The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-28
Rushed Over Weaker Spectators
in the Wild Scramble to
Escape.
ALL CAUSED BY A GAS LEAK
Shouts of Actors on the Stage Failed
to Check the Stampede for
the Street.

BALTIMORE, MD, Dec. 27.-Twenty-
three persons were crushed and trampled
TO death in a panic at the Front-street
Theater tonight. Several others were in
lured, some of whom will, 1t is believed,
die
The United Oriental Opera and Dramatic
Company of Boston. under the manage
ment of A. Schongold and Abram Tans-
man, was. billed to present the Jewish
opera Alexander" and the theater was
filled with a motley throng. About $500
persons were IN the house when the or
chestra commenced playing the introduce
ton.
a strong odor of gas was noticed in the
second gallery of the theater and one of
tie attaches of the place was seen hunting
for the leak with lighted torch. Sud
denly jet OF flame flashed out as the
torch came in contact with the pu nctured
gas pipe.
Cries of "fre" were heard IN the
upper galleries, and in an instant the ex-
element became intense. Some one rushed
TO the gas meter and turned off the sup
ply, plunglng the main body of the house
into darkness. The stage Jets alone re-
meter.
caused by the sheet of fame from the
leaking pipe the turning off of the gas and
consequent darkness only served to add to
the confusion.
The audience arose ensmasse and made
a rush for the exits. The actors ran down
to the footlights and shouted, ''Sit down,
there's no danger" but the excited throng
paid no heed to the advice and continued
their wild scramble for the doors.
The gas was quickly turned on at the
meter, and as the theater again became il
Illuminated an indescribable scene of horror
was presented. Men, women and chill
dren, crazed by fear, were fighting and
struggling in the aisles and on the stair
ways in their efforts to reach the open air.
The actors on the stage and 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 humanity made little
or no headway for few minutes; every
aisle was congested and every doorway
jammed with the frantic Poles and Russian
Hebrews who mainly comprised the gath
ering.
The strong men in the rear of the panic
stricken mob climbed upon the shoulders
of those in front. crushing the weaker
men, women and little children to the
floor, to be trampled to death by those still
further in the rear. For several minutes
the wild fight continued; then few
policemen forced a passa geway to the
l,
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 hurry 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 relatives be-
gan searching for those from whom they
had become separated during the mad
rush. Fathers and mothers rushed about
looking for their children and attempted
to re-enter the theater in their search of
missing ones. The crowd grew so great
that the police, fearing riot, ordered the
fre-engine hose to be turned on, and in
=
back from the theater entrance.
Meanwhile officers had entered the the
ater and encountered sickening sight.
In every direction were found bodies from
which life had been crushed and trampled.
A majority OF the victims were young
men, girls and children.
They were tenderly carried to the front
of the house and taken to the city hos
pitals as fast as the ambulances and patrol
wagons could make the trips. Great
crowds followed the patrol wagons and
ambulapces and stormed the entrance to
the hospitals and morgue in their anxiety
10 learn if their relatives or friends were
among the dead.
Twentv-three dead bodies were finally
taken from the theater' Ten persons were
more or less injured and two of them Will
die. Several others were taken to their
homes in carriages suffering from con-
tusions and broken bones. The death list
will probably exceed twenty-five.
At late hour tonight there had been
but fourteen Of the dead identified. They
are:
Miss Jennie Hinkle, 81 years of age, who
was in the orchestra with her brother-ln-
law, sister and two children. Ihey
reached the door in their attempt to
escape. Miss Hinkle suddenly released her
hold on her brother-in laws arm and sank
under the feet of the throng. She was
trampled to death.
Louis Cohen, 10-year- old boy.
Jacob Rosenthal, tailor, about 25 years
Of age.
- Wolff, tailor.
Theresa Goldstein, seven years OF age,
and her little four-year-old brother.
Louis Amolsky, 81 years of age.
Sarah Rosen, Is years of age.