New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-05
FIRE PANIC AT GOTHAM.
NONE OF AUDIENCE HURT.
Dogs Perform While Men and
WOmen Rash Out-BIase I'M Lot.

Panic seized the big audience in the Gotham
Theatre at a performance yesterday when a
feather Drained woman in the top gallery, seeing
smoke curling into one of the windows on the
west side of the theatre. jumped from her seat
and shrieked again and again. "Fire" Women
ana children constituted the bulk of the audi
ence and many of them at once took up the cry
There was danger, as the smoke came
from a fire in heap of rubbish outside the
theatre Its odor. however, penetrated the
entire auditorium and the crowd became
frenzied. Women and girls with a good many
men, left their seats and rushed pell nell down
the aisles to the exits
Fireman Kohler, Of Engine Company sc, on
DUTY in the theatre. ran out the stage from
the wings and shouted at the top OF his voice.
For Gods sake, sit down. There's no fire in
the theatre There's no danger. It's just a little
smoke from the chimney. There's no danger
Sit down"
Herberts performing dogs were on the stage
at the time. By the order of Eugene Yelling
ton, the manager, the performance continued
without pause. the animals paying no attention
to the tumult about them. The orchestra kept
on playing. When the signal for attaches to
take their fire stations was given by the man
ager every door was thrown wide open and
the crowd handled carefully but quickly
Men and women struggled down the aisles
with children held high in their arms, pushing
and hauling In vain endeavors TO push those
in front of them out Of their way. Some of
the audience remained seated, and some even
called to the jostling crowd in the aisles TO
return to their seats.
Pedestrians seeing the first of the frightened
audience rushing out of the exits into one
hundred and twenty -fifth-st. ran up the street
to the headquarters of truck IA Battalion
Chief Short and Captain Lawlor turned out
with the command IN a hurry. The fremen
gave their first attention TO the women and
children. while another company made short
work of the blaze in the vacant lot
Chief Short and Captain Lawlor fought their
way into the theatre and expostulated and
pleaded with the men, while they assisted the
women and children to the exits.
Great crowds collected In the streets outside
and added TO the babel and clamor Hysterical
women gathered their children about them, but
refused to get out of the way that free exit
might be afforded those still inside the theatre.
After almost all the audience had crowded out
the flremen succeeded in quieting those within.
The music continued. and the dogs were still
going through their acts.
Reserves from the East One-hundred-a and
Twenty-siXth-st station, under the command
of Acting Captain Tierney, were rushed to the
N4SclNiC' NiillC dlI VI lHc pdtIOIllleH lHdl Hdu
adjacent posts early on the ground. Not
a single person was in any way injured. Many
Of the women and children jostIed, but
there not a single instance of fainting
After the excitement had subsided somewhat
some of the people returned to the theatre. but
most of the audience went home or loitered
about the entrances
The Gotham Theatre is in the block on the
north side OF One-hundred- and twenty -fifth-st.
a few doors east of Third-ave It is devoted to
variety ana is supposed TO be the property of
Congressman Timothy =. Sullivan and George
Kraus. the propretors OF the Dewey. in Four
teenth-st. II had not been completed at the
time OF the Iroquos disaster, and when the
agitation about the equipment of theatres in
New York AT its height the Gotham came
in for criticism.
The building has been entirely remodelled
It extends through the block to One-hundred-
and-twenty -sixth-st. East Of the entrance in
One-hundred- and -twenty-six there Is a
vacant lot Behind the big billboard in the
street front of the lot a of rubbish and
lumber has accumulated The theatre people
said that they had requested the owner of the
lot to remove the rubbish but their request had
not been complied with. It is believed by the
police that boys who have been in the habit
of crawling under the billboard TO the lot
were in there playing yesterday and that either
by accident or intent the fire was started.