New-York tribune., 1901-01-13
SIX CRUSHED TO DEATH.
PANIC CAUSED BY A CRY OF FIRE. AT
YIDDISH PLAY IN CHICAGO-HALL
WITH INSUFFICIENT EXITS

Chicago. Jan. 12.-Six persons were crushed
to death and many more seriously injured in
a panic which followed a mans cry of Fire."
late this afternoon in West Twelve Street Tur-
ner Hall. About eight hundred persons were in
the place, gathered to witness the performance
of play entitled "The Greenhorn." The play
was in Yiddish and the persons in the audi
ence, comprising for the most part women and
children. all Hebrews. The hall stands in
the centre of a district densely populated by
persons of that race. The play was nearly over,
when the cry which caused the panic raised,
and within five seconds after it rang through
the hall the entire audience converted into
a frantic mob every member of which was
fighting for the safety which lay beyond the
doors of the building.
The hall is frequently used for dances, and
when theatrical performance is given chairs
are set for the spectators. AS soon the wild
rush toward the doors began chairs were
knocked down in every direction, the aisles dis
appeared, and the excited people ran, climbed
and stumbled over the chairs in their way tow
ard the doors.
Around the upper part of the hall extends
balcony which is open only at one end. Here
were seated $50 women and children, and the
women at the further end of the balcony. away
from the stairway, seeing that the rush toward
the exit was blocked to them and their children.
began at once TO throw the little ones over the
railing to the floor ten feet below. The children
fell into the midst of the maddened throng and
were at once trampled under foot. 1t is known
that three of the dead were children who were
thrown from the balcony and were trampled by
the crowd, with not a chance for their lives.
Following the children, many of the women
sprang from the balcony upon the crowd below
and others hung down by their hands before
they dropped. The railing Of the balcony was
broken through in half a dozen places by the
pressure brought against it by the maddened
crowd.
On the main floor the crush was much worse
than in the balcony The main exits from the
hall, and the only ones known TO a majority Of
those who frequent the place. are two doors in
the south end of the main auditorium that open
upon winding stairs, which, eight steps down,
Unite into one broader fight leading TO the
ma in door at the Twelfth-st. front. Around
these two doors frantic mass Of screaming
men, women and children was packed, all strug-
Cling fiercely TO force their way down the stairs.
At the landing where the two flights Of stairs
winding down from tho main hall unite a
stumbled and fell. In an instant a
score of persons We're down, and before the rush
was over. four lives had been crushed out in a
space four feet wide by six feet long.
Within five minutes after the beginning OF
the panic it was all over and the police and
hremen who came hurrying to the scene Of the
disaster were called upon TO do nothing beyond
carrying away the dead and injured and keep
ing back the thousands of people who tried TO
the news of the panic had spread throughout
the district which seemed only few minutes,
all the Hebrews from that part Of the city
rushed to the place. bent learning the names
of the dead and wounded. Men and women
fought desperately with the officers in their ef-
forts enter the building and learn If any Of
their loved ones were among the dead The
crowd was so great. so excited a-1o % nhni t.
ageable that several calls were sent for addl-
tional officers and fremen before il could be re-
strained. The alarm of fire was false. there
having been nc blaze at any time, The fur-
in the building is somewhat defective, and
al times allows sparks 10 pass UP through the
registers. 1t the sight OF these sparks ris-
ing into the room that frightened the man who
raised the cry Of Fire
The hall has several times been the scene OF
panics, and it is only few months ago that
number of children were hurt in rush for the
doors, which occurred in course of a juvenile
party in the place.