Evening journal., 1903-12-31
WOMEN DESCRIBE seen
Audience Watched Flames as
Crept Alono Curtain.

4. IA
crept Along Curtain. III
One of the marvellous escapes :
that made by the members of a {
tre party given by Miss Charlottc 4
Plamondon, of Chicago The party E
made up of a number of prominent (
ciety people Of this city, Miss Elsie. 4
more. of Astoria. Ore; Miss NJ
Peters, Of Columbus, o., and Miss
sephine Eddy, of Evanston, H. Nh
Plamondon was the first of her pd&
TO notice the fire which crept ali il
the top OF the drop curtain. She cal
the attention of other members Of
party to the blaze and they all watcl
it. Miss Plamondon said: Il could
little girls and boys in the orches
chairs pointing upward to the slo|
moving fame. One Of the stage han
wearing overalls appeared before
footlights and requested the audieE
to keep their seats. as there was
danger Eddie Foy then hurried to {
front of the stage and commanded a
people to remain calm, saying that
they would keep their seats the dams.
would be averted. The curtain, he,
ever still burned. pieces Of the smot
dering cloth falling into the orchest
PIT. looked over the faG
Of the audience and remarked hc
many children were present cou
see their faces filled with interest al
their eyes wide open as they watch.
the burning curtain. Just then ii
people in the balcony rose to their fe.
and crowded forward to obtain bett'
view of the fire.
Eddie Foy rushed to the centre
the stage again and waved his arm
in a gesture meaning for the peop.
to be seated. At that instant a woma
in the rear of the place screame
'Firei and the entire audience ,
women and children rose to their fe'
filed with uncomfortable terror.
another instant there was a confuse
roar made by a thousand people G
they rushed madly from the impendin
danger.
Then there came a great roar, an
a great draft of air and the flames she
out over the parquette OF the theati
until It seemed TO me as though the
must reach the very front walls OF tn
|. building. There were but few men
the audience. but I saw several {
them pulling and pushing women an
children aside as they fought like mi
MACS to reach the exits. saw
number of little children trample
number OF little children trample
under foot, and none of them aros
again. In the balcony the scene wa
beyond my power 10 describe. Thel
was big black crush of human b
ings, each one apparently fighting e
erybody else. The balcony was s
steep that many fell before they ha
left the first four rows Of seats. tn
exits to the fire escapes were choke'
and those in the rear rushed with a
the strength they possessed upon thos
who we're nearer the doorway.
1T was almost incredible, the spec
with which the flames ran through Ch
scenery, and although / was but a Sc,
ond after Miss Elmore in jumping owe
the railing Of our box to the aisle /
front, the stage was a mass of fame
AS l started up the aisle a man rushe
into me and knocked me down. I wa
so terror-stricken that I grew wea
and sank into one of the orchestr
chairs, and after that / hardly remeu
Der anything. In some way l reache
the main entrance, where men -weI
kicking against the doors and shattei
ing the glass and panels in their al
tempt to afford larger space for Oh
exit of the people. Many fell as the
reached the doors, where a few step
more would have carried them to fires
air and safety. AS / look at il now
must have been walking on prostrat
bodies as l struggled through the open
ing. All OF our party escaped in abou
the same manner as ] did, but all q
them suffered so terribly in the mat
ter Of clothing that the first thing the
did was to rush to the stores TO bu
wraps to cover them"