3-028-725 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Scene of the calamity at the Bristol Theatre, 1870. 'An inquest has been held upon the bodies of the persons who lost their lives in the crush at the entrance to the [Prince's Theatre,] Park-row on Boxing Night...One witness said there was no more pushing than would be found in an ordinary crowd...The rush from behind was very great when the doors were opened, and it was then he was knocked down and separated from his party. He did not hear any cry of fire till they were getting the bodies out; but there was no fire there, only a great steam from the people, nearly the same as letting it out of a boiler. One constable stated that he found forty people, lying two or three deep, nearly in one spot, opposite the outdoor. A dozen went away in a fainting condition. Another constable stated that he shouted "Fire!" to keep the crowd back, and said that no cry of fire was raised before that time. A surgeon who was examined attributed a few of the deaths to trampling, but in other cases to the fact that the deceased persons fainted, and in the dense crowd were unable to recover themselves...The jury, after deliberating about half an hour, returned a verdict of "Accidental death"...The wide opening at the right hand is where the loss of life occurred. From "Illustrated London News", 1870.