The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-01-02
CRY OF FIRE"
It Brings Death to Over q Score
In Baltimore.
Mad Rush of . Theatef Audience for tho
Doors-Men, Women and Children
Crushed-List of Killed Now
- III Reaches Twenty-Four. \;

Baltimore, Nd Dec. IS. - Twenty
four people were killed, two fatally in.
iured and ten more seriously hurt Fri
day night in q senseless panic at the old
Front Street theater. "A defective gas
burner burst in . blaze, q woman cried
"firc!" and the tragedy followed Most
Of the victims were Poles. Only four
Of the dead had been identified atmid-
night.
The United Oriental Opera and ORA
matte; company, of Boston. under the
management of A. Schongold and
Abram Tansman, was billed to present
the Jewish opera "Alexander" and the
theater was filled with 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 q
lighted torch. Suddenly a jet of flame
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 off
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 excit'lnent
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
audience arose en- masse and made q
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 indescribablc
scene of horror was presented. Men.
women and children, crazed by fear,
were fighting and struggling in the
efforts to reach the open air.
The actors on the stage and few
cool heads in the audience 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-
ges;ed 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 a 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 at'emps
ed to reenter the theater in their scare 4
for missing ones. The crowd grew SO
great that the police, fearing a riot,
caused the fire engine hose to be turned
on, and in that way the struggling mass
was driven back from the theater en-
trance.
A sickenIng Sight.
Meanwhile officers had entered the
theater and encountered a sic&ening
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 hospital and the morgue
us fast as the ambulances and patrol
wagons could make the trips. Great
crowds followed the ambulanceS and
patrol wagons and stormed tho en-.
frances to. the hospital and morgue in
their anxiety to learn if their relatives
or friends were among the injured or
dead.
Seven Dead In One Group.
The majority of the victims 81 the
disaster, however. were not killed in
the struggle at the entrances. hut a.:
the foot of the stairs leading down from
the second and third galleries. The
bodies of five children and two women
were found just inside the doorway be-
low the second gallery stairs.
Death List Reaches Twenty-Four.
Nine bodieswere taken to the 1norgue
all of them dead from suffo:atioll.
OF those taken to the city hospital Is
died. Two more will probably die, and
20 are desperately hurt. The confu-
sion at both places was indescribaole.
Was No Danger.
When the mass on the landing had
been cleared the frightened mob inside
quieted down sufficiently to enar:e the
police to clear the theater. Tj,cn 1t
was found that there had been no dan
ger, and that not a. soul would have:
been in ured had: the audience but re-
NAMED seated. 49,.
Rebel Chief Shot.
Havana, Dec. 2S.-~Acebo, the insur-
gent chief who was shot at Cienfuegos
Thursday by order of the authorities,
died bravely. The execution took place
ut six o'clock in the morning. Acebo
l>o f~ro 1,oinu tn1,on ~ tho rlnco IF exc.