The Lamar register., 1892-01-02
CRUSH IN A THEATER.
An Alarm of Fire Causes Panic ano
len Parsons are KILLED.

A frightful panic occurred Saturday
night in the Royal theAter Gaiesheaa'
England, resulting in the loss OF a NUN Der
Of lives. Gsteshead is manufacturing
town Of some size in Durham
While the play was in progress some one
dropped a lighted match from the gallery
set IRE to some OF the theatrical furniture,
exactly what is not yet known, but at any
rate The slight blaze communicated TO a
partition. A woman noticed the are anu
shriexei that TIE theater was burning
At once, the audseoco which had been az
attention TO the play was aroused and h9'
conprehendinE the exact danger made
sudden and simultaneous rush 70 eseNFs'
Every aisle became packed and the AlG-
ience which vas numerous enough 70 AAFS
made exit slow and GiEiculL had theTs
been no panic, became one painting, stslg
Cling mass Of eursins men and crying. hAlL
sutfocated women and chUdrea.
The strong, hearty meu from the WorEs
aud mills showed no pity for the weaker
sex II a woman or child tel beneath me
strain, she or IL was a. once crushed unaeF
lron-shod heels Mea climbed over each
others heads and sought 70 tread over the
squirming mass OF humanity 10 safety
Women pleaded for their ltle ones, Eoi1
ing them above their heads a. far as arms
could reach, and the babes with the
breath being squeezed out Of them were
saved in several Instances By being grasp
ed In the strong hands of men able 10 ho.d
them with one arm above the crowd Down
the main staircase the multitude struggled
and painted. The !4nilor, Foster. had
rushed to open the door a. the foot OF the
stars.
The solld crowd fell On him Ike an iE-
nense Krupp hammer, crushing the life
out Of his body, which was AatJeucd 70 the
door Down with hIrr came the elsht or
ten al the head Of the mass, azi they, toe,
had the life stamped cut Of thea Bchiua,
the shrieks and loud oaths, with appeals
for mercy, and eKecFauCus against the
Creator, made he'll. In fruat At the fooI
Of the stairs, was the rampant Of cyiug
and dead, over which the escaping mZla-
tuds had 70 climb
Meantime, those OF the stage had not
been idle. Il was soon aPTareut 70 the
players that ths panic had lille or no
cause and that they should appeal 70 the
people to be stl- Some IN the rear Of tie
struggling thronE heodcd their appeals
and ceased their eaEorts C escape
When the theAter was at le1Esa onpilcd
aud the panic over, it was fs-nd that ssa
were dead, aad that many others had
broken limbs ard were otherwise seriously
injured. Tue ere Itself. which had given
oocSs.oa 70 tic pauie, was bat slight a.
fair, having only burned through thiH
partition, aud was easily c1uugaishcl
with two baczC;s of water i was SUI
Client however 70 make some smoke, which
hung abo1t tas ccl.-ar, and the
sight OF the smoke had uuea 70 DO with
eAasiag the pauIc, wlsa j. miEat other
wise have been Gained. Thc city cf Gates
head has been thrown iaya general mourn
ing b. the calamity, and al Gay the thea
ter was guarded b. the Polios froa the
multitude Of the curiols Many pathetic
incidents occurred in the terrible crush
for the doors, but 8; is also stated that the
display Of brutal selhshEess 0verealc
every other feature Of The awiuI eccgr
reuos.