Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-12-31
TRalapLED TO DEATH.

Panic Caused b. a Cry of Fire in a
British Play fEOuse-In the Mad Rush
of the Audience for an Exit. Nine Chill
dren AMI a Man Are Crushed to Death.
LONDON, Dec. 2S.-A theater in Gates
Head. county Durham, Saturday night
was the scene of a frightful panic. in
which, according to the reports re-
ceived here, at least ten persons. in
clnding nine children, were killed out
right and many injured The sight of
a slight blaze caused by man in the
audience dropping lighted match on
the sawdust-covered floor caused some
one to start the cry of fire and a terri
BILE panic ensued
There was a mad rush for the doors,
which, owing to the savage crush and
struggle, became so blocked that only
a few succeeded at once in getting
out. There was an especially violent
rush for the staircase leading from
the gallery The passage giving
access to this staircase became
blocked almost at once with persons
VI were striving their utmost to es-
cape when the staircase itself was
filed with a struggling mass of
humanity from the top landing all the
way to the outlet A check taker was
killed in the midst of his heroic efforts
to save other lives. In trying to re-
strain the crowd in its mad behavior
he was thrown to the floor and crushed
TO death beneath the feet of the panic
stricken people,
When the panic had subsidized so that
an examin alton of the premises could
be made the bodies of nine childen,
whose lives had been literally crushed
out, were found lying on the staircase
or near door leading to it.
The performance which was so terri
bly, interrupted was the second one of
Saturday, the attraction being the pan
tomine aladdin. " The theater was
literally crammed with people.
At 1880 o'clock the shout of
Fire" was raised The audience
rose to their feet en- masse and
there was dire confusion, in the midst
of which were heard the shrieks of
women, many of whom tainted. The
lessee of the house then displayed most
creditable presence of mind. Stepping
on the stage he shouted TO the
audience, beseeching them to
remain seated and solemnly assur-
ing them that there was no real danger
if they would do so AT this juncture
many others of the men present also
showed that they retained their pres
ence of mind 10y forcibly striving to
restrain the mad rush of the crowd for
the doors, but their brave efforts
proved of no avail.
1t was sudden bend in the gallery
staircase that cased the fearful jam in
that exit. People who had fallen and
were lying in heaps here, screaming
and groaning. We're trampled upon.
At last SO many of the struggling
people had fallen that all passage for
exit was effectually blocked by a
mass of writing human beings and
those still remaining on their feet
were forced to seek other means of
escape.
The news of the disaster spread rap
idly and soon thousands of frantic peo-
pie were rushing to the scene to ascer-
tain the fate of relatives or friends.
Within few hours all of the dead were
identified. All were between the ages
of IL and 16.
The lessee of the theater says that
the alarm of fire originated from the
act of boy in dropping lighted
match in a creviee filed with waste
paper and other rubbish, in his search
for lost penny. He also said that
two pals of water sufficed to quench
the fire