River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-01-02
CRY OF FIRE
1t Brings Death to Over a Score
In Baltimore.
Mad Rush of q Theater Audience fer the
Doors-Men, Women and Children
Crushed-List of Killed Now
Reaches Twenty -Four.

Baltimore. Md. Dec. rs. = Twenty
four people were killed. two fatally in
jured and ten more seriously hurt FRI
day night in senseless panic at the old
Front Street theater. defective gas
burner burst in blaze, woman cried
"firel" and the tragedy followed Most
of the victims were Poles. Only four
of the dead had been identified al mid
night.
The United Oriental Opera and ORA
matte company, of 'oston, under the
management of A. Schongold and
Abram Tansman, 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 orchestra began
playing the Introductory.
Cry of Fire Causes Panic.
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 a jet of fame
flashed out as the torch came in con-
tact with the punctured gas pipe.
Cries of Fire" were heard in the up
per galleries and in an instant the ex-
element became intense. Some one
rushed to the gas meter and turned on
the supply. plunging the main body of
the house into darkness. The stage
jets alone remained lighted, being
fed through another meter.
Instead of allaying the excitiment
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
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 adj
vice, but continued their wild scramble
for the doors
Scene of Horror.
The gas was quickly turned on at the
meter, and as the theater again be-
came illuminated an indescTibabla
scene of horror was 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 open air.
The actors on the stage and few
cool heads in the audiense added to the
turmoil by shouting their commands
to "Sit down. and cursing those who
were most vigorous in their efforts to
get out. The struggling mass of hui
manity made little or no Roadway for
few minutes; every aisle was con
gesied and every doorway jamn.ed
with the frantic Poles and Russian
Jews, who mainly comprised the su-
| dience.
Wild Scene in the Street.
A hurry call for policemen had
| brought 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 almost as great as in the
theater, as relatives began searching
for those from whom they had be
come separated during the mad rush.
Fathers and mothers rushed about
looking for their children and attempt
ed to reenter the theater in their search
for missing ones. The crowd grew Sc
| great that the police, fearing q riot
caused the fire engine hose to be turned
on, and in that way the struggling mas:
was driven back from the theater en-
| trance.
A Sickening Sight.
Meanwhile officers had entered the
| theater and encountered sic1enIne
sight. In every direction were ioun,
! bodies from which life had beer
crushed and trampled. A majority O
the victims were young men, girls anf
children. They were tenderly carried
| TO the front of the house and taker
to the city hospital and the morgu'
as fast as the ambulances and patro
wagons could make the trips. Grea
| crowds followed the ambulances ant
patrol wagons and stormed the en-
/ frances to the hospital and morgue il
their anxiety to learn if their RELATIVES
or friends were among the injured oil
dead.
| Seven Dead in One Group.
The majority of the victims Of the
disaster, however, were not killed il
the struggle at the entrances, bnt a
the foot of the stairs leading down from
the second and third galleries. The
bodies of five children and two womer
were found just inside the doorway be
low the second gallery stairs.
Death List Reaches Twenty-Four.
Nine bodies were taken to the morgu:
all of them dead from suffocation
Of those taken to the city hospital 1;
died. Two more will probably die, anc
20 are desperately hurt. The confu
| sion at both Dlaces was indescribable
Was No Danger.
When the mass on the landing hat
been cleared the frightened mob inside
quieted down sufficiently to enahie thu
police to clear the theater. Then Il
was found that there had been no dan
ger, and that not a soul would hav,
been injured had the audience but re
| MANNED seated