The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-26
Audience Of Nearly Three
Thousandin. philadelphia
Panic Stricken.
AL ARM is SOUNDED
AND THRONG GATHERS
Men, Women and Children Make
Mad Rush for Fire Escapes,
and Only Singing by the Ac-
tors Brings Frightened
Spectators to Realize Alb
sence Of Danger.
- ~H1LADELPH1A, PA, July 25.-
Panic-stricken by false alarm

Panlc-stricken bya false alarm
of fire. originating In a fight
" between two boys in the gall
81 lery. 200 persons In the Peo-
pies Theatre, at Cumberland Street
and Kensington Avenue, tonight
fought in mad frenzy to reach the
doors. x
For a fow minutes the audience went
wild. Screaming in their fear men,
made a rush for the entrance and exits.
No less terrified the persons in the
balcony and gallery crowded toward
the tire-escnpes.
Halt on Fire-Escnpc.
The first to reach the escapes ran,
half stumbling down the narrow iron
stairways. They were men and boys.
and when they reached the last plat
form. ten feet above tho ground. their
weight sutficed to bear down the
heavy weight which held the Iron steps
suspended.
But before those who followed them.
the women and girls. reached the plat
form the ladder had again swung back
into place. and the weight of the girls
was not sufficient to bring 1t again to
the ground. Hesitating to Jump while
the crowds pressed from behind. they
were in danger of being pushed on.
until Walter Clark. conductor on a
Cumberland Street car. saw the trouble.
and bringing his car to a stop, ran to
the fire escape and hoisted the weight,
which let the ladder down again to
the ground.
Song. BrfnE Them Racl<.
That no one was Killed probably was
due to the prompt action OF Manager
William S. Williams. GraspiEg the sit
uation. he at once sent word to the
actors to go on the stage. Eleven Of the
performers. clad In stage costume. came
before the curtain and hogan to sing.
Hearing the sound OF the voices. those
irs the rear OF the cruEh Ea1ted Anc
turned around. Then, realizing that
the danger. If 1t had existed, was
over, they returned to8their seats, and
the panic was quelled. H
While the danger inside the theatre
lasted only three or four minutes. tho
street outside the place soon became
filled with parents and relatives Of
persons who had gone to the perform
ance. Weeping and screaming women
crowded to the door Of the playhouse
In their effort to enter.
.sFlght,' Not Dire"
The panic occurred shortly after
o'clock, while the first number of the
performance was con- The bill was
a combination OF vaudeville and NOV.
ing pictures.
In tho gallery two boys became en-
gagged in an argument. and one of them
threw his opponent into the lap OF q
woman sitting near. Startled. she
cried Flight, That was the signal
Mistaklng her cry, a person near yelled
fire" The cry was taken up in the
balcony and on the lower floor. Arous-
ed at the first outcry the audience hat
risen TO its feet. When tho more
threatening cry was taken upthe rusl
for the doors commenced.
A fire alarm was sounded, and the
arrival OF engines brought persons Nv
Ing in the, neighborhood to the place
Many women, whose children had gone
to the performance, We're in the crowd
and the scene outside the playhouse
was only second interior to thatf WITH
In the theatre doors.
Many children were bruised But none
| seriously hurt.