Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-31

1
notice the fire which crept along the
top of the drop curtain. She called
the attention of other members of the
party to the blaze and they all watched
it. Miss Plamondon said:
Il could see little girls and boys in
the orchestra chairs pointing upward
to the slowly moving line of fame
One of the stage hands, wearing over
alls, appeared before the footlights
/ and requested the audience to keep
their seats as there was no danger. Ed
dy Roy they hurried to the front of the
stage and commanded the people to
remain calm, saying that if they would
keep their seats the danger would be
| averted.
THE curtain, however, still burned,
pieces of the smouldering cloth falling
into the orchestra pit. An effort was
made by the stage hands to arrange
the curtain SO that the blazing frag-
ments would not drop into the pit.
Il looked over the faces of the audi
ence and remarked how many children
were present. 1 could see their faces
filed with interest and their eyes wide
open as they watched the burning cur
tain. Just then the people in the bal
cony rose to their feet and crowded
forward to obtain a better view of the
fire. Eddy Roy rushed to the center of
the stage again and waved his arms in
II gesture meaning for the people to
be seated.
"At that instant a woman in the rear
of the place screamed Fire and the
entire audience of women and children
rose to their feet, filled with uncontroll-
able terror. In another instant there
was a roa- made by the thousands CT
neople as they rushed madly from the
danger.
Miss Elsie Gilmore was the first to
leave our box. The upholstering on the
railing was then on fire and we were
compelled to brush fragments of the
burning curtain from our clothing in
order to prevent them catching fire.
Then there came a great roar and a
great draft of air and the flames shot
out over the parquette Of the theatre
until it seemed to me as though they
, must reach the very front walls of the
building.
There were few men in the audience,
but saw several of them pulling and
pushing women and children aside as
| they fought like maniacs to reach the
exits. / saw number of little children
trampled under foot and none of them
, | arose again. The exits to the fire eS-
capes were choked and these in the
rear rushed with all the strength they
, possessed upon those who were nearer
the doorway.
Although 1 was but second after
Miss Gilmore in jumping over the rail-
| ;pcr Of ho hnx n ho iclo in
stage was mass of flames. AS
. started up the aisle q man rushed into
me and knocked me down. I was SO
terror-stricken that 1 sank into one of
the orchestra chairs and after that
hardly remember anything.
u I'm some way 1 reached the main en-
trance where men were kicking against
the doors and SCATTERING the glass and
panels in their attempt to afford a
large space for the exit of the peo-
, pie. Many fell as they reached the
f doors, where a few steps more would
5 have carried them to fresh aid and
safety. AS I look at it now, l must
have been walking on PROSTATE bodies
, as struggled through the opening.
' "All of our party escaped in about
2 the same manner, as | did, but all OF
them suffered so terribly in the matter
of clothing that the first thing they did
was to rush to the stores to buy wraps
2 to cover them"
; Mrs. F. A. Horgan Of Chicago, was in
t the theatre with her sister, Miss
! Mariella Warren of Detroit, and her
t son, five years old. The party was in
l the first balcony and when the first
, sparks were seen, arose to depart. All
t of them reached the first floor when
the panic came and the rush for the
, doors acommenced. Although they
f FASTENED as rapidly as possible they
were knocked down and sustained
r severe bruises. A man seized the little
r boy by the head in attempting to throw
him from his path and the little boys
| scalp was practically torn from his
head.
Herbert Cawthorne, a member of the
cast, assisted many of the chorus girls
from the stage exits in the panic. Mr.
, Cawthorne said:
t II was in position to see the origin
of the fire and l feel positive that il
was an electric calcium light that
started the blaze. l was standing be-
, hind wing on the left side of the stage
when my attention was attracted by
! a peculiar suffering of one of the cal
, Gums. Above the stage, perhaps l.
; feet higher than the top of the curtain
t exposed 70 the audience, was a swing
ing platform from which IL calcium
, lights had flared up and the sparks
. ignited the lint on the curtain. In
, stantly / turned my attention towards
!, the stage and I saw the song was being
carried out and that many of the ac.
tors 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 a patent fire extinguisher
Instead of the stream from the appar-
atus striking the flames, it went al
most in the opposite direction. Up
to this time the flames had not been in
sight of the audience. While the
; stage fireman was working in an en-
deavor to use the chemicals the flames
suddenly swept down and out. Eddy
Foy shouted something about the as
bestos curtain and the fireman attempt
ed to use it and the stage hands ran
to his assistance. The asbestos cur