The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-12-28

n Scuselcas Cry OF "Elre' Mt tho Oid Front
street Theater Results in Frightfui
Scramble for Escape from an Imaginary
Danger.
BALTIMORE Nd, Dec 29,--In n sepselcss
panic caused by a defective gas burner
and q foolish cry Of fire, at the old Front
Etrect theatcr last night, twenty-iout
2 people were killed, two fatally injured and
ten more seriously hurt. Thus far but
thirteen OF tho dead have been identified.
They arc: Leo Cohen, aged 25; Jennie
Henzie, aged IS; Jacob Rosenthal, aged
10; Morris MALICIOUS, aged 80; Louis
Anoski, aged 49,; Louis Leyenstein aged
Is; Gavriael Bernstein, nged A; Theresa
Bernstein, aged O.; Ida Friedman, aged IA;
Sarah Rosen, aged 1B; Lena Lewis, aged
p2; jacob Salzberg, aged f2; w. Wolf,
aged 28 Tho others nro at the morgue
awaiting Identification.
Tho injured Mt tho City hospital arc:
Mrs. Friedman, aged 25; Mrs. Goldman,
aged 40; Mildn Goliwait, aged 10; Morris
Scbaeffer, aged @; Jacob Goldstein, aged
20; unknown boy, aged about 10, will die;
unknown woman, aged about oo, will die;
unknown man. aged about 90; unknown
boy, aged 49, serious internal injuries A
number Of others seriously injured were
carried nome Dy lrlcnus.
Almost all the victims arc of Polish na-
tivity and Hebrew extraction, and many
of the Injured were taken to their homes
by friends, rendering II almost impossible
to get a complete list.
The thcater, which Is probably the oldest
in the city, was filed from pit to dome
with people who bad assembled to listen
to Hebrew OPERA which has been given in
the old house twice week for the past
month. 1t Is supposed that there were at
least 5000 people within the walls when
the curtain went up on the first act, while
tho capacity of the house is less than 2, BOO
Ten minutes after the curtain rose one
of the attendants went up TO the second
tier to light gas jet which appeared to
have been extinguishcd. AS he applied n
match the light ilared up, and 1t was seen
that there was no tip to the burner. Tho
jet was in plain view of the greater part OF
the audience, but as the glare from 1t
showed against tho wall some one in tho
gallery shouted "Fire fire! firel"
In an instant there was mad scramble
for the door The vanguard Of the terror
stricken multitude reached the entrance
on Front street, pushed on by the howl
ing, shrlcking mob behind them. There
those In the foremost rank were com
pnlled to turn to the right and to the left
TO reach the double entrance way, built In
the form OF storm doors, Passing through
these doors they reached flight of steps
leading from each door downward to n
landing, from whence broad stairway of
- moderate height would have carried chem
fAto tho street and to safety.
The steps leading from tho doorways arc
but about five feet high, but tho landing
at their bases is narrow. Down these the
frightened people hurled themselvesi in the
frightful struggle to reach tho open air
and escape the certain death they thought
was behind them
AS the crowds from the two doors
reached the landing, they met. There was
brief struggle and then somo one lost
his or her footing and fell. In a moment
the crowd, pushed with irresistible force
from the renr, crowded upon the PROSTATE
form and began in turn to stumble, reel
aud presently to fall upon the floor under
the inyriads of feet coming from behind.
In less time than 1t takes to tell II the
landing was packed twenty or thirty decT
with the panic stricken multitude and
the hundreds behind them were strug
CLING over them to reach the street
The tumult attracted an immense crowd
from the outside, many Of whom tried tc
gain entrance 10 tho the theatcr, thus
adding to the confusion. A dozen police
men hurried to tho scene and pushed
through the doorway 10 the writhlng mas
on the landing Among the first to rcacl
there was Officer II. j, Kelly, Forcing his
way In through the main doorway Ii,
grasped pair Of arms and pulling witt
all his might dragged woman from un
der the surging crowd, dead from suffoca
tlon. Again he reached into tho mass o
humanity and pulled out boy about
yenrs old He too, was dead, also from
suffocatlon, with scarcely a brulse upon hl,
body.
The other officers, by this time rein
forced by dozen Of their fellows, dragged
out the prostrate ones, passing them e
those on the sidewalk. AmbulRnces car
rled the dead to the morgue and tho mos
seriously injured to the hospital.
When the mass on the landing had beer
cleared away tho frightened mob insidt
were qpieted down sus.lciently to enabl,
the police to clear the thcatcr. Then i
was found that there had been no danger
and that not "A soul would have been In
jnretl. Ind the audience but remained
seated ..
AS hqs been stated, all the dead and in
jured are Polish Hebrews, and few Of then
x.haYe friends or relatives who arc able Il
4 speak the English language sufficient.
well to make themselves understood, o
enough knowledge of the ways of th
country to know where to so to look 70
their lost ones. Tho dead are of all ages
from mere infants to gray haired men ant
women. All were killed. or injured in tn
terrific crush on the fatal landing, not
casualty having happened inside the house
although the crush there was tremendous
The old theater building which wa
opened in 1929, has been considered unsaf
for years. 1t was in this theater that Lin
coin was nominated for his second presi
Dental term and IL was here that Stcphci
A. Douglass was nominated by the Demo
srats, a portion of whom withdrew ant
nominated Breckenridge aud Lane forprcs
idcnt and vice president.