The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-01-02
KILLED IN A PANIC
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT IN 4 THEATER
In BALTIMORE.
Three ThOusan People Panic-
and i'm the Struggle to Reach
the Door Tw~enty-Four People
Are Crushed to Death and Many
Others Are Injured.

Baltimore. Dee. %. - Twenty-four
persons were Killed and twice as many
more seriously injured during IA panic
ut the old Front street theater III this
city last night.
Almost all the victims are of Polish
nativity and heOriac extraction, and
many of the injured were taken to
their homes by friends, rendering it
almost impossible TO get Il compete
list.
This theater, which is probably the
oldest in the city. was filled from pit
10 dome with people who had assem-
blcd to listen to Hebrew opera which
has been given in the old house twice
a week for the past month. The tick
ct office receipts show over ZOO
of tickets sold. AT $ o'clock the sale
of tickets was stopped because there
were no more left. General admission
tickets We're sold. however, after this.
and it is supposed that there were at
least 1900 people within the walls
When the curtain went up on the first
act. AS the capacity of the house is
less than $500 the density of the
crowd may be imagined. Ten min
utes after the curtain rose II of the
attendants went up to the second tier
to light a gas jet which appeared to
have been eXtinguiShed. AS he turned
the cock and applied a match the light
tlarcd up and it 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.
1lIit nc tho DIlpn fppr1 IL Shnurnl
against the wall some N in the gal
lery shouted:
Fire, Fire, Fire"
In an instant there was q mad
scramble for the door. in which the
whole audience took part. The van
guard Of the terror-strickcn multitude
reached the entrance on Front street.
pushed in by the bowling. shriel.ing
moi behind them. There, those in the
foremost rank were compelled to turn
10 the right anu to the left to reach
the double entrance way. built in the
form Of storm doors. Passing through
these doors they assembled Il flight of
steps leading from each door forward
to n landing from whence Il broad
stair way Of moderate height would
have carried them into the street and
safety. The steps leading from the
dOorways are but about five feet high.
but h landing, at their base is mar
row. Down these the frenzied people
hurled themselves in the frightful
struggle to reach the open air and to
escape certain death they thought was
behind them. AS the crowds from the
two doors reached the landing. they
met. There was Il brief struggling.
and then some II lest his or her foot
ing and fell. In Il moment the crowd.
pushed with irresistible force from the
rear. crowded upon the PROSTATE
forms. and began, in turn, to stumble
and reel. and presently to fall prone
upon the floor under the thousands of
feet coming like Il herd of frightened
buffaloeS from behind. In less time
than it takes to tell it the landing vas
packed twenty or thirty deep with the
panic-Stricken multitude and the hun
dreds behind them were struggling
over each other to reach the street.
Many SufTOcated.
When the mass on the landing had
been cleared by the police the fright
ened mob inside were quoted down
sufficiently to enable the police to
clear the theater. Then it was found
that there had been no danger and
llldl not IL SDui "oulu nave BePH III
iured had the audience remained seat
ed.
Nine bodies were taken to the
m~Orgue-all of them dead from suifo-
cation. OF those taken to the city
hospital fifteen are dei.d. Two more
will probably die and ten are desper-
ately hurt. The confusion at both
places is indescribable. AS has been
stated all the dead and injured are
Polish Hebrews. and few of them
have friends CT relatives who are able
to speak the English language suf-
~ficiently well to make themselves I'M
derstOod. The dead are of all ages,
from mere infants to ~gray-haired men
and women. All were killed or in
iured in the terrible crush on the final
landing. not a casualty having hap
pened inside the house, although the
crush there was tremendous.