The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-31

that pressed upon them from the rear.
The effort was utterly useless, and in
few moments the iron lodges were
damned with crowds of women, who
screamed with fright, and tore one
another like maniacs.
This lasted. but brief interval.
building became so violent that man;
of them were crowded off and fell to
the granite paved alley below. others
leaped from the platform. fracturing
legs and arms, and two were picked up
at this point with fractured skulls,
having been killed instantly.
George H. Elliott, secretary of the
Ogden Gas Company. was opposite the
smoke, went down to ascertain it's
cause. When he reached the street
the women were already dropping in
to the alley, and Elliott Immediately
rushed for a ladder in the effort to
save as many as possible.
No ladder was available, and the
only method of assistance they were
able to devise was to hurriedly lash
some planks together and throw them
across the end firmly on the iron
framework. Before this could be done
a fearful loss of time ensued. The
women were being pushed over every
instant into the alley, and by the time
the bridge was constructed but few
remained to take advantage of it..
However, about two dozen, it is be-
lieved, made their way across this
narrow causeway.
COmptny Made n Safe Exit.
The members of the theatrical com
pany, being on the first floor, had COM
paratively little difficulty in reach
ing the street, although their situation
was for moment highly critical, be-
cause of the speed with which the
flames swept through the mass of seen
cry in Abe flies and on the stage.
Eddie Foy, principal comedian in the
play, was one of the last to escape
by getting out through rear door
after assisting the women of the COM
pany to safety. He went into the
Sherman House in his stage costume
and with face covered with grease
paint in order to secure surgical
attendance for some burns he had
sustained.
In describing the commencement of
the fire Foy attributed the extent of
the catastrophe to the failure of the
fireproof curtain to work properly.
Because of this, he said, the flames
readily obtained access to the main
part of the theater, and, by the
draught carrying with it gas as well
as fire, were swept up to the two bal
comics where the loss of life was
greatest.
Foy's story of the Horror.
1.-THE fire began in the middle of the
second act" said Mr.. Foy. IAN cleo
trio wire broke, was grounded, and
from this the flames were started in the
rear of the stage The stage is I'M
usually wide, and there was so great
draft the flames spread rapidly. They
soon had attacked all the scenery in the
rear of the house.
81 never believed it possible for fire
to spread so quickly. When it first
started 1 went to the footlights and to
prevent alarming the audience. said
that there was a slight blaze, and
that it would be better for all to leave
quietly. Then 1 stepped back and call
ed for the asbestos curtain to be low
cred. This, when about half way down.
refused to go farther, and thus an adj
ditionaI draft was created. This swept
the flames out into the auditorium, and
I knew that the theater was doomed.
"I hurried back to the stage and aid
ed in getting the women members of
the company into the alley. Some of
them were in their dressing rooms and
were almost overcome by smoke before
they could get down to the stage and
to the doors. The simple fact that the
curtain did not descend entirely was
what saved the lives of the company,
although 1t caused such horrible
catastrophe in the front Of the house.
after the curtain had refused to de-
scend, there came the explosion of the
gas tanks, and with the curtain down
all the fire and gas would have been
confined between the rear wall of the
theater and the ire-proof curtain in
front. Under these circumstances IL
would not have been possible for sim
gle member of the company TO escape
alive unless he or she had been stand
ing Immediately in front Of the door
leading into the alley. IL was the draft