Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1896-01-02
a Cay OF FIRE
taus's Panic in "a baltimore Iheater -
Twenty Three rcr-ons Dead. Three viii
dc, ani "a Number Of Others BADLY In.
iured,

causes Panic in u Baltimore iheater-
Invent, Three Persons Dead. Three Win
dc. ani "a Number Of Others BADLY Inc
jurrd
BALTIMORE, Dee. - -Twenty-thr"
persons were crushed and trampled To
ieath in a panic 1T the Front Street
thcatcr Friday night. Several others
were injured. some of whom will, II
i believed, die.
The United Oriental and Dramatic
60. of HnSt' II. under the management
of \. Schon ro.d and Ahram Iansman,
was billed Ia present the Jewish opera
"AlcNaadcr," and the thcatrr was dill
ei with a motley throng About 100
persons were in the hoCse when the
orchestra he gan playing the introd lc-
tory.
\ strong odnr 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 light
ed torch, Suddenly a jet of flame
flashed out rs the torch came in con-
tact 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 In the gas meter and turned of
the supply. plunging the main body Of
the house INTO darkness The stage
Jet, alone remained lighted, being fed
through another meter
Instead Of allaving the excitement
caused hv inc sheet nj ilame from the
leaking piur. tine turning of of the
gas and consequent darkness only
served II add To- the confusion. The
audience rose en- maSSc and made
mad rush for the exits.
The gas was quickly turned on at
the meter. and a. the thrater again he
came illum mated an understandable
scene Of horror was presented Men,
women ami children, craZrd by fear,
were fighting and struggling i'll the
aislr> and IN the stairways in THEN
efforts to reach the open air.
The actors on the stage and few
cool heads in the audience added tn the
turmoil by shouting i.Irir commands
"a sit down and cui-sing those who
were most vigorous in their efforts to
get ont.
The struggling mass of humanity
made little or no Roadway for a few
minutes Every aisle was congested
aud every doorway damned with the
frantic Poles and Russian Jews who
mainly comprised the gathering.
The strong men in the rear of the
panic stricken mob climbed upon the
shoulders of those in front, crushing
/ tine weaker men. women ami little
children To the floor to bc tramnlcd &c
death ny those still further in the
rear
For several minutes the Wild ii -ht
continued. Then Il few policemen
forced a uassaCeway to the main en-
trance and began dragging forth those
VINO were jammci in the doors. A
rushing stream of humanity flowed ont
on Front street until all those who
were able to move reached the open
/ air.
A hurry call for policemen had
| brought a large squad To the thcatcr
! 10y this time and a fire alarm had also
been sent in. bringing some engines &c
! the scene
The excitement in the street was al
most as great rs in the theater. rs rela
tiycs began searching for those from
whom they had become separated dur
! ing the mad rush. Fathers and mothers
rushed about looking for their children
and attempted To re-enter the theateI
in their search for missing ones.
| The crowd grew SD great that the
police, fearing a riot, ordered the fire
! engine hose to be turned on and in
that way the struggling mass wa'
! driven back from the theatcr entrance
Meanwhile officers had entered IhS
theater ami encountered sirlSening
sight In every direction Were found
bodies from which life had been
crushed and tramplcd.
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 hospital
and the morgue rs fast as the ambu
lances and patrol wagons could make
the trips.
Great crowds followed the ambu
the entrances to the hospital and
morgue in their anxiety to learn il
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 al
the city hospital and two Of them may
die. Several others were taken t.
their homes in carriages suffering from
commissions or broken bones. The
death list will probably exceed -.