Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-01-03
he NEWS IN BRIEF
Panic in a Theatre.

fnnty-eeven People Crushed to Death
"A BurnIng Gas Jet Raised n Cry of
, Fire" Causing a Mad Rush for the
kits.
Twenty-seven people were crushed and
3 ampled to death in panic in the Front
rect theatre, Baltimore, Md, Friday
-ght, and 80 Others were injured, several
italy. The United Oriental Opera and
Dramatic company of Boston was present.
ng the Jewish opera, alexander" before
1 motley audience of $500 people, nearly
all Poles. A strong odor of gas was no
ticed 10 the second gallery and one of the
attaches of the theatre began searching
for II with a lighted torch. Suddenly a
jet Of fame flashed out as the torch came
In contact with the punctured gas-pipe.
Cries of fire were heard in the upper
galleries and in an instant the excitement
became intense. Some one rushed to the
gas meter and turned off the supply, plung-
ing the main body of the house into dark
ness. The stage Jets alone remained light
ed, being fed through another meter.
Instead of allaying the excitement
caused by the flame, the turning off of the
gas and the consequent darkness only
served to add to the confusion. The audi
ence arose in body and made mad rush
for the exits. The actors ran down to the
footlights and shouted: "St down, there's
no danger" but the excited throng paid no
heed to the advice. 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.
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 a few policemen
forced a passageway to the main entrance
and began dragging forth those who were
jammed to the doors A rushing stream
Of humanity flowed out on Front street I'M
til all those who were able to move reach
ed open air. A call for policemen brought
a large squad to the theatre by this time
and a fire alarm had also been sent in,
bringing some engines on the scene.
The excitement on the street was almost
as great as that in the theatre, as relatives
began searching for those from whom they
had become separated during the mad rush.
Fathers and mothers rushed about looking
for their children, and attempting to re-
tultI Iub JledJTt III SbdTCu vi IutlI HISS
ing ones. The crowd grew so great that
the police, fearing riot, ordered the fire
engine hose to be turned on, and in that
way the struggling mass was driven back
from the theatre entrance. Mean
while officers had entered the theatre and
encountered a 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 hospi-
tai and the morgue as fast as the ambu-
lances and the patrol wagons could make
the trips. Great crowds followed the am
balances and patrol wagons and stormed
the entrances to the Iospital and morgue
in their anxiety to arm if their relatives
or friends were aT Ag the injured or dead.
Twenty-three deg bodies were finally TAX
en- from the thu re. Ten persons badly
injured were I IN to the city hospital,
where four die fithin short time. 9th
ers were take 5 their homes in carriages,
suffering fro Sontusions or broken bones,
the total nj er injnre being more than
80. Thos' fund dead were either crushed
to death or suffocated.