New-York tribune., 1903-03-08
FIRE PANIC IN THEATRE.
At PROCTOR'SI FIFTH AVE.
Audience in Wild Rush for Erits at
False Alarm.

The accidental ringing Of automatic alarm
which was connected with the regular fire
alarm box at Twenty -eighth-st. and Broadway,
yesterday afternoon, caused a wild panic among
the nine hundred persons who composed the
audience at Proctor's Fifth Avenue Theatre
Over half the audience rushed from their seats
and it was largely through the presence Of mind
of Fireman James Matthews, who got on the
stage and shouted to the frightened people that
there was no danger, that no one was hurt.
The alarm was caused by the wires of the
automatic alarm boxes, one Of which is in nearly
every building along Broadway, in that neigh
borhood. becoming crossed One of the boxes,
it is believed. was being repaired, and, through
some accident the alarm of fire was sent In
The fren1en were under the impression that
the alarm had been sent from the theatre. Half
4 dozen of them walked through the lobby OF
the theatre. but were stopped at the entrance
t5 iftSaFchestf& by Superintendent Ayers. He
dsasaffsegf~ 10 know what the hremen wanted
ana the loud talking caused some Of the per-
sons in the audience to look around. Some man
in the audience, seeing the superintendent in an
argument with a fireman. thought the theatre
was on fire, and Immediately gave the alarm.
Every one in the orchestra arose and made
rush for the exits. Women dragged their chill
dren along the aisIes. while some of the men
leaped over the backs of the seats in their rush
for the door.
Rene De Quelih, an artist in the Tiffany Stu
dios. at No 339 Fourth-ave.. was in the front
row of the orchestra when the panic took place.
With the artist were his two children. a young
boy and a girl.
II had all 1 could do to hold my children in
their seats" said Mr.. De Quein in describing
the scene. THE panic was awful The ushers
in the theatre could do nothing, most Of them
being only little boys who seemed as frightened
g. H.,
men in the theatre behave heroicaIIy. however,
in calming the frightened ones. One of them
put his hand over the mouth of a young woman
who was going to scream, and then carried her
to the rear of the theatre. 1 have been in
theatre panic before. and knew enough to keep
my seat until the first rush had stopped. Fire
man Matthews behaved admirably. and deserves
great credit"
When Superintendent Ayers was asked about
the panic. he denied that there had been any.
only few people left their seats" he said.
about score perhaps
Just as he had finished speaking, however,
several ushers OF the theatre appeared with their
arms full of pocketbooks, chatelaine bags and
umbrellas, that had been left behind by the
persons who had run out of the theatre. Nearly
three hundred men and women applied at the
coatroom for articles that they had left behind
them In the seats
From an employe OF the theatre 1t was learned
that the comic opera, cast of the theatre was
performing when the panic occurred. Fireman
Matthews, as soon as the rush of people took
place, pushed his way down side aisle and
ran to the centre of the stage He then
shouted at the top Of his voice to the people to
sit down, and directed the orchestra to play a
lively tune, which 1T did. In about twenty
minutes from the time when the panic began
the audience was comparatively restored to
order.
The theatre Is usually crowded on Saturday
afternoons and holds over thousand people.
Most of the persons in the audience. II was said
were women many of whom tainted in the rush.