The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-02-03

FIRE PANIC
One Thousand FrenzIcd Foreigners
Fought for the Main Entrance
Of the Moving Picture
Show.
TWO WOMEN KILLED
Graphic Story of the Fighting, Yellln.
Mass Of Terror Stricken Peo-
pie Struggling to
Free Itself.
TWO WOMEN KILLED

! UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.]
NEW YORK, Feb. 3.-rn motion
picture theatre that complied with all
| existing safety laws and fire reguIa-
tions nearly 1000 frenzied foreigners
fought for the main exit at cry OF
fire last night, killing two women ano
seriously injuring other persons,
Three OF the injured were said to be
4 dying today in hospitals.
4 There was no fire, except slight
blaze from roll of film in the oper-
ator's enclosure, which was brought
] suddenly to the attention of the audi
ence by reflection on the screen.
4 The crowd tha. packed the Hous-
ton Hippodrome, was peing thrilled
by melodrama when the film stuck
, for moment and then burst into
flame. The sparks and puff Of smoke
appeared in perfect representation
on the screen.
i With this, unexpected vision Of
i flame on the screen, followed by a
shrek of fire" set up from the rear
f of the theatre by small boy, men
and women jumped to their feet and
Y made a wild rush for the rear doors,
. Disregarding two exits on each
j. side Of the hall, the fighting, yelling
j mass OF terror-stricken humanity
+ jammed itself against the double
d doors serving as a main entrance ant
exit.
!, Outside the theatre a crowd of So
IS eral hundred packed against the fIigh
L of iron steps leading up to the ent
S rance, waiting to be admitted to the
n show Those In the front ranks oi
this throng heard the cry of fire in
! the building and instead of pressing
J backward, showed forward until the
steps and the ten foot wide landing
at the top were jammed with theil
numbers.
AS the leaders OF the panic-stricker
y audience poured from the doors they
y found themselves caught fast between
the surging crowd at their backs anf
the impregnable wall of humanity be
fore them. Some of them stumbled
. and fell. and their bodies acted as ar
additional barricade. In few sec
onds the landing at the top Of tbs
steps was piled three deep with the
fallen. Women and children were
trampled upon and others fell uncon
scious. Mrs Mary G. Corsa, 80, ant
= another woman, yet unidentified, wert
!. found dead when the mass of human
!, ity was finally untangled Meanwhile
:, within the theatre, Charles Steiner
: tie operator Of the picture machine
= had thrown bucket of sand owed tht
:, blazing film. He then finished th,
~ little blaze with a fire extinguishe
J. yelling at the same time TO the un
- - needing crowd on the floor that ther
= was no danger and to return to thei
seats
On the Stage beside the screen, Al
= thur Davis, lecturer" who had beel
v. y explaining in italian the meaning 0
~ some of the English signs and ''ir
~ serts" run in the pictures, tried hi
a. a. best to stop the headlong rush.
M at is nothing: come back Th
fire is out" he shouted over and owe
es again through his megaphone. Hi
m cries at first were UNDECIDED Blu
ng when those in the rear OF the strus
Cling crowd found their way blocked
ce and looking up could sec that Steine
no apparently had put cut the fire, Dav'
Is shouted commands had effect and tn
ne forward pressure stopped.
Au AT the first cry OF fire some on
'h outside the theatre turned in an alar'
se and battalion of firemen responde,
When they saw the impenetrah
ne mass in front of the theatre the
ee chief gent in call for 100 police r
us serves and general ambulant
100 alarm.
-, 1t took all the reinforcements
clear passage through the Jam
y front of the building Finding tht
could do nothing with their hands
~ ~ by shouting to he on-lookers to mo
-" 70 aside. the police drew their clu
- and raped their way through t
as press. When they reached the ste
ee1 they found mass of bodies piled TO
eoi end five deep. All but two we
I found unconscious
'no They were rushed to the hospits
70 while the rolice cleared the theat
oi'i and scattered the crowd. A wheelb;
no row load of clothing, pocket bool