THEATRE IN FLAMES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11817, 2 April 1909, Page 5

THEATRE IN FLAMES.

A FIGMD FOfl -.LIFE. • 310 PERSONS BURNT TO DEATH.. NEW YORK, Feb. 18. More than 300 persons have been • burned to death at the Flores theatre, nt Acapulco, Mexico. The theatre was a wooden structure, and contained a crowded audience of about a' thousand persons, who_ had attended to witness i, special performance- iri honor of'Serthpr Samiap Fibres, Governor of the State' of uerrero. The tragedy was caused by an explosion during an exhibition of moving pictures, and, owing to "the speedy-conges-tion of the narrow exits, the audierioe were caught literally like rats m a trap. The tight for life m the burning theatre was of the, most appalling character. Acapulco is an important seaport tdwri of 7000 inhabitants, m the State of GuerrerOi Sabotif 200 /riiiles south of Melcico City. The Flores theatre, to named ih' i honor of Seribr Damiaii Flotes, Gover : irior of Guerrero, Was the largest place bf entertainment m- the town. It- was a flimsy wooden bi)iiding, with three na^ row' bxifri,- one. of -'which was at the. back of the stage.-' The performance was art' important social event, Senor Flores being the guest of honor., Nearly all ' thfe proriiineiit families m Acapulco were represented m •the audience, which also included mariy State and! municipal OiHcials. Tliere •were about 500 '! ladies present., / •'While tlu? audience was wujtchnig 'a^ ie-' !pipbdhction 'of a. bull fight, the dinemato--graph film caught fire; -, There was a flash, and then a -hut^t of ;flame "Which 4 enveloped the instruirient and ignited the wooden stand on which it- rested. - Several men sprang forward to attempt to extinguish the flames, and m so doing knocked over the stand,': thus adding to the danger. The fire spread with ter-' rible rapidity, and before: the majority of the audience realised what had ha^ 'u'ene'd the back part of tlxe entire ' low*er floor was' blazing. ITiere. were only three narrow exits, and to these the audience rushed' in 'a panic. Many, fell andWcro crushed to death, and .. thje ,cnti;anf-es became choked. Owing to the iiiteiiße heat it was impossible to effect a. rescue, and these who were imprisoned were literally roasted to death. Att- the fire burned without sntoke. IfeW were 1 - suffocated. • " '• l : ' '" ■'■ ' The performance "bein,sf o gala Social event, the audience was composed largely of members of the oldest and wealthiest families of the province, isome of whicli have been entirely oxtenninaU-d. Km PANIC- IN *HIS"DAKKNESS. Thei^e was considerable delay m tuvn--siS|J'i)rt "the' lights and the: panic wluch tegtfn' u ih the dark'rieES could not he checked. A few 5 cobl -headed men tried vafrdY .'j» i^sWi'e v b'rti*^ riijd iji^ucb the terrified andiehtb Jo leaybtquietiy. Tlie hirtle* s atid d^rspeedHy ' t^ttit& with people AVhofoiight each other vi the effort to escape. -y 'l-'y^-y- "'y ll •j ;. ; - Thnsef iWh o were stiff ocalred by ' or exhausted m the struggle collapsed) and others walked over their bodie*. Speedily the. ;exits became choked bodies, and the ' unfortunate spectators .Who remained .m the burning building were cut iciff. A - • v S«>me lvid 1 syflacient courage" to i jump from the 'windows, but the -majority of those who did so were killed outriaht, iiUi XtM^few r wore picked up alive jpetfeived terrible injuries. " V It was impossible for. ariy one to enter theAihoatro, who quicltty assembled r «naßle to approuch within 100 feet owing to the Siltfens(> t 'fieUt. Tho building had been decorated both inside and out with bunting, and 1 flags, which added to its flaminability. :'!/■' Ay "A MINIATURE HELL." ; > Mexican Hrerrieu are antiquated m their iriethod's;: and recognising: from the first that the theatres-was beyond the reach, of human aid,, they confined their (efforts to the neighboring buildings. Tlie roar of •the conflagration, fanned by ! a'' gentle' breeze, the>" crackling of timber, the hid,efriis shrieks' of r the victims, and the 'complete, h?lpl(BSfiness of the bystanders, made a picture ,of torment and paridbr inoniuni which is well described by one teportcr as rr a miniature hell. -V,• ' .; The theatre . was one great furnace. There was a prolongted and terrific shriek, Swelled by many voices for help, and then so mercifully quick was the work of destruction, within a few more minute/, all Was- quiet again,, 'except for the sobbing aiid groaning* people outside who wit' nessed the-' tra?ed # Vj and for the roar of the flames as they' swept from the theatre to "the adjoinuifii wooden Iniildirigs.' piles of dead; : After the lucky few ~li&4 ran out into safety, iev/j if itpy, Vp«sse# -the ! doorwa}-s. Wheii the Are- was 'oyer the 'dead vtfer'e found piled up to the'. v£ry thresHigild; ■Jliose abbVe liadl^eft'bnrried,.rind those beneath ' v oru£hed arid trampled to Therb are no surviyors' to^^ 'tell-of^the iscerie within, wjien tlie.^riie^rcached the 'mass of. imprfsoried 5 men**grid A^pnien. ; ?t l is known, hbweyfer',, " that tlie'. '.burned With vcry , 'iittie"shibkc, arid , most -bf, tlie victims m\iat t httverbeen.put' to death with fcreat suffering by; the clear' 'flames.' T^hb bodiria ' recovered gerierally liave .'.- b'foii' fouii'd burii^dto a .fcin^et; r' ; ' V y -.-v; AsahVayahap'pJ^^nimijh^^^ the . -wonifen'. $i}% children 'suffered 4 riiostv and they comprised tho majority of ; th^ deajl.f .Nptsa' eiiigle recogiiisitple 'bo^ lifis b*cen' taken "out^Of the sriiirtß.'p '' *I>X , The greatpst loss of^life was occasioned by- ; thevfa:H .of -'the - roof, . which'; crashed • 1 in 'an'iiicre^bly • shortispiice of time After x the ; pu.tlii ; e^k of thc ; fl jiines. -„ETe TibMy;to;.t^is.jrjie'n ; iii'the ! mt > fqug'ht;iik'g. ddriions,' ; striking ' do.Ayii • . the weaker; 'm their <e'ffoytV'tb .escajic. . * . ■ Thp fall 'of the rpof ijtifleditJ.A screamis and groans, of, the' fighting, .panic'-strickten audience; ■ < " ' ;'. The lt.iteßt'i,m\ftfipge^onrthb loss of .li^e mys :— Ariy Am^riarti ;;eye-Wjtne&i'-bf t|l^ d t saster says'- I Ji|it ''the v n vu m ber \*ii dead \ ?«; 310, , whilp' a' hundred 'persons have (ioriveyedvto; lib^'pitai'/- -,- '■.', -AAv ! ' A.i ; SpnorvFJoVdJ,' ' Gdyernor of, GuprreTp, m whose hdnojr .the ;performance-was; b<ing given^ has '-»stttted that ' lie . t will -, sea thatHthose oVphaiied by tho disaster ate provided for. •' '- , » ' • '••■»". -. The Customs, hortise, post-office, and shipping office;^whieb / adjoined • th'e.thea-; tre. Were" also destroyed,' , 'and'xthe : -re* mainder of the i business ,pQrtibri of Acapulco wos; only saved after' great difp- 5 cuitv. y '. ■' ' A. - . -yy \ All the bodies recovered from the ruins of the theatre V^ so badly ' charred that : identification is impofsible: ; 'Diey are being buried m .^renches by the -authof rities. • -^