Milford chronicle., 1908-01-17
Cry of Fire Caused Panic.

out and caught fire.
Cry of Fire Caused Panic.
Then came the inevitable cry Of
fire, and what followed would be i'm
possible to accurately tell. Eye-wit-
nesses say that the audience rose en-
masse and the one impulse was to
reach the front door. All attempted it,
but few got out The seats in the cen
ter of the hall were the usual folding
variety, screwed to the floor, while
those along the sides of the hall were
loose chairs. In the scramble to get
out many persons fell over the chairs
and were never able to regain their
feet Those who did reach the front
entrance found 1t 1ammed with peo-
pie who were fighting and shrieking
to get out One Of the double doors
had been bolted shut, so as to better
enable the tickettaler to take up the
tickets. Not more than two persons
could pass this door at one time, and
after the first half dozen got through
the narrow passage it became clogged
WIN tic oLA u 3 ElAA6 hAelos VI AhAAAeAAtAA -
Men. women, boys. girls and chairs
were tangled up in a solid mass that
no one from the outside was able to
disentangle.
In the meantime some one discov-
cred that there were fire escapes on
each side of the building. and dozens
made their exit by those avenues Of
escape and gave the alarm. The fire
bell was rung. and the whole town
was aroused and went to the rescue.
All this time the flames from the oil
tank were creeping toward the terri.
BILE mass of people who were franti
cally shrieking and fighting to get out.
The noise was terrific and few heard
the cries of those who found the fire
escapes. Some of the bravest who had
gained the fire escapes pulled dozens
from the struggling mass and directed
them to the sides Of the building.
Fire Spread over Mass Of People.
While the frenzied people were
fighting to get down the front steps
the calcium light tank exploded, and
fire was spread over the entire mass
of people. This added horror was
more than the feeble rescuers could
stand. and in order to save their own
lives they were forced to fee down
the fire escapes. On the front steps
outside the door men pulled franti- |
cally to open a way for the wedged-in |
people, but not more than half a dozen |
were rescued in this manner. The eX-
plosion of the calcium light tank and |
the flames from the front of the stage, |
which had by this time reached the
struggling people, made further res
cue impossible. The entire interior of
the building was one seething furnace.
Firemen threw a feeble stream of wa
ter into the burning building, but it
had no effect on the flames.
The cries of the struggling people,
many with their clothing already
ablaze, and the means of the dying
were heartrending Fg gthers and broth
srs. frenzied by the thought that loved
ones were in the fiery place. were
compelled to retreat. Nothing could be
lone to get their people out, and they
we're forced to stand by and watch the
awful sacrifice of life Everything pos
5ible that could be done to get the
people out before the flames reached
hem was resorted to. but it was too
ate. The flames travelled with the ra-
Didity of a prairie fire.
Dead piled Six Feet High.
When the flames were extinguished
Ind the rescuers entered the building
horrible sight met their gaze. Bodies
we're piled in one solid mass six feet
high on the second floor. So solidly
we're they. wedged that pick axes and
,rowbars had to be used gently to
eparate the victims AS each victim
vas taken from the pile a number tag
vas attached and the body placed or
Doards The body was then covered
With quilt, hundreds of which were (
urnished by stores and citizens, and {
owered to the street by means Of /
adders. They were placed in wagons s
nd taken to the four morgues. So
apidly were the bodies removed that
wagons were not always on hand, and
he dead were carried through the c
treets to the morgues.
Mrs. Della Mayer, the leading lady 8
n the entertainment. who represented {
Irs. H. E. Monroe, of Washington, D. '
J., the owner Of the show is missing
nd is believed to be among the dead.
[alf a dozen others who were in the
ast also lost their lives.
The number of injured is not known.
Tany of those who were hurt had their
ljuries dressed at drug stores and
ent to their homes. They are suffer-
lg principally from burns. Among
le most seriously injured is former
tate Representative Spatz, who was
lrt in rescuing his family
Many stories of heoric rescue were
Id by survivors. One man en- {
red the burning building. found his {
ife and child and safely took them
,wn the fire escape. Another fortu- l
ately found a relative caught in the '
m at the front door and after a super 9