Okla-homey
12/8/2006, 06:18 AM
Dec. 8, 1881: Theater fire kills hundreds in Vienna
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/6011/pppppppppppppppppppppprar6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Das Ringtheater im Wien c.1880.
125 years ago on this day in 1881, a fire at the Ring Theater in Vienna, Austria, kills at least 620 people and injures hundreds more. The luxurious, ornate theater hosted the most popular performances of the day.
Fires in popular entertainment venues are extraordinarily dangerous for obvious reasons.
Lots of people crammed in to see a show tend to panic when fire breaks out and many are lost unneccesarily simply because an orderly exit becomes impossible when the mammalian instinct to "stampede" exits ensues. Keep that in mind the next time you attend a sold-out show somewhere.
It's not strictly a European phenomenon either. The US has had our share of disastrous fires in entertainment venues. One of the early ones was in 1811 in Richmond VA in which the governor of VA was killed in the blaze.
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/5548/ssssssssssssssssssssssszi9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
More recently, fans of the 80's "one hit wonder" band "Great White" ("once Bitten, Twice Shy") died in a fire at "The Station" nightclub in Rhode Island. The Station nightclub fire on the evening of Thursday, February 20, 2003, was the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history, killing 100 people and injuring more than 200.
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/6491/ppppppppppppppppppringtti0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
On December 8, the Ring Theater was featuring the second night of Jacques Offenbach’s opera Les Contes d’Hoffman, which was proving popular with both the wealthy and middle class of Vienna.
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/7228/ppppppppppppppppburgtheud4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Photos of the interior of a surviving sister theater in Vienna. The Ring Theater's balcony arrangement was quite similar. Incidentally, it was in this theater that "Amadeus" operetic scenes were made
According to the custom of the time, the wealthy theater patrons who sat up front near the stage did not arrive until the last minute so the two balconies at the Ring filled up first. It was about 6:45 p.m. when a stagehand took a long-arm igniter to light the row of gas lights above the stage. He inadvertently also lit some cotton prop clouds that were hanging over the stage.
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/8865/pppppppppppppppppppprinuu3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
The flames quickly hit the stage curtain, but the theater’s established fire procedures were not followed. The theater’s iron fire curtain, used to restrict fire, was not lowered, nor were available water hoses used immediately. Worse, the stage managers panicked and shut off the gas totally, cutting off light in the theater.
http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/3557/pppppppppppppppppppppriry6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
At this point, the situation dissolved into complete chaos. The balconies became clogged as the exits jammed. The fire department brought ladders, but they were too short to reach even the first balcony. Despite an attempt to use a curtain to create a net, some people jumped from the balconies, not only killing themselves but also crushing people on the ground floor.
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/3343/ppppppppppppppppptheatetl9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Torch-bearing fireman tries to lead panicked theater goers to safety
Finally, safety nets were brought in that allowed people to jump from the balconies, saving as many as 100 people, according to witnesses. The Royal Family of Austria arrived at the theater as the disaster was ending and immediately began collecting relief funds for the victims and their families.
Crown Prince Rudolf was particularly emotional, crying upon seeing the hundreds of lifeless bodies. The estimated death toll was somewhere between 620 and 850 people.
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/5387/ppppppppppppppppppppppuqx4.png (http://imageshack.us)
Post-fire view of the stage area
The remainder of the structure was demolished and replaced with the Suhnhof building. This memorial was destroyed when Vienna was bombed during World War II. Today, a police station sits at the site.
http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/6238/insane7zocn2.jpg
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/6011/pppppppppppppppppppppprar6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Das Ringtheater im Wien c.1880.
125 years ago on this day in 1881, a fire at the Ring Theater in Vienna, Austria, kills at least 620 people and injures hundreds more. The luxurious, ornate theater hosted the most popular performances of the day.
Fires in popular entertainment venues are extraordinarily dangerous for obvious reasons.
Lots of people crammed in to see a show tend to panic when fire breaks out and many are lost unneccesarily simply because an orderly exit becomes impossible when the mammalian instinct to "stampede" exits ensues. Keep that in mind the next time you attend a sold-out show somewhere.
It's not strictly a European phenomenon either. The US has had our share of disastrous fires in entertainment venues. One of the early ones was in 1811 in Richmond VA in which the governor of VA was killed in the blaze.
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/5548/ssssssssssssssssssssssszi9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
More recently, fans of the 80's "one hit wonder" band "Great White" ("once Bitten, Twice Shy") died in a fire at "The Station" nightclub in Rhode Island. The Station nightclub fire on the evening of Thursday, February 20, 2003, was the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history, killing 100 people and injuring more than 200.
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/6491/ppppppppppppppppppringtti0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
On December 8, the Ring Theater was featuring the second night of Jacques Offenbach’s opera Les Contes d’Hoffman, which was proving popular with both the wealthy and middle class of Vienna.
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/7228/ppppppppppppppppburgtheud4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Photos of the interior of a surviving sister theater in Vienna. The Ring Theater's balcony arrangement was quite similar. Incidentally, it was in this theater that "Amadeus" operetic scenes were made
According to the custom of the time, the wealthy theater patrons who sat up front near the stage did not arrive until the last minute so the two balconies at the Ring filled up first. It was about 6:45 p.m. when a stagehand took a long-arm igniter to light the row of gas lights above the stage. He inadvertently also lit some cotton prop clouds that were hanging over the stage.
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/8865/pppppppppppppppppppprinuu3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
The flames quickly hit the stage curtain, but the theater’s established fire procedures were not followed. The theater’s iron fire curtain, used to restrict fire, was not lowered, nor were available water hoses used immediately. Worse, the stage managers panicked and shut off the gas totally, cutting off light in the theater.
http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/3557/pppppppppppppppppppppriry6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
At this point, the situation dissolved into complete chaos. The balconies became clogged as the exits jammed. The fire department brought ladders, but they were too short to reach even the first balcony. Despite an attempt to use a curtain to create a net, some people jumped from the balconies, not only killing themselves but also crushing people on the ground floor.
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/3343/ppppppppppppppppptheatetl9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Torch-bearing fireman tries to lead panicked theater goers to safety
Finally, safety nets were brought in that allowed people to jump from the balconies, saving as many as 100 people, according to witnesses. The Royal Family of Austria arrived at the theater as the disaster was ending and immediately began collecting relief funds for the victims and their families.
Crown Prince Rudolf was particularly emotional, crying upon seeing the hundreds of lifeless bodies. The estimated death toll was somewhere between 620 and 850 people.
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/5387/ppppppppppppppppppppppuqx4.png (http://imageshack.us)
Post-fire view of the stage area
The remainder of the structure was demolished and replaced with the Suhnhof building. This memorial was destroyed when Vienna was bombed during World War II. Today, a police station sits at the site.
http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/6238/insane7zocn2.jpg