The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-31

averted. The curtain, however. stilI burn ed. pieces of the spaouldering cloth falf- ing Into the orchestra pit. An effort was made Dy the stage hands Co arrange tie curtain go that the blazing fraRments I would not drop into the pit looked over the faces of the audience" said Miss pia-S lnor6on. .end remarked how many tllii- dren were present. could sec thesr faces filled with interest ahd their eyes wide open as they watched the burning curtain. Just then the people in me bat cony rose to their feet and crowded fni ward tc get a better view of she fire Edie Foy rushed to the center of tlss stage and again waved his aFffs in a l gesture meaning for the people to ba seated. At that Instant woman in the rear of the place screamed Fire. nnd the entire audience of women and chil l dren rose to their feet. niled with uncon. trcllabie terror Tn another instant there was a confused roar made by a thousand I persons as trey rushed madiy from tas impending danger.
 FLAMES SHOT INTO
 BODY or THKATnE.
 'on the stage the chorus girls who had aroused my admiration because oi their exhibition of presenee of mind. I turned to fec. but many of them were overcome before they could take a step. Several of them fell to the floor and saw the men in the cast and the stage hands carry them off the stage. The ups < 1 then on fire and we were compelled tc brush fragments of the burning curtain | from our clothes In order to prevent them catching fire. Then there came a great roar and great Gs=It of air and ! the flames shot out over the parauatta | laa EEe ..sT .aEaa 1 tho lgh they must reach the very freht walls of the building.
 "There were hut few men in the aaas daence. but saw several of them pulling aud pushins women and children aatdA as they fought like manlacs Co reach ths I exits. [ saw number of little children 2rampled under foot and none of them arose aKain. Tn the balcony the seana was beyond my power 10 daacrlhe. There
 was big black crush of human beiuss. each one apparently fighting everybody l else The balcony was so steep that many fell before they had left the drst I four rows of seats The exits to the fire escapes were choked. and those in the rear rushed with all the strength they
 possessed upon those who were nearer the | doorway.
 "As I started up te aisle a man rushed | into me and knocked me down. 1 was 50 stricken that grew weak and sank Into one of the orchestra chairs and after that 1 I hardly remember anything. In some way reached the main entrance where men were kicking against the doors and shattering the glass and panels in their attempts to afford a larger space for the exit of the crowd. Many fell as they reached the door, whe. e few steps more would have carried them to fresh air and safety.
 WALK TO SAFETY
 ON PHOSPHATE BODIES
 "As look at 1t now. must have been walking on prostrate bodies as strug gled through she opening. All of our party escaped in about the same manner as I did, but all of them suffered SO ter ribly In the matter of clothing that the first thing they did was to rush to the stores to buy wraps to cover themselves. William H. Near, an usher in the first balcony said tonight:
 My balcony was crowded and there were a number standing when the fire broke out. It all came so suddenly that I barely had time to open the fire exits be- | fore the auditorium was in flames. The women screamed and the men fought to get to the doors. trampling women and children. If they would have been quiet, everybody could have got out of my bal cony."
 Mrs. E. A. Morgan of Chicago was in the theatre with her sister. Miss Mariella Warren of Detroit. and her son, years of age. The party was in the first ball. l cony and when the first sparks were seen, arose to depart. All of them had reach- ed the first floor when the panic cams and the rush for the doors commenced. Although they hastened as rapidly as possible, they were knocked down and sustained severe bruises A man seized | the little boy by the head in attempting | to throw him from his path and the little | fellows scalp was practically torn from | his head.
 Herbert Cawthorne "a member of the company said:
 q was in position to see the origin of the fire, and l feel positive that 1t was an electric calcium light tbat started the blaze The calcium lights were being used to illuminate the stage in the latter | part of the second act when the song Tn l the Pale Moonlight was being sung. I was standing behind a wing on the Jeff side of the stage when my attention was attracted by @ peculiar sputtering of one of the calciums."
 Above the stage. perhaps F feet higher 1 than the top of the curtain. exposed to the audience, was a swinging platform | from which twelve calciums wero ope- rated. It appeared ome that one Of the calciums had hared up and the sparks | ignited the lint on the curtain.
 THE STAGE FIREMAN
 BECAME EXCITED.
 Instantly turned my attention toward the stage, and l saw that the song was being carried out and that many of the | actors and Actresses had not yet discov- cred the blaze. Just then the fireman who ! Is kept behind the scenes rushed up with some kind of patent fire extinguisher. Instead of the stream from the apparatus striking the flames, it went almost in the opposite direction. Up to this time the | flames had not been m sight of the audi ence. While the stage fireman was work | ing in a nendeavor to use the chemicals. the flames suddenly swooped down and | out.
 Eddie Foy shouted something about the asbestos curtain and the fireman att | tempted to use 1t and the stage hands ran to his asdStAnce. The asbestos cur | tain refused owork. and then the stags hands and players began to hurry from