The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1910-05-23
MANY HURT
IN CIRCUS FIRE
Blazing Tent Starts Wild
Rush For Safety.
COOL HEADS SAVE LIVES
Flames, Started by Lighted Cigar,
Spread Rapidly, and the Main Tent
Was Destroyed.

Schenectady, N. Y, May 23.-Accom-
panied by wild panic, the main tent
OF the Barnum 4 Bailey circus, caught
fire when the great canvas-walled IN
closure was crowded with 13,OOO per-
sons, and burned completely in less
than an hours time. The panic started
at the first cutlery, and in an instant
thousands were engaged in a mad
scramble for the exitA The circus EN-
ployes kept their heads and worked
valiantly to check the excitement. but
in the rush for safety they were swept
aside and several were knocked down
and trampled under the feet OF the
frantic crowd.
Men, women and children tumbled
off the high-dSSHed tiers OF narrow
blue seats to scramble and fight with
one another in heaps upon the earth
below. Regaining their feet, they ran
into the rings. entangling themselves
in the guy ropes and falling over the
show gear. Scores were badly injured
and many received minor bruises IN
the rush for the exits. Hundreds faint
ed and were carried out by the police
men, firemen and show people.
Lighted Cigar the Cause.
The performance was just begin
ming. and the tent was filed beyond
it's seating capacity. Etra seats were
being installed in front of the bleach
ers, when there came the cry OF flrs.
The management attributes the fire
to the obstinacy of a careless smoker.
Employees who saw him carry lighted
cigar to his seat in the top tier, close
to the canvas walls. warned him that
he must not smoke. Instead of throw
ing the cigar away, they believe that
he hid it behind his back, and in so
doing brushed the burning end against
the canvas. In any event, the fire
started in his neighborhood and soon
was out of control.
Spectators first smelIed the smoke,
and, quickly discovering the fire, be-
gan to beat at it with their coats. The
fire reached above their heads quick,
ly. and the next effort to conquer the
flames came from the circus employees,
who began tearing out huge patches
of canvas. Their efforts met with no
better success, for the fire. eating up
ward, soon worked its way to the top
most peak
In a short time the main tent,
bleachers poles and sHats were totally
destroyed Women Tinted and were
snatched up and car led out bodily.
Many were hurt in he crush about
the m.in entrance but it is believed
that no ore was FATAL injure l. al
though bru :scs an6 cuts were plenti-
full. Hats rvcr"oatS and umbrellas by
the hund, ed were (. 5s rdOned ~ the
panic stricken men III, wo-lcn. But
for. the bravery of about 100 men who
did everything in their power to pre-
vent fatalities many persons would
lave perishtsd-
Menaserie and Horses Saved.
While some of the circus staff, aided
by the performers. policemen and
cooler headed citizens, tried to re-
strain the rush, the canvasmen and
animal trainers, working with the dis
cipline OF perfect organization,
struck the menagerie and the lesser
tents and removed all the stock, the
Gagged animals and the horses to places
of safety without casualties.
The prompt response of the fire de-
partment prevented total loss of the
circus property. The main tent burn
ed to the guy ropes, together with
most of the seating accommodations
and practically all of the parapher-
MALTA. so that the loss will run up into
the thousands.