Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-07

yet have been unpublished, cannot fail
to be of interest:
The scenes were too horrible for
description. yet | did not soc, | pre-
sunni. il tenth part of the fearful
efforts of the crazcd and maddcned
thr3Hf: to ".sCa!.' FROM = horrible death
We Lad seats on The floor in he eighth
row foit: II. stage. and about rnilNay
from side Ia side of the theatre. Tho
hous" Was rlc!,od. The seating capac-
ity vas less than 1100. | am told and
rct it l.; said over 200 tickets mad
been sold. know that when ,Wc went
into Che theatre "StaadinG ronul only
was hcinG sold ut the ticket Office.
We tool, our seats just as the orchcS-
ira commenced the ove rtGrc. Two
thirds of the audience seemed to be
women and children. l saw but few
men III front Of us.
The first act went off with Il jolly
ecldt the ,.udicncc seemed to appre
Catc to tho fullest the catchy music
ANA the holiday spirit of the play.
Young women and children all about
US alpiauiCd enthusiastically and
5"s med especially merry and happy.
The curtain had been runE down upon
The first act before an audience of de-
lighted rcoplr.
Tho second act WAS begun. TIL
scenery was; gorge Gus. tn" music de
lightful. tn costumes magnificent. n
double o,t,ttc of male and female
voices colnmcnccd to sing lin the
Moonlight | was looking ut the
moon showing just above the clouds in
the scenery, when. at the lift of the
stage about two-thirds IN from the
floor noticed \ little p;In of flame. 1t
seemed to go out but sparks kept fall
ing to the floor. l WAS somewhat
startled hut kept my seat. 1t il1She d
again. little further UP and | became
aW"rc that the scenery was on ire.
People Sle~ uneasy. | feared Il panic
So stood up and said to those about
us:
Don't be alarmed, this will be out
in u mn:ncnt.'
William also said q those in front Of
him:
at is better to hc calm and not
create Il panic
| ON. woman sitting in front OF us. a
| lHdy Of some 60 years Of age. WI" ap-
l.nt,ntIy had a party Of young girls in
Charge. fchIvcd hcroicIlly. she hai
risen nom her scat. but on hearing
| Williams r"assuring words she called
To her young ladies'. with u smile /
she'll n,v,:. forget, and said:
Now /" cecil and keep your wits
anl ~ shall gct out safely" Ct after
wards hal the satisfaction of seeing
these women 80 out OF the theatre
ahead Of mc.)N
I:y Thu; time the scenery was we'll
diIalne on the let hand side of The
sage. hut We felt no heat from 1t.
Some Of the stage haVds were attempt
irr to lower the asbestos curtain but
it would not lower. l, stuck on ITS
| Wy down and they could not move II.
| Ellic Fay. the comedian of the play
with sparks and portions of burning
scenery falling upon him, stepped t.
tn. from; of the stage and said some
thing which / could not understand.
~ this time every person who rad
been setting in front of Us had gone
out into the aisle and all were push
inc their WY to tie back of tho thea
tire. The confusion was indiscribabic
The screams of the women, the cries
Of the children. and the stampede o,
tho Whole audience created bcdian
Of tn" entire place. The stage WAS al
on firc and burned like Il dry brush
pile.
Ip to this time. William and l had
not LETT our seats. Though we hau
not exchanged q word we seemed &c
bn of orc mind. that we would not s.
into the vortex and have our lives
curshe6 out in the mad frenzy.
Suddenly as though some one had
opened wide door in the rear, IN.
wind blew the flames out from the
stage into the theatre so that GU!
fl ,es were burned and our clothes
were sCorChed:
said to William: I'VE can't stay
here any longer
/ looked behind me and to my amaze
mcnt saw the seats empty and the reo-
pie struggling in the aisies. we
jumped to the tops of the seats. The
floor was strewn with clothing of al
kinds. Furs, capes. coats and hats
We're left in confusion.
We walked on the backs of the seats
to the rear of the theatre and in
stinctively started for the main exit,
(horrible misnomer). But oh! what
a sight. For some reason there were
no lights and l could see only by the
light from the burning scenery which