The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-06-20
CRY OF FIRE
CAUSES A
PANIC
(From saturaay,s Adyertiser.l

(From Saturdays Advertiser.)
A minor accident to a moving pic.
,ture machine caused a panic at the
school commencement concert in the
Kalihi-waena hall last night, hundreds
of terrified children fighting in the dark
for chance to get out Of the build.
ing, jamming the doors in their excite
ment and trampling upon each other.
There were no serious injuries to any of
the children, something almose>mirac.
ulous.
The panic was marked by the rare
presence of mind and daring in the face
of extreme danger of two little girls,
Genevieve Taggart and Adeline Shell
don. There were nearly four hundred
children in the hall, which had been
darkened for the moving-pictures when
sudden pop, followed by flash, caus-
ed someone in the rear of the room to
shout "Fire! Firel'
Immediately there was a wild scram.
BILE for the only exit in,the rear of the
room. The audience was composed in
the main of children and in the terrible
rush for the doors, many were thrown
to the floor and trampled on. Chairs
were overturned by the panic stricken
little ones, who felt that their lives
depended in getting outside the build
ing.
During the confusion, the noise, the
shrieks and cries of the ones who had
fallen and were unable to rise, there
were two little girls who did not join
in the mad stampede for the door, One
of these, Genevieve Taggart, daughter
of j. N. Taggart, the school principal,
jumped to the platform beside her
father, who had charge of the exercises.
Shouting in her ear to "Play some
thing on the piano." Professor Taggart
called little Adeline Sheldon, who also
jumped to the platform. Adeline took
her place beside Genevieve, the latter
playing on the piano and the former
singing one of the school songs at the
top of her voice. For many minutes
while Professor Taggart and a few
others were endeavoring to get the peo-
pie back to their seats-little Adeline
and Genevieve sang and played soothing
music.
After hard work, Professor Taggart
succeeded in quieting the excited chill
dren, and finally one by one, they took
up the refrain of the song begun by
Adeline Sheldon. An explanation was
then made to the audience to the effect
that there was no danger, and the pro-
gram was continued to a successful
finish.
Z. b. Bridgewater was in charge of
the moving picture machine, the power
for which was supplied by small gas
tank. AT the end of the first film, the
stopper blew out of the tank on account
of the heavy pressure, and, in some way,
the gas caught fire. 1t occasioned moth
ing more than a pan-fash, as it were,
but the blaze had weird look in the
darkened hall. Bridgewater doused the
flame in a bucket of water he had
standing for that purpose and all dan
ger was Immediately gone. Had the
lights been switched on all would have
been well.
But the children had become fright
ened, and, being urged onward by the
cries of those in the rear, went almost
crazy in their attempts to reach the
exit in the darkness. A man in the
audience jumped from a window. Two
policemen were in attendance, but they
could do nothing to quiet the fear
stricken children. Although several
were trampled on in the rush, none was
hurt seriously, and all were able to
remain until the finish of the entertain
ment.
Much credit for handling and quiet
ing the children is due to the masterful
way in which Professor Taggart took
charge and managed finally to establish
peace and quiet once again, but to the
little girls who played and sang so
bravely during the panic, belong the
laurels as heroines.
Some articles, purses, handkerchiefs
and other articles, were either lost or
stolen during the rush. These, how
ever, will probably be located.
-s-E-s.--