The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-12-30
A PANIC
In a Theater at Galeshead, Engy
Causes
THE LOSS OF TEN LIVES
And Serious Injury to Several others
The Scenery
SET ON FIRE BY A BOY
SET ON FIRE BY A BOY

Dropping a Match From the Balcony
which Caused n slight Blaze and Fright
ened the Audience.
LONDON, Dec. ga frightful panic
occurred Saturday night in the koyai
theatre at Galeshead, resulting In the
loss of number Of lives Gaieshead
is considerable city in Durham, and
as nearly the whole population Is en-
gagged in manufacturing industries dur
ing the week, the places OF amusement
are usually crowded on Saturday wv
ing to the Christmas season the hoyai
theatre was thronged with working
people. The audience, while not un-
ruly, indulged in more license than is
allowed in most London theatres, and
boys smoked in the balcony. one OF
the boys got SO interested In the play
that he accidentally dropped burning
match on the people below him. Inc
match set FIRE to some Of the theatrical
furniture, exactly what is not yet
known; but at any rate the sllght piaze
communicated to partition. A woman
noticed the fire and shrieked that the
theatre was burning.
At once the audience which had been
all attention to the play, was aroused
and not comprehending the exact dan
ger. made a sudden and Simultaneous
rush to escape. Every aisle and avenue
became packed, and the audience be-
came one painting, struggling mass OF
cursing men and crying, half suffocated
women and children. Men climbed on
each others heads and sought 70 tread
over the squirming mass OF humanity
TO safety. Women pleaded for their
little ones, holding them above their
heads as far as arms could reach, and
the babes, with the breath being
squeezed out of them, were saved, in
several instances, by being grasped in
the strong hands Of men able TO hold
them, with one arm, above the crowd
Down the main staircase the multi
tude struggled and painted The janitor
had rushed to open the door at the foot
OF the stairs. The solid crowd fell on
him, crushing the life out Of his body.
which was fattened TO the floor. Down
with him went the eight or ten at the
head of the mass and they, too, had the
lives stamped out of them.
Meantime those on the stage had not
been idle. It was soon apparent to the
players that the panic had little or no
cause and that they should appeal TO the
people TO be still One actor in the at
tire of magician climbed into the bal
cony 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 panicp
Some Of those in the rear turned Al
his words and stopped their share In the
mad struggle to get out, but the large
majority needed not the warning anc
pressed on. Two men, thinking they
had no other way to escape, leapet
from the windows into the street ans
were severely injured Many slid dow
into the pit by the supports Of the bal
cony. When the theater was at length
emptied and the panic over, 1t wa
found that ten were dead and that man.
others had broken limbs and were 9th
erwise seriously injured
The fire itself which had given occa
sion TO the horror was but Sigh
affair, having only burned through
thin partition and was easily extin
Ruished with two buckets OF water
The city Of Galeshead has been throw
into general mourning by the calamity
and all day yesterday the theater wa
guarded by police from the multitud
Of the curious t-..