The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-12-30
FIRE WAS CRIED
And a Fearful Panic Followed Almost
Immediately.
FOURTEEN BODIES Identified
Alarm Was Caused by Search for
Escaping Gas-The Scene Was
One of Horror.

Baltimore. Md, December T.-Twenty-
! three pesons were crushed and trampied 10
/ death in a panic at Front street theater
! tonight. Several others were injured, some
| of whom win, it is believed. die.
! The United Oriental Opera and Dramatic
| Company OF Boston, under the manage
| ment of A. Schongold and Abram Tanz-
man was billed to present the Jewish opera.
/ Alexander" and the theater was filled
| with a motley tnrong. About twenty-five
! hundred persons were in the house when
! the orchestra began playing the introduce
| tory.
A strong odor of gas was noticed in the
second gallery of the theater and one OF
! the attaches OF the place was seen hunt
| ing for the leak with a lighted torch. Sud
denly jet OF flame flashed out as the
| torch came in contact with the punctured
! gas pipe.
Cries OF "hre" were heard in the upper
! galleries and in an instant the excitement
/ became intense. Some one rushed to the
gas inter and turned off the supply. plung-
| ing the main body OF the house into dark
ness. The stage jets alone remained light
I ed, being fed through another meter.
Turned Into q Maddened Mob.
Instead of allaying the excitement caused
by the sheet of flame from the leaking
pipe the turning Off of the gas and conse-
cuent darkness only served to add TO the
confusion.
The audience arose en- HElSSe anu ilslue
a mad 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 10 the advice but con-
unued their wild scramble for the doors.
Scene of Indescribable Horror.
The gas was quickly turned on at the me
ter and as the theater again became illu-
minated an Undesirable scene of horror
was presented.
nj obi lIrar 1fs1 NV on
were fighting and struggling in the allies
and on the stairways in their efforts to
reach tho open air.
The actors on the stage and a few cool
headed auditors added to the turmoil by
shouting their commands to ''sit down"
and cursing those who were most vigorous
in their efforts to get out.
Helpless Ones Trampled.
The struggling mass Of humanity made
little or no Roadway for a few minutes;
every aisle was cOngested and every door
was damned with frantic Poles and Rus
sian Jews who mainly comprised the gath
ering.
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.
Police to the Rescue
OF several MINUTES tue Niu ESnL COZ
tinrcd Then a few policemen forced Il
passaseway 10 the main entrance and be-
gan dragging forth those who were jam
med I'm the doors
q rushing stream Of humanity flowed out
on Front street until all those who were
ablo to move reached the open air. A hurry
call for policemen had brought large
SQUAD to the tneater ~ this time and
FIRE alarm had also been sent in. bringing
some engines on the scene.
Husbands Had Deserted Wives
The excitement in the street was almost
. as great rs in the thoater. relatives be-
gan searching fer those flom whom they
had become separated during the mad
rush. Fathers and mothers rushed about
looking fer their children and attempted
l. re-enter the thccter IN their search for
missing ones.
The crowd grew so great that the police.
fearing a riot, ordered the fire engine hos-
to be turned on and in that way the strrIs-
sling mass was driven back from the the
alter entrance.
Encountered a Sickening Sight.
Meanwhile officers had entered ,ht the
alter and encountered a sickening sight.
liz every DIRECTION were found bodies from
which life had been crushed and tram
pied.
a majority of the victims were young
men, girls and children. They were ten
deiiy carried 10 the front OF the hol5e
and taken to the city hospital and the
mcrp7le as fast as the ambulances and
patrol wagons could make the trips.
Great crowds followed the ambulances
and patrol wagons and stormed tie
frances TO tho hospital and morlue in
their anxiety TO learn If their relatives or
frieId s We're among the in ju ed dead
Twenty-Three Dead Bodies
Twenty-three dead bottles wefe finally
taken from the theater. Ten persons. more
or less injured, are at tho city hospital
Two of them may die. Several others were
taken to their homes IN carriages. suffer
ing from Commissions or broken bones. Tho
death list viii probably exceed twenty
five
List as Identified
At late hour tonight there had been
are:
MISS JENNIE Iinkie, twenty-one years
old, who was In the orchestra with her
brother-in-law, sister and two children.
They reached the door IN their attempt 20
escape. Miss Hinkle suddenly released her
hold on her brother-in-laws arm and sank
under the feet Of the throng- She was
Iampied to death.
LOUIS COHEN, Il ten-year-oid boy
JACOB ROSGNTHAL. tailor about
twenty-five years old.
MIR. WOLFF, 4 tailor.
THEIR ESA GOLDSMITH, seven years
old. and her little four-year-old brother.
SARAH ROSEN, fifteen years old.
IDA SlLBERMAN. fourteen years old.
IDA FREEDMAN, fourteen years old.
SARAH SIEGEI. sixteen years cid
LEVENSTEIN, forty years old.