Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-04-28
STAMPEDE FOR LIFE.
Flames Break Out in a
Philadelphia Theatre
THE BUILDING IN RUINS.
Many Persons Injured = The Times
Annex Completely Destroyed.

the Grand Central iheater, aud before 1t
was got under control nearly sl,OOOUO
worth OF prop.rty had been destroyed, in
cluding the massive cigh,'story annex
building occupied by The Times news
paper. In the panic In the theater nearly
nfty persons. mostly occupants OF the
galleries. were hurt, none, however, seri-
ously. The Central theater Is located on
Walnut street between Eighth and Ninth,
In the most thickly settled portion OF the
city, being surrounded by hotels. restau =
rants, boarding houses, newspaper Offices
aud business houses. Immediately In the
rear OF the theater was The Times build
which faced on SAMSON stIvet
The theater was usually devoted TO va
riety performances. but this week there
has been q spectacular production, "The
DEVILS Auctiol.n ON the stage. Just be-
fore o'clock, while the stage hands were
lowering from the flies portion OF the
setting for the first scene, ii became en-
tangled 10 the border lights In an in
slant the fiimsy canvas was mass Of
flames. Tongues Of fire shot up to the
roof and blazing scenery fell to the stage,
and in short time the entire rear portion
of.the theater was
A Mass of Fire.
The production requires the services OF
q large number OF female choiristers
and ballet dancers. They stood in the
wings and about the stage ia scanty attire.
awaiting for the performance TO begin. They
were thrown into a panic aud rushed
about, scarcely knowing which way &C
turn 10 avoid the quickly spreading
flames
While the panic was in progress behind
the scenes,a scene OF even more intense eX-
citement was being enacted before the
footlights. Fortunately the house was
only partially filled. The audience bad
just settled down in their seats, when they
were startled by the fash that came when
the scenery caught, which could he
plainly seen through the lowered curtain.
The next minute bright white flames shot
through the curtain and, realizing that
the theater was afire, everybody in the
audience started for the exits. The
weaker ones were borne dowa'and crushed
under foot. One individual, mad'lened
BY excitement, drew pocket-knife, and
Cut His Way Through
the mass OF people. Half dozen or more
people were found at the hospital who had
been victims Of his frenzy. None of their
w
man was one OF the first To reach the side
walk. Men and boys fell on the stairways
leading from the galleries and were
bruised and scratched under the heels OF
those following them. In all fifty-two
persons were cared for at the hospitals
near che theater. Everybody was outside
the burning structure within two min
utes from the time the fire started.
1iha xvildaef A ri ofnant prayailad an ha
streets. Ballet girls in gauze and tights
rushed around, almost all of them in
hysterical condition. The fire spread with
marvellous rapidity, and by the time the
fire apparatus reached the scene the build
ing was a mass of flames.
Looming away up above the rear Of the
theatcr was
The Times Annex Building,
occupied on the seventh floor by the ed
itorial force, and on the eighth 10y the
composing aud .tereotyping forces The
city department of The Times was In the
rear OF the building. A reporter saw
from, q window the flames shoot through
the roof Of the theater. His cry Of alarm
warned everybody in the room, and all
the editors and reporters started for the
elevator. Nobody thought of stopping to
secure clothing or other property. Every
body got out safely.
The scenes In the composing room, where
about seventy five people were at work,
were Of the same character Printers
rushed from their cases. not waiting to
gather any of their belongings. On the
sixth fooi WAS the illustrating depart
menf Of The ines and the rooms Of the
American Press Association. The fifth
noor was unoccupied. The first, second,
third anu fourth fours were occupied by
De Koskeno q IIetherington, art metal
workers. Their plant was one Of the most
valuable Of its kind In the country. The
wind was blowing In direction TO carry
she flames from the theater TO the news
paper building, and In a few minutes TIE
latter structure was on fire.
' BY $50 the entire interior had been
gutted. At that hour the west walls and
portion of the cast wall fell, the former
crushing large portion OF the one-story
power house Of the Philadelphia Trsc-
tion company. which contained two i'm
mense engines which propelled street cars
over the lower section Of the city. These
engines sre covered with bricks and de.
bris to q depth of twelve feet, and IL
VIII He Several Weeks
before the cables can be operated. The
east wall crushed the four-story building
occupied by Hamilton a. Diesinger, manu-
featuring jewellers, and portions Of several
buildings below IL on Eighth street, be
tween Sansom and Walnnt streets. The
front wall filled SAMSON street with bricks
and stone and damaged buildings oppo-
site. In the cellar were the new presses OF
The Times. These are ruined beyond re-
pair.
On Eighth street, from SAMSON TO Wal
nut, were eleven buildings. each having
several tenants, and occupied on the first
floors by storekeepers. Three OF these
were completely gutted, and the others
were all badly damaged. Adjoining the
thester on the west was the Boulson
House. The roof was burned aud the
building soaked with water. Next was
the building Of the Taggart's Sunday
Tim<s Its root was burned aud the com
posing room on the top floor filled with
water. There was great danger that the
Walnut Street theater st Ninth aud Wal
nut streets would catch fire. The per.
formsnce was therefore stopped aud the
audience quietly dismissed.
On the north side Of Sansom street the