OF a magician, climbed into the balcony
from the stage and implored the audience
to be calm. Return to your seats" he
cried, there is no fire; the only danger is
in your panic" Some of those in the rear
turned at his words, and stopped their
share In the mad struggle to get out. but
the large majority needed not the warning.
and pressed on. Two men. thinking thoy
had no other way of escape. leaped from
tho windows into the street and were se-
verely injured. Many slid down into the
pit by the supports of the balcony.
When the theater was at length emptied
and the panic over it was found that ten
were dead and thatmany others had broken
limbs and were otherwise seriously in
jured. The fire itself, which had given oc-
casion TO the horror was but slight af-
fair, having only burned through thin
partition. and was easily extinguished with
two buckets of water. lt was sufii Gent
however. to make some smoke, which hung
about the ceiling, and the sight of the
smoke had much TO do with perpetuating
the panic when it might otherwise have
been calmed. The city of Gateshead has
been thrown into general mourning by the
calamity, and all to-day the theater was
guarded by police from the multitude of
the curious. Many pathetic incidents oc-
CURED in the terrible crush for the doors,
but it is also stated that the display of
brutal sclfshness overcame every other
feature of the awful occurrence.
NINE WERE CHILDREN.
Al Associated Press dispatch says that
nine of the persons killed were children.
When the panic subsidized their bodies were
found lying on the staircase or near q door
leading to il. All were frightfully crushed.
A constable who came to assist in the work
of rescue, on DIRE gging out a boy who was
wedged among the struggling people. dis
covered that the lad was his own son. The
boy, although living when rescused, was
terribly injured. and died on his way home.
1t was a sudden bend in the gallery stair
case which caused the fearful jam in the
exit. People who had fallen aud were w.
ing in heaps here. screaming and groaning.
were trampled upon. At last many of
| the struggling people had fallen that all
passage for exit was effectualiy blocked by
| mass of writing human beings. and
| those still remaining on their feet were
forced TO seek other means of escape.
| The occasion was made doubly memoir
able by several acts of heroism. One man
| who had occupied gallery seat jumped
| from the gallery ratings TO the balcony
| below and slid thence TO the stage. all the
time holding TO a child by his teetn. Other
men rescued several women by similar
| means. The police sought medical aid and
| assisted in extricating the victims from the
| staircase. a matter OF the utmost difficulty.
One child that called pitIously "Save
| me, save me" died before il
| could he reached. The corpses
were laid in adjoining buildings. aud the
| injured were taken 10 hospitals and other
| institutions. The news of the catastrophe
spread rapidly. and soon the frantic people
were rushing TO the scene to ascertain the