APPALLING FIRE IN A THEATRE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9414, 7 April 1909, Page 3

APPALLING FIRE IN A THEATRE.

An appalling disaster which has practically exterminated some of the wealthiest and most prominent families in the Mexican State of Guerrero, occurred at Acapulco, the principal town of the province. During a gala performance the Flores Theatre suddenly caught fire, and over 300 people out of an audience of between 800 and 900 were burned or crushed to death in the space of a few minutes. For Acapulco, which is a seaport about 200 miles from Mexico Oity, and possesses some 7000 inhabitants, the performance at the Flores Theatre was a most important social event. It was given in honour of Senor Damian Flores, the newly-elected Governor of the State, and with him were present in the audience most of the State and Municipal officials, and the principal families of Guerrero, including 400 ladies. The theatre, a huge, flimsy, wooden structure, with only three narrow exits, one of these being at the back of the stage, was profusely hung with bunting and decorations in honour of the Governor’s visit. These hangings, it is considered, greatly contrinbted to the rapidity with which the flames enveloped the building when the fire broke out. A. play, which formed the first portion of the evening’s entertainment had been satisfactorily concluded and then the audience settled down to witness a cinematograph display. Suddenly as a bull-fight was being shown on the screen there was a sharp explosion. 5 The cinematograph films caught fire and a great burst of flame at once enveloped the machine and the flimsy materials surrounding .it. Several men sprang forward to attempt to extinguish the flames, and in so doing knocked over the stand, thus Spreading the fire, which in the spaoe.of a few moments had involved the rower floor, and had run up the hangings and along the galleries. BARRIER OF DEAD AND DYING. Audience and officials alike seem to have lost their heads, and made a wild stampede for the narrow doors, fighting like wild beasts with each other in their efforts to reach safety. Those behind forced down those in front, so that the exits were quickly piled -up with writhing bodies, shutting off the screaming multitude behind with a barrier of dead and dying. One or two people managed to escape from the stage entrance, some jumped from the windows of the building, only to be killed at once by the fall or to suffer terrible injuries; but after the persons nearest the doors.had managed to get out there was practically no escape for any others. Within a few minutes the theatre was one grea t furnace. There was a prolonged and terrific shriek, swelled by taany voices for help, and then, so mercifully quick was the work of destruction, within a few more minutes all was quiet except for the sobbing and groaning people outside who witnessed the tragedy, and for the roar of the flames as they swept from the theatre to the adjoining wooden buildings. "The Mexican firemen did their best with the antiquated appliances they possess, but all (hope of saving the theatre was lost from the first. They, therefore, turned their attention to the adjoining structures, which were the Customshouse and post office. These, however, were also destroyed, but not before the firemen managed to save the regis-; tered letters and the Customs records. The destruction of the post office destroyed the telegraph service, and communication with the outside world was not restored until Tuesday. It was near the front exit that the fire commenced, and many of those who escaped were badly burned in doing so. The roof of the theatre fell in a quarter of an hour after the fire commenced, burying all the people left in the burning ruins. Not a family in Acapulco but mourns a loss, and in one or ‘ twb instances whole families, some of them wealthy and prominent, have been exterminated.