Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-06-05
FLAMING TENT.
Employees Carelessness Causes
Pane and Injury.
Miraculous Escape OF Many Some
May Die.

LYNN Mass. June Marine Park. near
the Lynn beach, has just been the scene of a
terrible accident by fire which came very
near resulting In tragedy. As it was,
more than dozen persons were badly
burned and it is feared that two, and pos
sibly three, deaths will result
the most seriously injured were Annie
Meyers, "a Mt. Pleasant street, Lynn burned
about the head. hands and face; Maud
Rhodes, SO Rockawpy street Lynn, face,
ands. legs and body badly burned; will
probably die; Richard DAILY. Washington
street, Lynn, face and body badly burned;
will probably die; Wallace o. Stevens. 262
Cambridge street East Cambridge; Rob ,rt
A. Hodgdon, East Newton street. Malden;
James Tobin, Lynn, burned about the face
and hands. While the fire itself Is of little
significance, the escape of nearly 400 people
from tent adjoining the one in which the
fire took place, and which contains the re-
Gently established theatre is considered al
most miraculous. No sooner had the cry of
''tire' been raised than there was stampede
Of an excited crowd Of people, all making q
mad rush in an effort to flee from unknown
danger. They had only heard the cry OF
fire, but that was enOugh and, rs IL with
one accord, men, women and children arose
In their seats and, without looking to the
right or the left, made frantic plunge for
the exit
that hardly sufficient to admit the passage
OF more than three people abreast, yet they
forced their way out in fves and skies. and
after reaching the open air many tainted,
and were taken in charge by those who had
assembled upon the outside, but who were
powerless to pncfy the excited crowd
within. The tent in which the fire took place
covers an area Of about 20 by 10 feet and
contained exhibits OF wax figures and the
vitascope. In this tent there were not more
than dozen people, about half of whom
were young women with their escorts. All
of them were more or less seriously injured,
and two will probably die. The fire was
started through the carelessness OF an at
tache, who was engaged in filling the gaso-
lene lamps while they were yet burning.
The cries of the unfortunates we're heart
rending The tragic appeals OF the young
women for help, mingled with the shouts Of
their male companions Fire! fire ~ coupled
with the repeated assurances OF the crowd
without. made the scene q most dramatic
one, and one long to be remembered by
those who were witnesses of the affair
As the victims emerged from the
burning tent, they were wrapped completely
In tlames, and presented q startling appear
ance. A Miss Rhodes and u man named
DAILY were the first to come out and they were
consequently the greatest sufferers. as they
faced the flames when they were fiercest
and enveloped them in pieces Of canvas,
preventing more serious results. Others
followed In quick succession, and they, too,
were cared for by the crowd. An alarm OF
fire had been turned in. and ambulance calls
had been sent in to police headquarters. AL
most simultaneously, it seemed, with the
breaking out of the fire, the fire depart
ment and ambulance corps we're on the
scene. and amid the piteous walls of the
injured ones. the excited shouts of the anx-
ious crowd. the changing of gongs, which
marked the arrival OF help, created babel
OF sounds. As quickly as could be the in
jured ones were taken in charge by the am
bulance corps and removed to the hospital
where everything within the power of tho
physicians was done for the victims.
All were found to be suffering greatly
from burns about the hands and face, though
the most seriously burned are Miss Rhodes
and Richard DAILY, and the physicians fear
that fatal results will ensue in these cases.
The clothing of all the victims was nearly
burned from them, and only fragments re-
manned to tell Of the narrowness of their
escapes. Miss Rhodes and DAILY inhaled n
of the smoke, and this
makes their cases dangerous. The
others are badly burned, and it is by no
means assured that they will recover All
we're KEEP. at the hospital last night, to await
the result of their injuries. The injuries
sustained by the victims consist entirely OF
burns about the face. arms and lower limbs,
and only vary in their severity. Six others
were also burned slightly, but were able to
walk to nearby physicians, where attention
was given to their injuries.