Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-04-28
FLAMES AND PANICj
Burning of the Philadelphia
 Central Theatre.
SCORES OF PEOPLE INJURED.
Pushed from Fire EsCapss Into the Street
 in tho Bush.

The ''TIuaes'' Annex and Several Other
 BuIIdIngs Also DAeStrOyed-LOsS w1Il
 Amount to About Million DOllSrs-
 The Fire Originated from a Sky ROrder
 Swinging Against Border Light-SIauy
 Marrow Escapes.
 PHn.ADELPHA, April 29.-A confagra- ton which did nearly $1 ,000, 900 damage andi in which hundreds of lives were i'm psriled and many people injured, broke out about 8 o'clock last night. It started in the flies of the Central Theatre, Wal nut street, above Eighth, just after the curtain had gone up. It quickly spread to the scenery on the stage, then blazed up like flash. ~.
 The people arose in a mass, and a panic in the lower portion of the house was prevented by the coolness of the ushers and some gentlemen scattered through the audience. The large doors were quickly thrown open and the Deo- pie passed out in comparativ ely good order and without injury except in thSa upper gallery.
 There was no one in the upper portion of the house to control the mob, which was composed principally of boys. A. mad rush was made for the stairway and. fire escapes.
 These means of exit were blocked for a- few moments, but the employees and po- lice succeeded in forcing the crowds back until room was made to get the, people out.
 This occupied so long 8 time that those, who had seats in the front were exposed, to the intense heat from the burning. scenery, and nearly 100 of them were burned about the face and hands, but. none seriously.
 Fifty were treated at the Pennsylvania, Hospital and 10 at the Jefferson, while many others had their wounds bandaged at nsighboring drugstores and dwell lings.
 The fire spread to the large brick an mex of the "Times" containing the. mechanical, editorial and city depart ments of the newspapers. It was totally l destroyed. Three stories on Eighth street were also destroyed, and eight more were badly damaged. The motor house of the Traction Conn pany was crushed under 8 portion of l the wall O; the Crimes building, which fell outward, and one of the cable lines, was stopped, but the damage will be | repaired soon. --v...,.
 Mr. Singerly of the "Record' at once offered tho facilities of his office to business Manager Mclaughlin of the "Times," and that paper will be issued from the 'tRecord" office for the present.
 The total of losses will aggregate fully a million dollars, and possibly more, but the exact figures cannot be learned l for several days.
 At one time the Continental Hotel at Ninth street, extending from Chestnut street to- Sansom, was in danger, and many of the guests packed their baggage ready for removal. The firemen, how ever, succeeded in heading off the flames before they had gained foothold. The Walnut Street Theatre, at Ninth and Walnut streets, was also thought at one time to be in danger, and the audience was quietly dismissed.
 By a fortunate change in the wind the flames were carried back toward Eighth street in time to save the block between the Central Theatre and Ninth Street, which at one time seemed doomed to de- l atrI10ti0O