Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-11-29
DEATH AND INJURY
FOLLOW THEATER FIRE

me- w f1A Elm, SOllll.s 4NON' 20
Three lives were lost and seventy
nine persons were more or less seri-
ously injur ed when fire broke out
in the Rialto motion picture theater
last night. It is possible that fur
Their search Of the ruins of the play
house will add one more name to
the list of dead, as r. H. Perrigo.
Of this city, has not been seen since
the fire Was discovered and the panic
stricken crowd surged toward the
doors of the theater. His son was
among the injured.
Fifty-eight persons who were eith'
or burned or trampled by the crowd,
which stormed toward the exits
when the flames swept into the
theater from the stage were in hos
pitfalls today. Twenty-one who were
taken to hospitals when the fire
was raging were given treatment
and sent to their homes. Twenty~
two of the injured were Yale stu.
dents. All Will recover, it was de-
clared.
Only one body, that of Timothy
J. Hanlon, fifty-eight, had been iden-
titled this morning. 1t was believed
he was trampied to death, as exams
nation of his injuries showed his
neck was b1 oxen.
Two ether bodies taken from the
theater were burned so badly that
Identification was impossible. One
was the body of an elderly woman
1,of Of
man about twenty years DID,
Inquiry Begun
Coroner Mix began an official int
curry into the disaster early today.
eve are inclined to the belief"
he said, chat the fire might have
been kindled by incense burned dur.
ing the photoplay being shown at
the Rialto. The play, "The Sheik,
was being given an Oriental setting
and incense was being burned on
caught some draperies and dropped
on the stage of the theater."
Lawrence w. Carroll, manager of
the theater, and James Carter, his
assistant, who were detained by the
authorities after the fire, were later
released on their own recognizance
to appear at the coroner's hearing.
The playhouse was crowded at 1880
o'clock, and preliminary features or
the entertainment were being COM
pleted when the fire was discovered.
Sparks were seen dropping down in
front of the silver screen upon which
the picture was to be projected.
There was a shout of fire" and
panic seized the crowd.
Rush for Open
In an instant there was a rush
for the open air but it appeared that
most Of the people tried to get out
of the main entrance instead of using
the emergency exits at the sides OF
the theater. Many cool-headed per-
sons attempted to restrain the. crowd
| shouting there was no danger, but
their work was futile, as was that
| of the orchestra, which continued to
| play for some minutes after the fire
alarm was given. Those who tried
| to stem the human tide were swept
| away in the crowd which crushed
, it's way toward the doors.
Many who had seats in the bal
cony of the theater leaped over the
rails and fell on the heads OF the
struggling people below.
Several children in the crowd
poured toward the exits of the thea
| ter and their parents were in many
cases injured while trying to lift
| them above the press about them'
| The theater building was frame
structure, which turned like match
wood. Yale students were active In
| the work of rescue, dashing into the
! burning structure and assisting the
people to safety. =
A check-up of students In Yale
was under way in the morning to
sacertain if anyone was missing.
The body of the young man which
! is at an undertaker's, is believed to
be that of city man. No student
| had been reported as missing.
Evidence brought out this far in
| the inquiry tends to prove the as
sertion of spectators that flames
from an incense pot ignited some-
! thing close to the curtain, which
was made of inflammable material.
It is said that stage employees tried
| to extinguish the slight fire, but 1t
got away from them. The burst OF
| flames which went out into the
house may have been caused by a
draft. of air from back of the
stage.
Police Captain Cohane, who, with
his daughter was standing at the
rear of the crowded theater, thought
the stage light and smoke. was a
part of the. production until the
spectators surged toward him in a
condition close to panic. He said
the conditions seemed to change in
an instant and he was borne out
by the rush, but went back to help
in the rescue work. In another min
ute or two, he said, flame was
everywhere.