The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-01-01


on the pile lying on the sidewalk.
The others were at once placed In
ambulances and whirled away to hos
pital or to the Offices Of physic-
ians in the immediate neighbor-
hood. While the police and firemen
were carrying out the dead and in
jured, Will ]. Davis. one OF the pro-
prietors of the theatre. was indefati-
gable in his efforts TO alleviate all
suffering and to assist in caring for
the dead. He said: There was no
life being lost There were over
forty exits TO the theatre. The build
ing is fire proof and IL somebody had
not screamed Fire" think that as
far as those killed in the panic are
concerned, all could have reached the
street in safety. And of those who
were suffocated by the gas, nearly an
would have been out by the time the
explosion occurred lie order had been
preserved in making their exits As
far as we have learned. everybody on
the first floor except three. escaped.
although some sustained bruises and
other minor injuries. The great loss
Of life was in the first and second
balconies.
1t was declared tonight by the man.
agement Of the theatre that the fire
was not caused by the grounding OF
an. electric wire or to any defect In
the equipment OF the theatre. 1t
started, they claim, by the bursting OF
calcium light apparatus The con-
cussfon was so great that II blew out
the skylights over the stage and
auditorium. This statement of the
theatre management Is so directed by
many who were in the theatre and
who declared that before the ex-
plosion occurred they saw flames in
the narrow streak crossing along the
fall near the upper part OF the drop
curtain.
William Zellers, the house fireman
who was severely burned in trying to
lower the asbestos curtain, describes
the scene upon the stage and the
cause of the fire as follows: 'I was
standing in the wings when I heard
the explosion and then Immediately
afterward cry Of fire from the stage
and all over the theatre. Looking up
/ saw that the curtain was ablaze
and at once I ran for the fire cur
tain. We got it half way down when
the wind rushed in from the broken
skylight; bellied it out so that II
caught and we could not bulge it.
With the stage hands, I climbed to
where 1t was suspended and together
we tried to push OF down. Our
cries were futile and seeing that no
human power could move that pre-
curtain and that the stage was
mass of flames, turned my attention
to warning the actors and trying TO
save those who introduced the trou-
BILE"
the stage and commanded the people
to remain calm. saying that IL they
would keep their seats the danger
would be averted. The curtain, how
ever, still burned, pieces of the
smouldering cloth falling into the
orchestra pit. An effort was made
by the stage hands to arrange the
curtain so that the blazing fragments
would not drop into the pit. looked
over the faces Of the audience and
remarked how many children were
present. I could see their faces fill
ed With interest and their eyes wide
open, as they watched the burning
curtain. Just then the people in the
balcony rose to their feet and crowd
ed to obtain a better view of the
fire. Eddie Foy rushed to the center
of the stage again and waved his
arms In gesture meaning for the
people to be seated. At that instant
a woman in the rear OF the place
screamed "Fire!" and the entire au-
dience of women and children rose
to their feet filled with uncomfortable
terror. In another instant there was
confused roar made by a thousand
people as they rushed madly from
the impending danger.
lon the stage the chorus girls who
had aroused my admiration because
of their exhibition Of presence Of
mind, turned to fee, but many Of
them were overcome before they
could take a step. Several Of them
fell to the floor and I saw the men
in the cast, and the stage hands
carry them of the stage. Miss Elsie
Elmore was the first to leave our
box. The upholstering on the railing
was then on fire, and we were COM
PEELED to brush fragments Of the
burning curtain from our clothing
in order to prevent them catching fire
Then there came a great roar and a
great draft of air and the flames shot
out over the parquette Of the theatre
until Il seemed to me as though they
must reach the very front walls Of the
building. There were bat few men
in the audience, but 1 saw several
of them pulling and pushing women
and children aside as they fought like
maniacs to reach the exits. I saw a
number of little children trampied
under foot and none Of them arose
again. In the balcony the scene was
beyond my power to describe. There
was a big black crush of human be-
ings, each one apparently fighting
everybody else. The balcony was so
steep that many fell before they had
left the first four rows OF seats. The
exits to the fire escapes were choked
and those In the rear rushed with all
strength n0GCnEEpd
those who were nearer to the door
way.
TT was almost incredible, the speed
with which the flames ran through
the scenery. and although I was but
a second after Miss Elmore I'm jump
ing over the railing of our box to
the aisle in front, the stage was a
mass of flames AS I started upon
the aisle man rushed into me and
knocked me down. I was so terror
stricken that / grew weak and sank
/ IL