Evening journal., 1900-10-25
ACTION
AVRRTED A PANIC
Fire Broke Out Next Door to
the Opera House
Few In Immense Audience Who As
Sembled to Hear Bryan Knew
Of The incident

What might have been a serious
panic in the Opera House last night
was prevented by the coolness and
good judgment Of several officers on
the police force.
It was shortly after Q o'clock when
the theatre was packed to its utmost
capacity by persons who had assem-
bled to hear Mr. Bryan speak, when
bystander upon the sidewalk noticed
that the roof of Bradway 6 Ham
mond's laundry, next door to the
Opera House. was on fire
OFFICER TAYLOR'S GOODNESS.
Officer Harry Taylor. who was on
duty in the vicinity. was notified and
sent a still alarm to the Washington
chemical engine Officer Taylor then
telephoned to the police station and
prevented an alarm from being struck
on the City Hall bell
In the meantime a party of five or
six men entered the house and. carry
ing water to the roof, soon put out the
fire. or believed that they had done
so. BY that time the chemical engine
had reached Eighth and Market
streets. where Il was turned back by
Taylor.
SO quietly was the whole affair con-
duceted that no one in the Opera
House knew of the incident
FIRE BROKE OUT AGAIN.
This occurred before Mr. Bryan had
reached the Opera House. At 1O4OI
o'clock however the fire on the roof of
the Bradway & Hammond building
broke out again and before any of the
policemen in the vicinity could pre-
vent it an alarm of fire was sounded
from box No. z. That started the
crowds in the streets and in few
minutes thousands of people were
rushing toward the Opera House.
When the alarm was sounded q man
rushed into the corridor Of the Opera
House and shouted fire" but Detec-
tive McVey called him back and had
the doors OF the auditorium closed
Then McVey with Former Judge Bail.
Peter A. Horty and Officers Payne,
Gilling. Armeil. Cornish, Riley and
Ward kept the corridors free of pco-
pie and prevented anyone form going
in.
The people in the audience. many OF
whom were women, did not know OF
the fire next door until almost at the
close of the speechmaking and tnen
the noise of the firemen was heard IN
the back part of the room. A few men
and women started to run out of the
corridor. but we're held back and told
to keep quiet, as there was no danger.
The noise at the door interrupted
the speakers. but some one shouted
"all right" and Mr. Bryan resumed his
address.
In the meantime Sergeant Tucker
and a posse of officers had arrived on
the scene. They formed a semi-cirCu-
lar line in front of the door and the
crowd was turned to the right am.
kept moving. To the left OF the door
the firemen were gathered and the
street was packed from curb to curb
Inside the major portion of the audi
ence was kept in total ignorance OF the
fire next door. but some of the tiuid
ones. who obtained an inkling, we're
lifted out of the windows on the south
side of the building and passed into
King street and thus avoided the jam.
One woman tainted and was helped
out.
The situation was a critical one for
few moments and it was entirely due
to the coOlness of the officers that the
most of audience knew nothing OF
what was going on outside.
The dwelling part of the burned
building was occupied by William II.
Blachway and his wife and two OF
The dwelling was flooded with water
and considerable damage done. There
was no insurance.