The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-12-31
Pupils of a Washington
Boarding School Have
Narrow Escapes.
TRANSLATED BY DANGER
Graphic Description of Rush
for Safety-lhe Misses
Eddy in the Party.

remarkable Incidents Of the holocaust
The young women were pupils IT Mrs.
somers school at Eleventh and NJ
Streets northwest and were in Chicago
on a holiday visit
The box party was gwen Dy Mrs kol-
lin A Keyes OF Evanston. III. and in
Guided her daughters. Mrs. Harry Is
Pearson ana Miss Katherine Keyes. Miss
Elsie Eifnore. Of Astoria. ore. Miss
Grace Hill daughter of Charles r. Hill.
Greenwood Avenue. Chicago; Miss Ma
RE Peters. Of Columbus. Ohio; Miss
Cornelia Armsby. daughter Of Mrs. J. X.
Armshy. Of Evanston. Elizabeth and
Josephine Eddy. daughters OF Morris II
Eddy. and nieces OF Mrs. Somers. Of
Washington and Miss Charlotte Pla
mondon. youngest daughter Of Mr.. and
Mrs Charles a. Plamondon. OF Chicago.
For School Girl Friends.
The party was given by hrs keyes
for the school friends Of her daughter.
Katherine and was preceded by a
luncheon at the Auditorium Annex.
They were late in reaching the theater.
ard occupied the two front boxes on the
south side of the theater.
Miss Plamondon who waited until the
fire caught in the curtains over the front
box in which she sat before attempting
to go out. has given a graphic descrip-
tion of the fire According to a dispatch
from Chicago today, Miss PIarnondon
described her experience as follows:
Miss PlamondOn's Escape.
II can't tel you how I escaped. 1
only know that wren the flames began
10 cracklc over my head and dart down
from the curtains~o OF our box | leaDed
over the railing Of the box and fell ia
the arms Of some man. / think he was
connected with the theater. for he i'm
mcdiately set me down in scat and
told me To be quiet for a moment
Then / think 7 lost all reason. have
a vague recollection Of having been
pushed up the side aisle that runs along
by the boxes. II was as quiet as death
for a moment The great audience rose
like single person. bat no sound e.
capped ii. Those in front were wedged in
the dOorways Then scream Of terror
went up that I shall never forget. 1t
rings in my ears now. Women screamed
and children cried. Men were shouting
and rushing for the entrances. Ieaping
over the PROSTATE forms Of children and
women, and carrying others down with
theTa
Il was soon sensible Of the fact that
was being carried along I'm the mas
Of frantic humanity that surged toward
the main entrance. l did not feel any
pain or suffocati6n. My mind seemed TO
be a blank as J think Of II now. ex-
eepting for this screaming Of the wom-
On and the crying OF the children. 1t
pierced right through You
Dasked Against Pillar.
Back of me ] remember. there was
a sheet Of flame that seemed to be gath
ering IN volume and reaching out for
us Then 1 forgot again and not until
the crowd surged toward the wall and
caught me between II and the marble
pillar did I realize what / was doing and
just what position the danger was The
pain revived me. I know | was almost
crushed 20 death. but II did not hurt
Nothing could hurt with the screaming
the agonized cries Of the women and
children ringing IN my ears.
And then. somehow I found myself
cut ON the street. and the dead ard
dying were around me When realized
that } was out OF the place and safe
from the fire and crush. all my strength
seemed 90 leave me My knees trern-
bied. and for the life Of me / could not
have taken a step The cold air braced
me after moment. and went around
10 the drug store. whore the dead were
being brought in. and the poor actresses
and chorus girls were coming in with
little on them. / remembered 7 helped
10 dress some OF the chorus girls. and
expressed pity for them. but what else
4 did Z don't know
Realization Of Danger.
Miss Elu.ore and myself managed 70
keep together and found each othef
soon after we got out on the street
when Miss Hill was pushed out Of the
entrance she ran as fast as she could
e. the Marshall Field store.
n never felt as ! did when the fire
FIRST started and IL dawned upon ms
that the theater was on FIRE. II seemed
Ike q dream NJ first.
Miss Plamondon's two sisters were
sitting only three seats distant from the
boxes IN which there were other mem
bers u the Keyes party. In this party
were Augustus Eddy. brother Of the
Eddy girls IN the box. ard Carroll Shaf-
Ter. son Of j. G. Shaner.
Mr. Eddy. Miss Plamondon says, made
heroic effort TO reach the box in which
By the mob. which hedged him IN and
swept him OF his feet. He managed 10
escape. however. after hard struggle
and was among the first 20 greet ais
sisters ia the street.
Mr.. Keycs manu- god TO hnd his family
SOON after ne arrived on the scene.
Mrs. somers. principal Of the school.
IS not in washington at the present
the holidays and Mrs. Henslcy. Of 1911
n Street northwest. Is acting principal
she says she has received no word from
any Of the girls from the school but
from the newspaper accounts she has
read she Is satisfied they are safe and
unhurt The girls now visiting in Chi
eago are expected 20 return to school
next Monday.