The record-union., 1895-12-28

BALTIMORE, Dec. 27.-Twenty-
three persons were crushed and tram
pied to death in a panic at the Front
street Theater tonight. Several others
were injured, and some Of them, it is
believed will die. The United Oriental
Opera and Dramatic Company Of Bos-
ton. under the management of A.
Schongold and Abraham Tansman, was
billed to present the Jewish opera AL
exander," and the theater was filled
with a motley throng. About 800 per-
sons were in the house when the or
chestra began playing the Introductory.
A strong odor of gas was noticed in
the second gallery of the theater, and
some of the attaches of the place were
seen hunting for the leak with lighted
torch. Suddenly a jet of flame flashed
out as a torch came in contact with
the punctured gaspipe.
Cries of fire were heard in the upper
galleries and in an instant the excite
ment became intense. Some one rushed
to the gas meter and turned off the
supply, plunging the main body of the
house into darkness. The stage jets
alone remained lighted, being fed
through another meter.
Instead of allaying the excitement
caused by the sheet of flame from the
leaking pipe. the turning off of the gas
only served to add to the confusion.
The audience made a mad rush for the
exits. The actors ran down to the
footlights. shouting, "Sit down; there's
no danger" but the excited throng paid
no heed - Jhe advice, but continued
their wild scramble for the doors.
The gas was quickly turned on at the
meter. and as the theater again became
illuminated an indescribable scene of
horror was presented. Men, women and
children, crazed by fear, were fighting
and struggling in the aisles and on the
stairways in their efforts to reach the
open air
The actors on the stage and a few cool
heads in the audience added to the tur
moil by shouting their commands to
sit down." and cursing those who
were most vigorous in their efforts to
get out The struggling mass of hu
Inanity made little or no headway for
a few minutes. Every aisle was con-
gested and every doorway jammed with
the frantic Poles and Russian Jews,
who mainly composed the gathering.
The strong men in the rear of the
panic stricken mob climbed upon the
shoulders of those in front, crushed the
weaker to the floor TO be trampled
to death by those still further i'll the
rear For several minutes the wild fight
continued, then a few policemen forced
a passage way to the main entrance
and began dragging forth those who
were jammed in the doors. a rushing
stream of humanity flowed out on Front
street until all that were able to move
reached the open air
A hurried call for policemen had
brought a large squad to the theater
by this time and a fire alarm had also
been sent in, bringing some engines TO
the scene.
The excitement in the street was
almost as great as in the theater as rel
atives began searching for those from
whom they had become separated dur
ing the rush. Fathers and mothers
rushed about looking for their children
and attempted to re-enter the theater
IN their search for missing ones. The
crowd grew so great that the police,
fearing a riot, ordered the fire engine
hose to be turned on, and in that way
the struggling mass was driven back
from the theater entrance.
Meanwhile officers had entered the
theater and encountered a sickening
sight. In every direction were found
bodies from which life had been tram
pied and crushed. a majority of the
victims We're young men, girls and
children. They were carried TO the
front of the house and taken TO the
city hospitals as fast as the ambu-
lances could make the trips Great
crowds followed the patrol wagons and
ambulanees and stormed the entrances
TO the hospitals and morgue in their
anxiety to learn if their relatives or
friends were among the dead.
Twenty three dead bodies were final
Iy taken from the theater Ten persons
were more or less injured and two OF
them may die. Several others were
taken to their homes in carriages. suf-
fering from contusions and broken
bones The death list viii probably
exceed twenty-five.
At late hour tonight there had been