DURING TAXI IN; MD80 HAS SEVERE CABIN SMOKE INCIDENT. CAPT EVACUATES ALL PAX AND CREWS ON RAMP. LAUDS ENTIRE CREW FOR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE.

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WE LANDED AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO THE CONCOURSE. I STARTED THE APU AS WE EXITED SO WE WOULD HAVE GOOD CABIN COOLING FOR A SINGLE ENG TAXI ON A HOT DAY. THE R ENG WAS SECURED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. AS WE TAXIED N ON TXWY G; WE HEARD THE EMER CHIMES. WE BOTH IMMEDIATELY KNEW THE PROB. THE FO EVEN SAID; 'FIRE?' AS HE WAS PICKING UP THE INTERPHONE AND THE SMELL OF SMOKE PERMEATED THE COCKPIT. I SET THE BRAKES AND TURNED OFF THE PACKS AS THE FO HANDED ME THE HANDSET. THE #1 WAS COUGHING AS HE DESCRIBED A CABIN FULL OF SMOKE. AS I WAS ASKING IF HE COULD DETERMINE THE ORIGIN; I DISABLED THE EMER LOCK AND OPENED THE DOOR. THE #1 WAS MOVING BACK AND FORTH IN THE AISLE; COUGHING AND GASPING FOR BREATH; AS HE TRIED TO KEEP THE PAX CALM AND LOCATE THE SMOKE SOURCE. IT WAS A VERY THICK; CAUSTIC MIXTURE AND APPEARED TO BE GETTING WORSE. I SAW TWO PAX SUDDENLY STAND AS I BEGAN COUGHING MYSELF. IT WAS AT THIS POINT I FELT WERE ABOUT TO LOSE CTL OF THE SITUATION. I DECIDED A CTLED EVACUATION WAS PREFERABLE TO AN UNORGANIZED STAMPEDE. I TOLD THE FO TO CALL THE TWR AND TELL THEM I WAS EVACUATING ON THE TXWY. I THEN LOWERED THE FLAPS TO 40 DEGS AND CALLED FOR THE EVACUATION CHKLIST. WITHIN MOMENTS OF GIVING THE FLT ATTENDANTS THE EVACUATION SIGNAL; WE HEARD ALL THE SCHOOLHOUSE NOISES ALONG WITH MY #1 CALMLY BARKING ORDERS. MY CONFIDENCE IN THE DECISION GREW AS I WATCHED THE PROFESSIONALISM OF MY CREW. AFTER IT APPEARED THE ACFT WAS EMPTY; I MOVED THROUGH THE CABIN. FINDING NO ONE LEFT; I EXITED BY THE AFT GALLEY SLIDE. THERE WAS A GOOD DEAL OF CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE PAX NOW. IT WAS A BIT DIFFICULT TO KEEP THEM FROM WANDERING. FEARING SOMEONE WOULD BE HURT ON THE RAMP; I ELECTED TO FORM THEM INTO A SINGLE FILE LINE AND MARCHED THEM 200 YDS TO THE JETBRIDGE STAIRS. THERE WERE 5 OR 6 INDIVIDUALS WE LEFT WITH THE FIRE RESCUE DUE TO MINOR INJURIES AND THEY WERE BROUGHT OVER WITHIN A FEW MINUTES. ONCE INSIDE; I HAD AN AGENT PRINT A MANIFEST AND THE FO BEGAN THE CHK IN FOR ME. AFTER THIS WAS DONE; WE TURNED THE SITUATION OVER TO THE AGENTS. I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO ALL OF MY CREW MEMBERS FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE AND THE PROFESSIONAL MANNER THEY CHANGED FROM A RELAXED; CIVILIAN CREW TO A HIGHLY REGIMENTED; MILITARY STYLE UNIT. ONCE OFF THE ACFT; THEY CONTINUED TO HELP ME DIRECT AND MAINTAIN CTL.