The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-05-27

The silver jubilee celebration of
Heiss Court Of the Catholic Order of
Foresters was disrupted by panic at
Germania Hall on Monday night and
as result of the panic four people
were injured, more or less seriously.
Joseph 9. Newhouse the veteran as
sistant chief of the Kenosha police de-
partment, was one Of the victims of
the panic. He fell through west win
dow Of the hall to the cement sidewalk
on Milwaukee avenue suffering a frac-
ture of his. left leg at the hip. He IS
now in the Kenosha hospital resting as
easily as could be expected under the
circumstances, but as Assistant Chief
Newhouse is an old man and the frac-
ture Of the leg very serious one it
will probably be many months before
he is able to be out again Other peo-
pie injured in the panic were:
Mrs. Louis Althoff, 26S Rowland
avenue, badly cut about the head
by falling decorations.
Mrs. William Leinenweber, 1862
Garden street, severely burned by
blazing decorations which fell
from the ceiling Of the hall.
Mrs. John j. Maloney of Pleas
ant Prairie, slightly burned by
falling decorations.
More than score Of people were
slightly bruised in the frenzied effort
to get out of the hall, but none of these
people were seriously injured.
The panic among the guests Of the
gForesters followed an attempt to make
fashlight picture of the large COM
pany. At the time the guests to the
number Of four hundred and fifty, were
seated about the gayly decorated
tables and there had been a pause in
the festivities of the. evening long
enough to permit photographer William
I'D. Sydney to mount the platform at the
east end of, the hall to tack the pict-
ure. Sydney had stationed a helper at
the south door leading to the dining
room Of the hall who was III charge of
an open fashlfght powder. Sydney
had arranged his, camera and gave the
signal to his helper and there was a
terrific flash and asline of fire leaped
toward the ceiling. A second later one
Of the men at the tables noticed that
the flash from the powder had set fire
to the long string of festoons which
hung down from the ceiling, There
was no sign Of panic and people at
the tables watched the thin line Of fire
climb to the top of the festooning. It
was supposed that the fire had gone out
and the people returned to the festivi-
ties of the evening when without any
warning sheet of flame caused by the
igniting of cheese cloth decorations,
swept across that side of the hall.
Then some one shouted fire, but even
at this there was no mad rush. Peo-
pie sitting near the doors began to
move toward the doors. Then the
flames began to go about the ceiling
and the decorations were Of such a
nature that the fire spread very rapid
1y. Cooler members of the party
shouted to the guests, declaring that
there was no serious danger, but there
was at .once rush for the exists from
the hall. Men and women alike joined
in the rush to get out of the building.
The flames had by this time spread
all about the room and burning portions
of the decorations were falling down
on the heads of the people and on the
tables Assistant Chief Newhouse was
a guest at the dinner and he hurried
to the west end of the hall. By this
time some of the people in their
frightened rush for the exists had
turned over one of the tables and this
caused more confusion. One woman at
the north end of the hall broke out a
window and leaped from the window
and others followed suit The mad
rush was for the door leading out of
the hall and the crowd of people rushed
for the windows at the west end under
the balcony as well. Newhouse was
standing directly in front of one of
these windows seeking his wife when
rushed through the window and
fell to the sidewalk below. A score of
people jumped out of the window after
the police officer and all fell in a mass
on the walk below. Newhouse was the
only one reported injured.
Some of the men and women waited
about the tables and showed no sign
Of anxiety, but the greater mass of
the guests joined in the rush for safety.
The decorations on the side of the
walls began to fall Mrs. Louis Althoff
and Mrs. Maloney were both on the
north side of the hall Mrs. Althoff
was struck in the head by falling
shield. This shield had been a part of
the decorations. She suffered a cut
which required three stitches to close.
Mrs. Leinenweber was near the same