The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-12-26

,ne Woman's Nerve aud Good Judgment
Prevents the Audience From Rushing
Ont of Doors-Lighted Candle Falls to
the Floor. the Tree Being Festooned |
Heavily With Cotton. the Flimsy Ma
terial Is lighted and the Tree Is Abiaze
In a Moment-They are speiIbound for a
Moment, But an Accident is Averted.
What came dangerously near being a
serious accident occurred a the Lincoln
Street Presbyterian church on Christmas
We, of whice occurrence nothing was
EARNED definitely until yesterday.
las is the custom Of all religious bodies
Ibon Christmas eve, the Sunday school
rave an entertainment, and a large and
beautifully decorated tree was the CEN
.er OF attraction. The program was ar
'Anged so as to bring the lighting of the
numerous candles upon the tree about
snidway in the exercises. The tree had
been very carefully decorated and pre-
scented a very beautiful appearance.
loaded with toys for the little folks.
Among the branches had been hung
considerable quantity of cotton. which
light as possible. This added greatly to
the beauty of the tree, upon which con-
siderable pains had been spent 10 make
il as beautiful as possible.
The program was followed up to the
Ioint in the program where the tree was
to be lighted. without break, the chill
iren doing their part excellently- The
house was crowded TO the doors, as is
The case at every Christmas entertain
Ill 7oG hQ
5een carefully placed so as 10 not endan-
ger any part OF the fiimsy but pretty
material TO catching fire, but one of them
at least was insecurity fastened in the
small tin socket which held ii. and af-
ter being lit II fell out of its place 10 the
floor, the blaze still burning as it drop
ped. The cotton and light, infiammable
material caught a once at the bottom
OF the tree. The result can be better
ima gined than described. In an instant
the blaze rushed to the top-most twig,
and the entire tree was one brilliant
mass OF flame.
A sudden blaze Of this kind, not reg
ularly upon the program, on the plat
form before a crowded house Of peo-
pie, could only have one result. Coming
as 1t did ar the moment Of greatest eX
r,ectancy from the audience, when every
eye was upon the tree, without thought
when lighted up by the candles; then
In twinkling transform the quiet, beau
tiful. peaceful scene into a sheet Of fire.
blazing high up into the air-the blaze
cracking furiously as ii seized upon the
sittle twigs with its whitening touch, the
sight of scene Of this kind has cost
many a life in the stampede which fol-
lowed
The audience sat spell-bound for a sin
gle moment. then as with one accord,
fully half Of them leaped TO their feet
ready to rush from the house. Those
nearest the front were quite naturally
the most eager 10 get out, while those
near the door were willing to remain for
{ a few seconds TO see what was TO be
seen.
Just at the critical moent, Mrs. Rich
ard Hathaway, who was among those sit
!: ting Immediately before the tree, was seen
TO step out from among those who were
rushing away, and stand quietly and IN
emotionally looking at the blazing tree.
She seemed dangerously near, and peo-
pie for got themselves for a moment in
looking at her. That moment was suffi
Gent and as she stood there unmoyed
! all the aight material was consumed
ard the blaze disappeared as quickly as
ii came. leaving the iblackened branches
denuded of their pretty decorations.
Inc audience quickly returned 10 their
seats, and nearly all evidences of the
fire was removed as soon as possible.
after which the program was resumed
, and continued to the end.
Mrs. Hathaway is to be complemented
for her quick and clear thought and ac-
ton, which averted a catastrophe which
would have caused serious injury to ma
ny and might have resulted in the death
OF some by being trampled under foot
by the fouse-full of people, whose condi-
ton mentally can no better be explained
than by the plain word used by the cow
+ boys-stampeded.