The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-01-08


fought for their own lives. As the
police and iremen removed layer afts,
layer Of dead In these doofways; she
sight became too much even for. them,
hardened as they are to such scenes.
to lure. The bod lies were in such
an inextrlcable mass. and 80 tightly
were they jammed between the sides
of the door and the wal Isl, that IT. was
simpossib ble I to lift them one by ona
and carry Them out. The 6ni yspossi:
BILE thing to do was to Seize q limbsor
some other portion OF the bod and
pull With main strength. Men worked
at:the task with tears running down
their cheeks, and the sobs OF the res.
ieuers could be heard even In the hall
below where this awful scene was i3a.
ing enacted. "a number of the men
we've compelled to abandon their task
and give 1t over to othersIwhose nerves
had NOT as yet been shaken by tile
awful experience. AS one by one, the
bodies were dragged out of the water
soaked, hlackened mass of corpses, ,the
spectacle became more and more
!heartrending. ,i:.;.: 49, s.
SCENES OF HORROR. ~ s,
There we're women whose clothing
was torn from their bodies above the
waist, whose bosoms had been tram
pied into pulp and whose faces were
marred beyond all power OF i1entifica-
tion. Bodies layiin the first and sec
Ond balconies in great numbers. In
some places they were piled up in the
aisles three and four deep, where one
had fallen the others tripping over
the prOstrate forms, and all had died
where they lay, evidently suffocated
by the gas. Others were. bent over
backs Of seats where they had been
thrown by the rush Of peopl, for the
doors and killed with hardly d chance
to rise from their seats. One man
was found with his back bent nearly
double, his spinal column having been
fractured as he was thrown backward.
a woman was found cut nearly In
half by the back Of the seat, she hav-
ing been forced over St St &c ts.cc &C downward.
In the aisles nearer the doors the
scenes wore narrowing In the extreme.
Bodies lay In every conceivable atti-
tude, half naked, the look on their
faces revealing some portion Of the
agony which must have preceded their
death. There was scores and scores
of people whose entire faces had been
trampled completely Off by those whu
ran over them, and In one aisle the
body of a man was found with not a
vestigo OF clothing, flesh or bone above
the waIoG.
PUSH TO THEIR DEATH.
The theatre had been completed
but a short time and all ol it's equip
ment was not yet in place. This was
unfortunately the case with fire
escape in the rear of the building.
The small iron balconies to which the
iron ladder was to be attached were
up but the ladder had not yet been
completed. When the panic was al
sjts height a. great number of women
ran Tor these fire escapes only to iind
as they emerged from the doorway
upon the little iron platform that
they were 80 to SO feet from the
ground, fire behind and no method
Of escaping in front. Those wlC
reached the platform first endeavored
to hold their footing and to keep back
the crowd that pressed upon then
from the rear. The effort was utterly
useless and In few moments the iror
ledges were jammed with crowds oi
women who screamed, fought and
tore at each other like maniacs. This
lasted but 4 brief interval, ana the
rush from the interior of the building
became so violent that many of them
20
ground in the alley below. Others
leaped from the platform. fracturinp
legs and arms, and two were picked
up at this point with fractured skulls,
having been killed instantly.
George II. Elliott, secretary OF the
Ogden Gas company, was In buildi"g 4
directly opposite from the theatre
across this alley, and noticing smoke
went dowD to ascertain It's cause.
When he reached the streets the wo-
men were already dropping into the
alley and Elliott Immediately rushed
for leadder in the effort to save as
many as possible. No ladder was
available and the only method OF as
'istance 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, fearful loss Of life
ensucd, the women were being pushed
over every instant into the alley and
by the time the bridge was completed
but few remained TO take advantage
OF 1T. However, about two dozen, it
Is believed, made their way across this
narrow cauSpwav
FIREPROOF CURTAIN FAILED TO WORK
In describing the commencement of
the fire Foy attributed the extent of
the catastrophe to the failure OF the
tirc proof curtain to work properly.
Because Of this, he said, the flames
readily obtained access to the main
part, of the theatre and were by the
draft, carrying with 1t gas as well as
fire, swept up to the two balconies,
where the loss of life was greatest.
THE fire began In the middle OF
the second act" said Mr.. Foy. san
electric wire broke, was grounded, and
from this the flames were started In
the rear of the stage. The stage is
unusually wide and there was SO great
draft the flames spread rapidly
They soon had attacked all the scenery
in the rear Of the house. I never be.
lieved 1t possible for the fire to spread
so quickly. When IL first started
went to the footlights, and to prevent
alarming the audience said there was
a Slight blaze, and that 1t would be
better for all to leave quietly. Then
| SteDDp5 hack and called for thn nc