The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-07-12
TWELVE LIVES
ARE TAKEN IN
COMEDY FIRE
BoiSterous Climax of Play
Turns CHASTITY Tragedy;
Seen by 5000.
LAUGH AT DEATH CRIES
FIimSy Structure Traps
Players, in Performc2ce of
'Fireman'S Wedding.'
BH United Press

BH United Press
GILLINGHAM, KENT, England,
July 12.-The boisterous comedy
climax of two-day midsummer
festival suddenly was turned into a
ghastly tragedy before the eyes of
5000 people when plans for "The
Fireman's Wedding" went awry and
twelve persons were burned to death.
Ten Of the twelve were burned
almost unrecognizably by the fire
which swept through a four-storied
Dummy House." Thursday night
while the onlookers appIauded what
they took to be the victims realistic
acting.
Two others died in hospitals later
and three more were not expected
to live.
The nine boys of the twelve dead
the other three were men-were
victims of the first attempt ever
made to stage the comic mock fire
drama with boys. Dummies always
have been used heretofore and an
accident never has happened in the
years in which this scene has been
an annual feature.
1t is believed that one of the men
IN the building dropped a cigaret
upon a nearby barrel of tar. The
schedule called for the building to
catch fire at the top. 1t actually
started to burn at the bottom.
Gillingham had saved the wed
ding" feature for a grand climax
to the festival which began Wednes-
day.
Greeted With Cheers
The famous old English comedy
performance Of THE F'ireman's
Wedding" was to have been staged,
and thousands of citizens, including
many friends and relatives of the
actors, assembled in the grove about
the dummy house to watch the
antics Of the womanless wedding
party.
The wedding party arrived on the
scene late in the evening, and was
greeted with cheers and laughter
The bride, F. Worral, 30-year-old
n, timidly clung to the arm
Tabrett, the bridegroom, who
life was deputy mace bearer
Gillingham town council.
rails charred body lay today
u the Gillingham mortuary along
with the nine other bodies. Tabrett
was in a hospital, not expected to
live.
Laugh AS Friends Die
To the laughter of the audience,
the wedding guests followed the
bride and groom into the house and
climbed to the third and fourth
floors where the wedding reception
was held.
Many clowns were among them,
some dressed as old women, ready to
bring more roars of laughter from
the watchers by making heroic"
reScues later when the fire scene
was staged.
According to the plan the build
ing was to have been set on fire and
those inside were to rush madly to
the windows, hang from them and
inplore the watchers to help them.
A fire brigade was stationed be-
hind a screen of trees, and when the
alarm sounded they were to dash
forward, save the wedding party
and eXtinguish the fire.
TIL fire was started, but through
some error no alarm was sounded.
The bride, groom and guests rushed
to the windows calling:
For Gods sake, bring the fire
brigade"
Aid Arrives Too Late
The 5000 spectators applauded
and laughed so gaily that they
drowned out the cries of the vic
tins, which now had become
screams.
The firemen. who saw the flames,
but heard no alarm, supposed they
were not wanted.
The chuckled and waited. think
ing they we're giving the audience
added time for enjoyment.
Suddenly the alarm was sounded,
and when the f1remen dashed from
behind the trees they saw they were
facing a real tragedy.
The f1remen hastily adjusted their
water hose and attempted to fight
the blaze, but the flames had en-
veloped the flimsy building and it
was too late