The climax. [volume] (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1887-1897, 1894-08-08
FIRE STARTS A PANIC.
The Scene Was the Chicago Ball
GrO-n6s During a Game.
Thousands Hemmed In Between a Barbed
Wire Fence and the Fire--Many Per-
sons Badly Injured in the Resultant
Panic-Money Loss About $4,000.


CHICAGO, Aug. 5.-Time was called
in the seventh inning of the Chicago
Cincinnati ball game Sunday afternoon
at the West Side park by the cry of fire
amid scenes never before witnessed at
a sporting event in this city. Curiosity
to see the fire led more than thou
sand spectators to rush into danger,
and in their frantic efforts to extricate
themselves from their perilOus posi-
tiOns they became panic stricken. They
found themselves hemmed in by fire on
one side and high barbed wire fences on
the other, erected to keep people from
encroaching on the diamond.
The exits were few and small, and
although other means Of escape were
provided by the quick action of Play
ers Ryan and Wilmot, of the local
team, and President Hart, the i'm
periled and fear-crazed crowd bucked
against the barbed fencing. Their
mad rush 70 get away from the advanc-
ing flames resulted in the injury of
scores. Cuts, bruises, COMMISSIONS, a
broken arm, a broken leg were the in
juries sustained.
The property Of the club was dam
aged $4,000 before the fire department
extinguished the flames. \ cigar stub,
thrown among rubbish, started the
fire.
Arson was showing the visitors how
to hit the ball in the seventh inning
when a red light began to flash and
rise along the grand stand where the
fftv-cent spectators sit. There were
LOGO of them in the seats, and 9,OOC
witnessing the game altogether
The breaking out of the fire
caused a general rush of the
people in that part Of the ground to
the top of the stand to take look
as there was no longer any game in
progress. In a few minutes they real.
lied the danger of their position and
broke for the narrow exits, which had
already filed with smoke. The spec.
tators who were in the grand stand
and on the bleachers were at a safe
distance from the fire. and got away
from the field without any mishap
From that position they witnessed the
destruction of the stand and the seri
Gus plight of other less fortunate
Spectators.
The woodwork Of the stand and tn,
piles OF paper and other rubbish thrown
around provided fuel for the flames
which gained on the imprisoned mel
and women before they knew it. All wa
confusion in an instant among the oc
cupants of the flaming wooden struc
ture. Women screamed in their fright
and men got iammed against the sharI
fence. The exits might as well have no
been there. Hands, faces. limbs anC
clothing were cut and torn by tn,
scrambling mass Of humanity in trying
to force passage through the wir,
strands, or over them. The fenc,
would not give way, but Ryan an,
Wilmot made a gap in it by using thei
bats like blacksmiths. hundreds es
capped that way MIR. Hart had tn,
fence behind the stand demolished 70
fifty feet, but the crowd was beyon,
the stage Of reason or observation
Five minutes after the last spectacle
had got out of reach OF the flame
every seat was being consumed Tn,
ground viii be used Monday by fencing
off the burned part.