The New York herald., 1921-11-28

itt lIdJueS SpIGdu lrOHl Lie ItldllO'
to the roof of the Hyperion Theatre,
which adjoins the roof of the Rialto
in the rear. The flames there, how
ever, were extinguished before they
had made any headway into the audi
torium of the house. The flames also
extended from the Rialto to stores
adjoining the building on either side,
but these had been closed for the
night. The fire in both was extin-
guished without difficulty.
Cause OF Fire Not Ascertained.
So far as the police here have been
able 10 learn the fire started from an
unknown cause in the curtain, near
the silver sheet 1t was not caused
by the projection machine, which was
situated at the other end of the build
ing. above the balcony. The first init
nation the people in the auditorium
had Of the flames was a thin stream
Of smoke which came slipping from
the top of the curtain and was waited
across the face OF the picture. At
that particular moment the scene on
for moment or two the thin, gray
line of smoke seemed to belong in the
picture But it got larger and then
the smell began TO creep down into
the audience, and after very few
minutes the smoke had become such
large splotch of gray that it almost
blotted out the picture as it waved
uncertainty across the screen.
Some one yelled "Fire!" just as the
snoke curved away from the screen
and dipped downward into the audi
toriun. Then the picture faded Off
the screen. the lights went out. and
every man, woman and child in the
house seemed to have begun scream
ing and shouting and pulling. In the
darkness OF the balcony, while the
flames cracked against the curtain
and reached downward along the
hangngs into the orchestra seats, the
crowd fought and pushed for the
exits.
Jump From the Balcony.
People knocked one another down.
and those that came afterward
trampled on those who struggled on
the floor Many men were seen to
jump from the balcony into the or
chestra section of the house, alight-
ing, frightened and fighting, on the
heads OF the people down there who
were trying to reach the downstairs
exits.
The cries OF the audience and the
columns OF smoke tina. soon began 10
roll out of the house attracted the at
,ention OF people in the street and
fire alarm was turned in. This was
quickly followed by another, and then
by another that brought all of the ap-
paratus of the New Haven department to
the theatre. Later. apparatus came from
Bridgeport and Meriden The police were
sent for. and Chief Smith responded with
every available officer. The hospitals
sent ali of their ambulances. ard the
drug stores in the neighborhood became
emergency dressing stations where the
injured were taken to be treated for
burns and slight injuries which were
not serious enough to cause their re-
moval to the hospital. but which we're
too serious to be ignored.
For long time, until II became known
that everybody was out of the theatre
who could possibly get out, the police
had much trouble with people who
wanted to rush into the burning building
in search OF relatives, and with Yale
students who wanted to go in and try
to find their friends. The students
climbed on the fire escapes, helping
people to escape from the blocked en-
frances and in several Instances univer-
sity men had their own injuries dressed
and then hurried back into the crowd to
try to be of service TO the dazed and
frightened men and women who poured
In almost unending streams from the
doors and windows of the house. They
acted os body bearers. too picking ny
.he injured as the 1remen and police
men carried them to the street aid
taking them to the drug stores aad
to the ambulances that lined the side
streets, with surgeons waiting with
opened surgical cases.
Worst Panic city Ever Had.
The panic inside the theatre was the
WORT that New Haven ever has expe-
ricnced, and the full extent OF the disss-
ter cannot be known until tomorrow.
whom the ruins OF the theatre will have
cooled and search of them will bo
possible. How many Yale men were
among the injured. and how many, ~
my. bodies still lie. charred and black
ened. underneath the ruins. will not be
Known until the colleges have canvasscd
their students and searched for the niss-
Ing. It Is feared that this number may
be large, az the Rialco was q popular
theatre with the undergraduates and
many OF them always spent their Sunday
nights there.
The picture that was showing was the
photoplay version OF popular book one
that has created q deal Of comment, and
this fact was sufficient to bring out
large crowd. Yale students as we'll as
townspeople. Campus Officer William