PANIC AT A SHOW.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 27, 26 October 1907, Page 15

PANIC AT A SHOW.

FUGHT;'EIiiOM;'A'RAZING, ;riLM:

WOMAN KILLED. ' . .A'-paiiic; having.fatail"rc-sults, J ;occurred on /Saturday night,'' September 7,' at' the' i T6wn ' Newmarket (England) J- : in which; ari ex■hibitiflii.pfVpictures of;several"pageant's and ■ othqi-j iyiews, was, .being; given by ' a travelling 'cinematograph.'.company. ; .N;6arly ,-ivpmen, 'and- chil- , drqn—were;present, and, during..the performance someone endeavoured in the dark to pass tho apparatus «(which Iwas.- erected ,'on' boxes 'Oii the-ground' floor near. the principal exit)] ; and stumbled against! part of the mcchanisrii. i According"'' to a'; statement by,'the manager, | Mr;' : E.' '• Cpurt;'; "this, 1 , action, disconnected.; a ' tube, leading ; froiii the' [ cylinders containing Itsho 1 compressed 1 ' gas ( iised for' limelight,,' and 1 this-/"ignited',.''the celluloid,|,'iilin' ,qn', tho .riiachine.p.'' ; ;*. i-.'-.-i. 1 ,|Tliq, darkness, necessary- for ,thoi.oxhibit-ion :was at.bnce lit >up, and this . alarmed the audience; . Seeing wnat was amiss ,tbe'manager immediately dotachpd the blazing lilm arid , ru'slied outside • with it, • but' a - cry ; of "Eire I' 1 wa ; .sraised. r The; operator;;(Mr,' Greenwood). ,'and'tho'pianist called upon' tlip "audienco to . reriiairi'; seated,, but .'.their assurances,, tliat no, ;danger existed railed.to proventa panic, ami. iinimediately hundrqds of. ,people- were strug-. igling..to.reach- the main exits.- =.', : ';..The operator was :'thus'- prevented-from .turning-,-off- the light'of the apparatus, and a, wooden cupboard and-one, oi" two-folding : oxit doors, 'which rehiained closed',;became' fuel for. th'a'flames. " The press of-people' pushed many against" the flames, but fortunately, the 'firo! .was extinguished^.tbariks.toYtlio initiative/of' ;'Srf: Frank- Simpson, the.,chiof,officer of .the local, fire brigade, who happened to bo present, land' who .quickly-got to work with thefire extinguisher fixed inside the/halh - lloanwhilc Police Sergeant Gorham arid iCoristable -Wright, seeing- the danger: at .tho :partly closed 1 exit, forced the closed door qperi, ;aii'd- Wright draggged a'.number of women,and children out, passing them on .to GorliamV.whb handed ..thoiu to, the ..crowd, many hundreds, strong, Tyliich had assembled outside; In-this : imanner"many, fainting and hysterical.women and children wprc saved from-serious'hurt.' 'Othor - helpers rescued tho miprisoiiedi poopio' .thrpjigh,'. windows 'or ' openings "made elsewhere.' Olio young married woman'named . Starling' had her .'clothing ' burried; to; cinders, arlcl she herself was so^.seriously turned, that, she died in the hospital. /Clsira.Ashbj;,' a domestic ser-; va'rit,; had most of lier 'clotliiiig destroyed and suffered terrible,, '..burns, V.boing practically blinded.;. Ilor .condition.,-was reported -last evening) to.be so,.serious' that a- fatal result is, feared.i- Milti; is'-believed- that 300 people were more or-less "injured. " . " .' '