Salt Lake Tribune | 1904-05-13 | Page 1 | Coolness Saves Many Lives

Coolness Saves Many Lives m 1 Players in New York Theater Prevent a Panic and Save Many Lives. N. EW YORK, May 12. Coolness of j the management, efficiency of the I lire drill and the prompt arrival of the police prevented a terrible fire panic in Proctor's theater, 12oth street near Lexington avenue. With 160D men. women and children packed in the house, and with fire raging in the building above them, thc only ole- 1 mcnt lacking to produce a death-dealing stampede from the auditorium and the two balconies was the cry from loosc-tongued man or woman. That cry did not come, and not until all the exits had been opened and the house staff and the police had assumed as-sumed their emergency station was the news broken to thc audience that the houso wns on fire. The auditors were assured there was no immediate danger, dan-ger, and that if they took their time everybody would set out In safety. That thebc words of reassurance had a salutary effect was proved by the fact that after tho house had been cleared j In three minutes and the staff had gone 1 through the auditorium and thc bulco nles looking for personal belongings that had been abandoned, they .found J only two women's hats and a coat. The actors In the theater. Inspired bv the. coolness of Mr. McAllister and some of his associates In thc company, were coller even than the audience. They remained In their dressing-rooms to discard their costumes and put on their street dress, and several of them, feeling secure behind tho asbestos curtain cur-tain and the Iron fire doors, did not even leave the building during the progress of the fire. The picture herewith Is that of Adelaide Ade-laide ICelm of the Proctor Stock company, com-pany, who was playing the leading role In "The Rose of Plymouth" when the , fire broke out. Her coolness was remarkable re-markable and did much to prevent panic .'.'.' ' ' . ADELAIDE KEIM. I