Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1907-03-01
WAS NEARLY APANIC
CHICAGO THEATER AUDIENCE
QUIETED BYiSINGING.
While 1000 Persons Were Watching
Grand Opera in the Auditorium Two
Electric Wires Became Crossed,
Which Spit Fire From Ceiling
Wild Scene Followed.

Chicago-Four thousand persons,
enc of the most fashionable audiences
ever gathered in the Auditorium
theater, were thrown into panic Sat
urday night during the grand opera
performance, caused by crossed cleo
trio wires splitting fire from the cell
ing.
Alice Nielsen treasured the STAN
peding audience by singing "The Star
Spangled Banner" but before the ter
ror of the the most timid had subsid-
ed hundreds of women and young girls
had been trampled and crushed. Faint
ing women were carried to places Of
safety.
The outlook was a seeming repeti-
ton of the Iroquois horror until the
big audience resumed its seats. Ter
rified women screamed and crowded
against each other at the exits. Men
battled with each other in their fran
tic efforts to get out of the building.
In the galleries, where the auditors
were in the most danger, they rushed
headlong down the steep floors in inn
minent danger of topping over the
rails into the auditorium below.
Two big policemen prevented the
boys and weaker persons in the panic
stricken crowd from the fatal results
of stampede by blocking the pas
sage of the leaders at the doors, and
calling to the audience to sit down.
Their cries caused the people to stop
momentarily. The moments respite
saved the lives of the children who
were being borne down the stairs
One boy fell over the backs of the
seats and was rolling doWnwards to
the floor below when a man caught
him at the railing. A few feet more
and the child would have been dashed
to death in the pit, IS feet below
Two young girls were thrown to their
faces and men seeking safety in
flight trampled and fell over them.
Women attired in silks, satins and
rich fuEs were rudely brushed aside
or thrown down by terror stricken
men, Fine gowns and other valuables
were ruthlessly sacrificed in the mad
rush to escape.
After the excitement subsidized a cen
sus of the audience was taken to as
certain the extent of the injury done.
No one was seriously hurt, according
to the managers,
The opera being sung was Lucia de
Lammermoor," by the San Carlos com
pany, with Alice Nelson as the prima
donna The performance was under
the auspices of the Bryn Mawr En-
dowment association, which is try
ing to raise fund of 100000, and is
giving grand opera here for week
for that purpose.
Miss Nelson was in the wings when
the crossed wires gave forth a loud
explosion and sent showers of blue
and golden fire down on the heads of
the handsomely gOwned women in the
seats reserved for the fashionable an
ditors. The singers voice was i'm
mediateiy drowned in the screams Of
the women. With the IrOquois horror
memory in their minds, the members
OF the big audience rose and stamped
ed toward the door. The spaciousnesB
Of the immense auditorium and the
presence Of mind of a few in the
crowd averted a calamity. Miss Neil
sons presence of mind and courage
Quilted the frightened women. The
music of the orchestra and the strong
notes of the prima donna sounded
throughout the big building and as
sured the fleeing people that the dan
ger was over. After the panic nearly
1000 persons left the theater and
would rot return.