The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-07-22
COOL HEADS AVERT
TREATER DISASTER
Audience at Mehesy's, Panic
Stricken by Fire, Reach
Street in Safety.
BIG CROWD IN FRENZY
Emergency Exits Ignored in
Terrific Crush; Operator Is
Severely Burned.


orator, was seriously burned about the
head and shoulders and on the upper
part of the body, in fire that started
in the operating room of Mehesy's the
ster on Main street near Third South,
last night at 10 O'Clock. The place
was crowded with men, women and
children, who became almost panic
stricken when cries Of "Frel'' arose
in the rear of the theater.
That the excited throng surged
through the main entrance of the place
and into Main street without injury
to anyone, is due largely to the level
headed work of the attendants, who
remained at their posts, shouting in
structions and reassuring the patrons.
Operator Davis was running off n
motion film in the operating room over
head, at the rear of the place. While
the pictures were in progress, he ex"
tracted burnt carbon stick from one
of the lamps used to cast rays upon
the canvas, and threw it into pan,
as is customary. The carbon sparks
the pan, and the patch in turn set fire
to one end Of motion film reel that
was hanging close to the pan.
Flames Cause Alarm.
Davis's attention had been turned to
the reel in motion. and before he real
lied what had happened the burning
reel, which was largely Of celluloid,
was mass of flames, that forged their
hungry tongues through the ventilat-
ing holes of the operating room against
the ceiling of the theater.
The flashes of these flames attracted
the gaze Of large part Of the audience
and instantly shouts of ''Fire! Firel -
arose Mr.. Mehesy and his attendants
threw open the emergency exits on all
sides OF the place, but the crowd for q
moment became uncomfortable in the
one frenzied desire to reach the street
Not n single person made use Of the
fire exits, and the mass surged forward
through the main entrance on Main
street. 1t is safe to say that several
and perhaps many lives would have
paid the toll of the rush had not the
composed work of the management and
attendants reassured the crowd and re-
stored comparatively good order.
Davis Fights for Life.
In the meantime the FIRE was con-
fined to the operating room, in which
Davis was fighting for his life. k,lth
the material in the room largely Of eel
luloid, the apartment, walled in on all
sides with heavy 6re-proof construc-
ton, became a veritable oven. Davis
bravely endeavored to use the extin-
guisher at hand, but he was so badly
burned about the hands, head and
shoulders that he precipitated himself
from the operating room.
A quick response to the alarm was
made by the FIRE department and the
flames were quickly put out before they
had spread beyond the operating room
Davis was removed to the Schramm
Johnson drug store at Main and Thirt
South streets, where DR.. John NJ
Spaulding dressed mis- burns and made
him as comfortable as possible.
Severely Burned.
Aside from the excrutiating pain o
his injuries, Davis escaped without be
. ing MANNED or permanently injured. IL
was later removed TO his home.
A large crowd collected in front o
the theater, fearing more serious re
suit, and many were ANXIOUS abou
loved ones, relatives or friends inside
: Manager Mehesy explained the Incl
:, dents connected with the fire to tn
= street crowd. The modern fre-proo
:. construction Of the operating room an
= theater undoubtedly prevented dlsa<
:, ter.
:, ITALIAN ADMIRAL