The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-09-19
RIPS
PICTURE ECROWD
FRIGHTENED
Goodness Prevents Panic at
Harte Theatre
NO ACTUAL DANGER
Balcony Win Be Closed Until After
Being Inspected by State
Engineer votey. fM
NO ACTUAL DANGER

But for the coOlheadedness OF the
large audience the Harte moving pic
ture theatre last evening would have
been the scene of panic with seri-
Gus if not appalling results. Shortly
before O'clock there was loud
crashing sound caused by the ripping
apart of the steel ceiling under the
balcony. Many of the people in the
audience were so suddenly alarmed
that they crowded toward the en-
trance and the exits. There was no
mad rush such as would have occur
red in many places under similar
circumstances but the people were
anxious to get out of the building
and did some crowding to accomplish
that result. In the crush a number
of women tainted but so many people
retained their presence of mind and
endeavored to control their more
nervous neighbors that quiet was re-
stored in short space of time. The
picture, THE Fall of a Nation was
reproduced after the accident to a
good-sized house. a
When the crash came some of the
people in the house imagined that
the explosion was part of the pic
ture itself as some of the mammoth
mortars used in Germany we're being
shown on the screen at the time.
Others at once jumped to the conclus-
ion that the gallery was falling and at
once began to crowd toward the front
Of the theatre. Manager Harte i'm
mediately announced that there was
no danger, the picture machine was
kept running and the lights were
thrown on throughout the building.
More collected members of the
audience sought to restrain the
nervous ones and the theatre was
emptied without damage except to
few hats that were trampied in the
haste OF their owners to reach the
street.
The audience was one OF the larg-
est. if not the largest, that has VISIT
ed the theatre since the building was
constructed and under the circum-
stances it is highly creditable to the
good sense of Bennington people that
they behaved so we'll under circum.
stances that might have resulted In a
serious panic.
An investigation has disclosed that
the gallery settled enough to rip open
the steel ceiling the entire width OF
the gallery few feet away from the
rear wall. The movement was so
slight that there is now no evidence
that It had taken place except for the
ruptured ceiling When the a calling
parted from Its fastenings the crash
was loud enough to thoroughly alarm
the people and the crowding for the
exits began. AS soon as the lights
were turned on the audience lost It's
: feeling of fear and the building was
cleared without much disorder. IA
Robert E. Pilling, the contractor
who built the theatre, was at the
house this morning and made an In
| spection. SO far as he could ascer-
tain there was nothing to show that
| the balcony had settled q fraction of
| an inch except the break in the steel
| ceiling. There are no separations
where the balcony floor Joins the side
walls of the building and the floor is
as intact as on the day 1t was built.
The ripping apart of the ceiling is
not considered by the owner or the
contractor to indicate that the bal.
cony is in any respect unsafe. At the
same time, in order to assure his
patrons, Manager Harte win close the
balcony until after the building has
been inspected by the state engineer.
]. w. Votey of Burlington What
ever recommendations are made by
Mr.. Votey will be carried out by the
manager