Evening journal., 1907-12-21
STAMPEDE AT
OPERA HOUSE
A Moving Picture Machine
Caught Fire and Audience
Became Panic Stricken
AT POLICE MINSTREL SHOW

The police minsirels, held in the
Opera House last night for the benefit
Of the poor children Of the city. came
near ending in a catastrophe. w. O..
Hyrup's moving picture machine
caught fire near the close Of the per-
formance, and a stampede followed
The affair would not have been so
serious If some unthinlSing persons In
the house had not shouted "hre" II
seemed that that was all the crowd
was waiting to hear, and IN an instant
there was a wild scramble for the
exits. Men fought their way through
the struggling crowd and many women
tainted Pocketbooks. wraps, furs and
hats We're lost In the scramble and
that no one was seriously injured rs a
miracle.
Good Work Of Police
The good work of the police stationed
IN various parts of the house and in
the audience, assisted By Eagan's Or
chestra, members Of the cast and at
taches Of the house, prevented a serious
disaster Chief of Police Black and
Captain Kane. who were In the back of
the house when the disturbance start-
ed Immediately got busy. and with the
aid of the officers, managed 10 avert
what might have been terrible ex-
perience packed 20 the doors as the
house was. The building was emptied
within a few minutes, however, and
nobody was seriously hurt
Celluloid Film Caught Fire
The large audience was enjoying the
pictures being shown from the gallery
by Mr. Hyrup. entirely carc-free and
unmindful OF danger. when suddenly
the darkened house became almost "a,
light as day. The celluloid film sud-
denly caught fire and. as is character
isuc with this material. Il exploded
with considerable noise Thomas Pal
mor. a spectator sitting near the ma.
chine, threw his coat over it and The
danger was passed. But the crowd ha,
seen the flash. and the magic wor,
I"Fire." shouted loud and several times
was sufficient 20 make every man
woman and child in the house rise q
their feet with startled expressions ol
their faces.
The crush for the exits then began
, Women left their wraps behind in TN
wild scramble. and men. there are Al
ways some of the kind about Tough
their way through the mnss of trug
leiinr women. TIE oilcers he
throw themselves aenirsf the 0nsiaus1
or thr frenzied crowd ANA with shout
ofThc fire Is outs There is no dnngcr.
they endeavorcd % hold The pushin
and showing walls of humanity barN
and while many succeeded in gottiu
: past the officers the latter We're pr
wardcd in a short umc hy getting tli
people 20 leave the building IN som
b kind of an orderly manner
s Took Another's Child
An instance of the confusion whic
f prevailed was one woman taking an
2 other infant iu mistake for her ow
y and rushing for the exit Mrs Charlie
b Russell tainted and when She was re
3 vived she asked for her child. A gen
p eral search followed and the baby wa
= found I'm the arms Of another womaf
e who Thought she had taken her ow
. child in the confusion. one woma
aid not revive from the shock for som
time after. and had 70 be sent 20 be
: home in a cab.
Many women's wraps and furs are "a
the ticket office OF the Opera Hous
awaiting claimants. and number e.
mistakes were made in grabbing ~
furs and such Ike by excited women q
they rushed from their seats for tn
, exits.
! After the house was cleared and tn
, people were assured that there was n
! fire there was another scramble bac
, into the playhouse by persons who ha
left their things behind