Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-08-09
A WILD PANIC.
Fire in a Grand Stand Causes q
Mad Rush.
MANY PERSONS CUT AND BRUISED.
The Spectators Viewing Baseball Game
When the Alarm Was Given-Unabls
to Get Through the Fences
Sidewalks Burned.

CHICAGO, Aug. 6.-The discovery of
fire in the grand stand at the West
Side ball park yesterday afternoon
caused wild panic among the specta-
tors, in which several met serious in
jury and a large number of others
were slightly cut and bruised in trying
to make their exit. The Chicago and
Cincinnati baseball clubs were battling
with each other and TO- 600 crowded
into the grounds to witness the game.
Every available seat in the grand stand
and bleachers was occupied and a large
crowd of men and boys contented
themselves at not finding seats in TAX
ing up their positions on the ball field.
The game had advanced to the seventh
inning with the Chicagos leading the
Red Stockings by seven runs, when a
fire cry was heard from the bleachers,
and thin veil of smoke was seen
creeping through the cracks of the
grand stand. The cry of fire was taken
up on all sides and in a very short time
terrible panic ensued.
The four exits leading from the
grand stand were jammed with anxious
men and boys and also sprinkling of
| women. The exits were not large
enough to permit the throng to go
through and hundreds of men sought
places of safety by jumping over the
barbed wire fence and into the ball
ground. The four rows of barbed
wire which encircle the stand proved
very disastrous to the people who at
tempted to make their way through
them to the grounds. A jam of
men and boys crowded to the barbed
wire fences but they were not able to
get through, owing to the closeness of
the wires, the first reaching the fence
scaled it successfully, but those that
followed, in their anxiety to get safe
quarters, tried to crawl through and in
nearly every instance became wedged
| between the wires and their clothing
was torn in shreds and hands and legs
were lacerated by the sharp barbs.
When the fire department arrived the
entire so cent stands on Lincoln street
and also portion of the grand stand
were mass of flames. The fire spread
rapidly and the small force of hremen
which responded to the first alarm
were unable to cope with the raging
flames. Fire Marshal Swenie seeing
the entire buildings in the ball park
were threatened, sent in 2:11 alarm
and with the reinforcement of engines
the fire was kept from spreading to the
|
the flames was so intense the fremen
were unabl to get within 20 yards of
it. The sidewalks on both sides of
Lincoln street and also the cedar blocks
| in the street were burned.
Edward Ahern, fireman connected
with the insurance patrol, endeavored
to reach the ball ground by going
through that portion of the stand
which was in flames He only went
short distance when his clothing
caught fire. He was compelled to re-
| treat into Lincoln street, where his
comrades extinguished the fire in his
clothes. He was badly burned.
During the stampede E. w. Bartlett,
of 8 Center avenue, severely cut his
hands and legs and several others who
| followed fell on top of him, smothering
him into Inconsistencies. He was
rescued from his perilous situation by
police officers. He was removed to the
County hospital, where it was found
his left leg was broken below the
knee. He was also badly bruised about
the body and limbs.
The close proximity of the County
and Presbyterian hospitals stood the
injured in good stead. For an hour
after the first alarm the physicians of
| DOLH nOSplIdlS were hSpG DuSy dGCcnU-
ing to the injured. Twenty or more
went to the county hospital to have
wounds, received by climbing through
the barbed wire fence, dressed. None
| of the men save Ahern and Bartlett
were kept at the hospital, the others
being turned away as fast as their in
| juries were attended to.
After an hours hard work the blaze
was under control. The damage was
about $4,000, covered by insurance.
The cause of the fire is thought to be
due to lighted cigarette or cigar be-
ing thrown among the shavings and
other combustible material under the
| stand.