Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-01-28
FIRE EXPERIENCES.
-~
KATE CLAYTON TALKS ABOUT HER
MANY NARROW ESCAPES.

she Says That She l. In Reality Cow
ard whenever She Hears tho Cry of
"EIret Eireit-Her Escapes Have nesn
Due to Extreme Goodness.
For over fifteen years Kate Claxton
has been pursued by peculiar forms OF
III luck. In spite of the little womaA's
pluck, which has made her a heroine of
several fires and a dozen or SO Of panics.
she rather shrinRs from the subject. and
it is with difficulty that she can be per-
suaded to tell Of some of the escapes
from the flames that she has had
Her experience Mt Harris theatre,
when the cry Of fire caused panic, is
only one of the several through which
she has passed since 1875. the year OF
the celebrated Brooklyn fire. She had
just been dragged from the stage by La
Frochard, the hag in THE Two Or
phans." when reporter sought her out.
The excitement ~ the false alarm had
left her nerves little shattered. she ex-
planned. When reference was made 10
her apparent GOODNESS she said that her
manner showed nothing OF what she
really felt
II was very much wrought up. No
one can tell what that cry Of fire meant
10 me. | had begun 10 think that my
evil genius lad forgotten my existence,
it SEEMED so long since the last pane.
was III an exceptionally good hnmor.
aud was sitting on the steps Of the plat
form when the stampede began. As IL
always my first Impulse, | rushed TO see
the flames, did not doubt that the
building was ablaze. At one glance,
however, | saw there was no danger,
except that which comes with every
panic.
"Iou know" she said, "that dread
a panic worse than do fire. My ex-
perience has been that more people are
crushed 10 death in their efforts to get
ont than are ever burned alive. The
escapes have made, which some seem
10 think almost miraculous. were the
result OF GOODNESS and presence of mind
When the cry Of fire is given never
allow my impulse to run with the crowd
To govern me. imperil my life some-
what iii order 10 seek out the danger
and choose the best method Of escaping
from 1t. Often, 1t seemed to me after
ward, had followed the mad rush
for the main exits would never have
escaped.
II try 10 impress everybody with the
same idea. First view the situations
and figure up the chances for escape
When the Southern hotel in st. Louis
was burned. for instance. at which time
twenty-seven lives were lost. never did
any Of the remarkable feats which have
been attributed 10 me. The story il
generally believed that rolled down the
burning stairs in wet blankets. Tho fact
was staid in the burning building un-
til | had discovered a safe means OF es-
cape. The fact that | was one of tho
last to get out caused dozens OF reports
TO be spread.
My reputation rs fire hcnd began
the second year | acted in The Two
Orphans | was playing in Brooklyn.
| had thrown myself on the straw bod
to sleep. had closed my eyes, and for
this reason did not discover the fire at
first. When was awakened and or
dered to get mp saw tho fire creeping
along the top of the theater. Every one
remembers the fatal ending. Four hnn-
dred persons were burned or trampled
to death, among whom were three OF
the company. Tho next year, 1878,
was caught in the St. Louis fire. Ever
since then have been considered fore
runner of fires.
II can only account for the numerous
false alarms and panics from The fact
that there are always some superstitious
person in the audience who. believing
me to be followed by an evil genius.
shouts fire at the slightest proyocation.
More panics have been caused by fights
in the streets aud alleys than in any
other way. Just short time ago there
was a panic in La Crosse. Wis. caused
in the identical way as the one here.
Another panic. which came near being
a disaster, was caused by street fight
in front of the Owens opera house. in
Charleston. 5. &. When one starts it ID
impossible 10 check it. have tried
screaming to the audience, but 1t only
makes IL worse. My presence often
seems TO check a stampede. At the close
Of the panic here made up my mind to
have me biz sign printed with the
words, 1t Is only fight
'tOt all the theater panics | have been
in only three were caused from fire
Several times the flies have been ahlaze
without any one in the audience know
ing it. | have become morbid on the
subject Of tire. and no matter how late
at night il Is. il an alarm Is sounded
always dress aud go. When the Fifth
Avenue theater. In New York. burned
WAS present aud watched il TO the end.
IL had been seen it would probably
have been said that my presence caused
it. do not deserve the reputation Of
scing brave in fires. for | am great
SO great one that it often en-
ables me TO seem self sustained. After
such fright nm left completely nm
nerved. ."-Louisvill Courier J Journal.