Following upon a small outbreak of fire that occurred in the film projecting room of the cinema hall of the "Flower World"—a Chinese place of entertainment situated at the corner of Hoopeh and Foochow Toads, a panic occurred about 7. p.m. on Monday which resulted in at least three deaths and serious in: juries to upwards of 80 others.
It appears that, about p.m. one of the celluloid films being hibited in the hall on the third floor of the building. caught fire and the audience, consisting of at about 800 men, women and children, became panic-stricken. A Chinese fireman, who was on duty at the rear of the hall, at once connected a line of hose with a hydrant, near by on the same floor and extinguished the blaze, which was confined to the fire-proof projecting compartment, and at the same time a telephone message for assistance was sent to the Central Fire Station. ies and five others were considered likely to recover. It is estimated that between 70 and 80 people were injured.
The premises in which -the disaster occurred have one main exit, down the centre staircase, the minor exits from the upper floors all being in the first place through the interior of the building. Unfortunately, the majority of the inmates of "the building all made for the main staircase. and had it not been for the almost stupendous work of Chief Officer Pett and—Supervising-Firemen Gilhooley and Giles in handling a maddened crowd. the loss of life would have been far more serious.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.