The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-28
TWENTY-FOUR.
Panic in a Tumble-D0wn
Baltimore Theater.
SOMEONE RAISED CRY OF FIRE.
Many Suffocated In the Stam-
pede For Doors.

BALTIMORE. Dec. 23-Twenty-four per-
sons were killed and twice as many more
seriously injured last night during panic
at the old Front Street theater in this
city. Almost all the victims were of Po-
lish nativity and Hebraic extraction, and
many Of the injured were taken TO their
homes by friends, rendering it almost inn
possible TO get complete list.
The tbeater was filed from pit to dome
with people who had assembled TO listen
TO Hebrew opera, and IL Is supposed that
there were at least 5000 people within the
walls when the curtain went up on the
first net. A. the capacity of the house is
less than $500, the density of the crowd
may bo imagined.
Ten minutes after the curtain rose, one
OF the attendants went eY- to the second
tier TO light IA gas jet, which appeared TO
have been extinguished. As he turned
tho cock and applied "A match, the light
fiared up, and IL was seen that there was
no tip To the burner. The Jet was well
down toward the stage, on the left side OF
the house, in plain view OF the greater
part OF the audience, but rs the glare
from 10 showed against the wall, someone
in the gallery shouted "Firel Firel Fire"
In an instant there was "A mad scramble
for the door, in which the whole audience
took part The vanguard of the terror
stricken multitude reached the entrance
on Frontsyreet, pushed on by the bowling,
shrieking mob behind them. Those in the
foremost rank were compelled TO turn to
the right and 10 the left 10 reach the double
entrance way, built in the form of storm
doors
Passing through these doors, they
reached "A flight of steps, leading from
each door. downward 10 landing from
whence broad stairway OF moderate
height would have carried them into the
street, and TO safety. The steps leading
10 tho doorway are about five feet high,
but the landing at their base is narrow.
Down these the frightened people hurled
themselves in the frightful struggle TO
reach the open air and to escape the GER
tain death they thought was behind them.
AS the crowds from the two doors-one on
the right. the other on the left-reached
the landing, they met. There was brief
struggle, and then some one lost his or
her footing and fell.
Crowd Beclme Panic-Strlcken.
Ina moment the crowd, pushed with
Irresistible force from the rear, crowded
upon the PROSTATE form aud began, in
turn, TO stumble, reel and presently TO
fall prone upon the floor under the myr-
lads of feet coming like herd OF fright
ened buffalo from behind. In less time
than il takes 10 tell it, the landing was
packed 20 or 30 deep with the panic
stricken multitude, and the hundreds be-
hind them were struggling over them to
reach the street.
The tumult attracted I'm immense
crowd from the outside, many of whom
tried 10 gain entrance TO the theater, thus
adding To the confusion. A dozen police
men, also attracted by the shrieks of the
frightened crowd, hurried to the scene,
and, using their clubs on those outside
rushed through the doorway To the writh-
ing mass on the landing.
The officers dragged out the PROSTATE
ones, passing them to those on the side
walk. Ambulances carried the dead 20
the morgue and the wounded to the city
hospital, wherever practicable, but In
many cases the more slightly injured, and
in few cases those who were badly hurt,
were taken to their homes 10y friends.
When the mass on the landing had been
cleared away the frightened mob inside
were quietcd down sufficiently to enable
the police to clear the theater, when 1t was
found that there had been no danger, aud
not a soul would have been injured had
the audience but remained seated.
Nine bodies were taken To the morgue,
all of them dcad-from suffocatien.=
those taken TO the city hospital 10 are
dead Two more will die. and 10 are dcs-
peratcly hurt. The dead are of all ages,
from mere infants to gray-haired men and
women. All were killed or injured i'm the
terrific crush on the fatal landing, not
casualty having happened inside the
house, although the crush there was tre-
mendous.
The Front Street theatcr Is an old, tum-
be-down affair, on the west side of Front
street. between Gay and Low streets. 1t
has not been used for theatrical purposes
for several years, but has recently been
the sceno of many glove contests under
the auspices of the Eureka Athletic club.
The means OF cgrcss were confined 10 the
two narrow doorways opening upon the
stairways leading down TO the narrow
landing upon which last nights tragedy
occurred and the house has long been
considered too unsafe to DC put to public
use.