The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-01-06
PUSH TO THEIR DEATH.

vestige Of clothing, flesh OF bone above
the waist.
PUSH TO THEIR DEATH.
The theatre had been completed
but short time and all of its equip
ment was not yet in place. This was
unfortunately the case with a 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 at
it's height great number of women
ran for these FIRE escapes only to ind
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 who
reached the platform first endeavored
to hold their footing and to keep back
the crowd that pressed upon them
from the rear. The effort was utterly
useless and in a few moments the iron
lodges were jan1med with crowds of
women who screamed, fought and
tore at each other like lnaniacs. This
lasted but brief interval, ana the
rusn from the interior Of the building
became so violent that many of them
were crowded off and fell to the
ground in the alley below. Others
leaped from the platform. fracturicg
legs and aims, and two were picked
up at this point with fractured skulls,
having been killed instantly.
George H. Elliott, secretary Of the
Ogden Gas com pany, was in building
directly opposite from the theatre
across this alley, and noticing smoke
went dowo to ascertain its cause.
When be reached the streets the wo-
menI were already dropping into the
alley and Elliott Immediately rushed
for a leadder in the effort to save as
many as possible. No ladder was
available and the only method of as
sistance they were able to devise was
to hu1riedly lash some planks together
and throw them across the end firmly
on the iron framework. Before this
could be done, a fearful loss Of life
ensued, 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 it. However, about Two dozen, it
is believed, made their way across this
narrow cauSeWay.
FIREPRooF CURTAIN FAILED TO WORK.
In describing the commencement of
the fire Foy attributed the extent CT
the catastrophe to the failure Of the
ire proof curtain to work properly.
Because Of this, be said, the flames
readily obtained access to the main
part, Of the theatre and were by the
draft, carrying with it 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. An
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 wasso great
a draft the flames spread rapidly.
They soon had attacked all the scenery
in the rear of the house. [ never be-
lieved it possible for the FIRE to spread
so quickly. When it first started |
went to the footlightS, and to prevent
alarming the audience said there was
a Slight blaze, and that it would be
better for all TO leave quietly. Then
I stepped back and called for the as
bestos curtain to be lowered. This,
when about half way down, refused to
go further, and thus an additional
draft was created. This swept the
flames out into the auditorium and l
knew that the theatre was doomed. l
hurried back to the stage and aldeo
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
didn't descend entirely was what
saved the lives Of the company al
though it caused such horrible Ca
tastrophe 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 0,