The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-01-21

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the whole house our floor, the balco-
MICS above us and the gallery over
that--was in an awful, awful uproar.
Following the first few sparks, and
almost instantly, a big clot of fire fell
whirling to the floor of the stage.
Then another, then several detached
fragments of fire were whipped down
and out over the heads of the orches-
ira, which, up to this point had
bravely played on. Doors we're opened
at the rear of the stage aud the house
was converted INFO perfect blast fur
mace.
Many were now shouting, Sit
still, there is no danger ~ Women
and children-and there were many
OF these in the audience were
screaming. 1t takes good deal to
excite me. l was concerned only on
my sisters account: but she sat where
l told her-and during chat awful
time and what followed did not say a
word. 1t was hard to sit still with
that terrible mob of crazed humanity
pushing by you, jumping over seats.
screaming, shouting, crying, crowd
ing, flghting-most of them, { am
sure with no idea of what they were
doing.
Our seats were il the thirteenth
row, and on the inside aisle, directly
opposite the entrance, l figured that
the best thing we could do was to sit
still until there was a chance 20 see
our way out, and not join that terri
BILE crush, And while we waited what
scenes we saw Frantic mothers try
ing to gather all their children into
their arms; some trying to drag them
with them. Little children lost from
their parents, running up and down
the aisle; some clinRiDg to utter
strangers begging to be saved or call
ing for their lost parents. One
woman stopped in the aisle near my
seat and with hands clenched and
head thrown back stood there uttering
one piercing shrek after another.
caught her by the arm and spoke
sharply to her, telling her 10 stop
that senseless screaming and to think
what she was doing She looked at
me for second, then jerked away
and ran into the crowd forcing its way
toward the exit.
The row of seats in which we sat
could he emptied directly into the
aisle nearest the entrance We sat
till until it grew too hot to do so Ion
ger The stage fixtures were now
burning like tender A tongue of
flame came directly toward us and on
level with our faces as we sat. Each
gust of air brought it nearer and
nearer as it grew in strength and vol
ume. | saw we must move and said
so. L took my overcoat on one arm,
my sister with the other, put on my
hat, aud our row now being empty,
we were free to join the crowd at the
exit. 1t looked then as though we
but l had not counted on the jam into
which we must push il we got out
at once We were caught up by the
crowd pouring in from behind us, and
were soon aware that our real trouble
had just begun. 1t was growing
steadily hotter back of us; just where
the flame fl ON the stage would have
struck US, had we remained in our
seats, the draught had an upward
tendency. A gas main had burst and
the hot, scorching, suffocating blast
curved upward striking in the balcony
overhead. One breath of that fiery,
gas laden air, and those above were
quiet.
The pressure around us was fearful.
We came near being separated several
times but managed to cling together
through it all. 1t was death to fall
in that crowd, and that was what 1
tried hardest to avoid. The crowd
with only a few exceptions behaved
beautifully. Everyone helped every
one else all it was posi- BILE.
We came near falling on piece OF
roiled-up mating, which had been
displaced by the hurrying feet, but
got over it safely. Then we thought
we surely would be crushed. We saw
those ahead of us going down. 1t
was those fatal three steps which l
had noticed before. Those in front
OF us were going down like falling
wheat, and just before we reached the
fallen ones we were lifted clear off
our feet by sheer pressure and fell on
top of those already down. Those be-
hind. like us, unable to help them
selves, were carried by the rush back
of them and thrown ON top of us.
1t ID hard to realize it all, but we
lay there with just our heads out,
locked ann in arm, talking to my
sister to reassure both her and myself,
and to ask her if she were hurt
Those WIN could not keep their heads
h, fatl oil Wa