Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-11-28
BURNS
IN new HAVEN
4DEAD, 50 HURT
Death List From Destruc-
ton of Moving Picture
House May Be Increased
EXITS INADEQUATE
Spectators In Panic Trample Each
Other In Mad Rush For The
Open.

New Haven, Conn, Nov. 2s.-The
Rialto Theatre, q movlng-plcture
house, was burned last night, and at
least four persons lost their lives and
more than four score received hospital
treatment. Some of the patients may
die.
Fire Marshal Perkins late last nj ght
said other bodies might be, found In
the ruins by daylight, although
search with lanterns by tirmen and
police revealed only two bodies. The
other bodies were at the hospitals.
Several of the injured are Yale
students.
For two hours while the flames rose
higher than the Hotel Taft opposite,
in College street, it was feared the
death list would be heavy.
Many in the audience anticipated
the first cry Of fire, which followed
appearance of smoke in the lobby OF
the theatre. Panic stricken men. wo-
men and children rose almost in
body and made for every conceivable
exit Scores were trampled on, clothes
were torn and faces. hands, arms and
legs were torn and cut in the mad rush
to get out of the burning building.
Exits were inadequate to care for
the frantic mob. converted into al
most beastial fury by the onrush OF
smoke, followed by flames.
Of frame construction, the theatre
and it's fittings made splendid fuel
for the flames. One Yale student,
among the many in the audience, who
managed to make his way out on one
of the fire escapes, declared that at
least 40 were trapped in the burning
structure.
1t was with difficulty that the fire
was stopped from spreading to the
Hyperion Theatre. the rear Of which
is near that of the Rialto But shortly
after Q o'clock Fire Chief Fancher
announced that he believed the fire
was under control. 1t was then burn
ing in two adjoining business blocks.
When the firemen arrived in re-
sponse to three alarms the interior of
the theatre was mass of flames. Sew
eral lines of hose were turned into
the burning structure. But, despite eff
forts of tiremen and others, it was i'm
possible to make way into the seeth-
ing furnace of flames. Persons who
were among the last to escape said
there were others helpless on the floor.
Others declared their belief that there
were few who did not get out. The
injured who were dragged from the
re were helped to the hotel across the
street, to the Elks' Club, Union Lea
que and others to hospitals near by.
Some of them were attended by ply
sicians, while others more seriously
hurt were taken to the hospitals in
ambulances or automobiles. Many in
jured made their way to their homes.
Many Yale students were among the
audience and some of these aided the
helpless in their attempts to get out
of the burning structure. Witnesses,
however, told of several students seen
jumping from the galleries into the
struggling. mass of humanity in the
body of the treatre
Police reserves were called to con-
troll the crowds who stood in a pour
ing rainstorm outside the theatre, at
tracted by the three alarms of fire.
Anxious relatives and friends of per-
sons within the theatre fought with
the police to get within the fire lines.
Crowds pursued the injured to the
hospitals and beseiged the doors to
get news of relatives possibly hurt. At
the New Haven Hospital, where two
score were taken, it was necessary to
call the police to control the crowds
outside.
The theatre, which was remodel
ed church Of many years standing,
proved fuel for the flames. According
to the city officials, the fire laws had
been complied with in the remodeling
Of the burned structure.
There are three theories of the start
of the blaze. One is that it started
from incense that was burned on the
stage in. connection with the showing
of the film, another is that the blaze
was caused by crossed wires, while a
third attributes the start of the holo-
caust to an explosion Of some kind
said to have been heard in the cellar
of the theatre.
Lawrence ". Carroll, manager of
the theatre, was arrested at 1890
last night by order of Coroner Eli
Mix who is investigating the cause
of the fire