The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-12-28
MlSCREAAT Shouted FIRE
And a Terrible Panic Followed in q
Crowded Theatcr.
A VERITABLE DEATH TRAP
Thirteen Persons Killed and Twenty
Seriously Injured In the Wild Rush
for ths Doors Which Gould
Not Be Opened.

Idy cii!l III uedtil dl tilt uc toiicis
and twenty persons are in the acciden-
tai wards of the city hospital. the result
of panic at Front Street theater. The
United Oriental Opera and Dramatic
company. of New York, was presenting
an opera in the Hebrew language to an
audience of fully 5000 persons.
Shortly after the performance began
some one shouted fire" and the i'm
mense gathering with one accord began
q wild scramble for the exits. Men and
women. boys and girls fought for a
vantage ground and a scene of the
widest confusion prevailed.
The street doors were closed, and
being hung to open inward, the strug-
Cling mass of humanity was brought to
a standstill Those in the rear climbed
over the heads of the ones in front, and
trampled the weaker ones beneath their
feet. For several minutes the wild
fight for liberty continued
Mass Of Struggling Humanity.
When the policemen arrived on the
scene they found mass of struggling
humanity five feet deep in the small
entrance to the playhouse. One of the
doors was forced open and the work of
pulling out the dead and injured was
commenced. An alarm of fire was
turned i'm, followed Immediately after
ward by an ambulance call. Patrol
wagons were also pressed into service
and We're soon hurrying to the city hos
pitfalls with one or two of the unfortu-
mates.
None of the dead have been id.nti-
fled up to 10 p. N. Among the dead are
two men Of about % and 81 years respec-
lively, a woman aged about %. three
girls aged g. I. and Is years respectively.
and three boys, whose ages range from
to is years.
Among the injured are two girls aged
l3 and IA respectively; two women of SS
and 60 years of age; boys of 4, 8 and IL.
and two men aged % and so.
story of the Tragedy.
The United Oriental Opera Dramatic
company. of Boston, under the manage
ment of A. Schongold and Abram Tan
seman, was billed to present the Jew
ish opera. alexander" the theater was
filed with a motley throng. About
$500 persons were in the house when the
orchestra began playing the introduc-
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 hunting for the leak with a lighted
torch. Suddenly jet of flame flashed
the punctured gas pip Cries oe fire"
were heard in the upper galleries. and
in an instant the excitement became in
tense. Some one rushed to the gas
meter and turned off the supply. plung
ing the main body of the house in dark
ness, the stage jets alone remaining
lighted, being fed through another
meter Instead of allaying the excite
ment caused by the sheet of flame from
the leaking pipe. the turning off OF the
gas and consequent darkness only
served to add to the confusion The au-
dience arose en- masse and made 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 to the 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 ives 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
entrance.
The struggling mass of humanity
made little or no headway for a few
minutes; every aisle was congested and
tic Poles and Russian Jews, who MAIN
ly comprised the gathering.
Women and Children Crushed.
Strong men in the rear of the panic
stricken mob climbed upon the shoulders
of those in 'front.' crushing the weak
er 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 passageway to the main en-
trance and began dragging forth those
who were jammed i'm the doors. A
rushing stream of humanity flowed out
on Front street until all those who were
able to move reached the open air.
A hurry-all for policemen had brought
a large squad to the theater by this
time and fire alarm had also been sent
in. bringing some engines to the scene
The excitement in the street was al
most as great as In the theater as rela-
tives began 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 for missing ones
The crowd grew so great that the po-
lice. fearing a riot. ordered the fire en-
gine 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 q horrible
sight. Everywhere bodies were found
with life extinct. A majority of the
victims were young girls and children.
They were carried to the front of the
house and taken 20 the city hospital
and the morgue as soon as the ambu-
lance and wagons could make the trips.
Great crowds followed the ambulances
and patrol wagons and stormed the en-
frances TO the hospital and mcrgue in
their anxiety to learn If their relatives
or friends were among the injured or
dead.
Twenty-three dead bodies were finally
taken from the theater. Ten persons
more or less injured, are at the citv
hospital. two Of them may die. Severa,
others were taken to their homes in car
riages, suffering from contusions or
broken bones. The death list will prob
ably exceed twenty-five.
At a late hour tonight there bad but
fourteen Of the dead been Identified
They are: Miss Jennie Hinl.le. 2 wears
old; Louis Cohen, a 10-year-old how.
Jacob Rosenthal. a tailor, about 25 veal re-
old; - Wolff. tailor; Theresa Gold
stein, years old, and her little 4-year.
old brother: Louis Amofsky, 3e years
old; Sarah Rosen, is years: Ida Silber.
man. IA years; Ida Friedman, II years: !:
Sarah Siegel, 16 years; -- Leven.
stein, 40 years: - SAlsbeig, ~ years:
Lena Lewis, aged 22.