The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-02-07

ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORT.
TO THE DAILY LNT.ELLIGENCER
Terrible Catastrophe of Robinson's
Opera House, Cincinnati.
Stampede Caused by a False
Alarm Of Fire.
Frlghtful scsnes-Crushing Of Women
-, and Children. n.
Streets BIockaded with Friends
and Relatives Of tho Victims.
List Of Killed and Wounded.

CINCINNATI, February 5.-During the
performance OF the Allegory, ofthe Great
Republic, at Robinson's Opera House
this afternoon, u portion Of the pillars
supporting the gallery gave way precipi.
tating number Of the occupants upon
the balcony below. At this writing it 10
nop known whether any were killed
though there is rumor that three per.
sons received fatal injuries. Near
" six hundred children took part in the
Allegory, and the audience was mostly
composed Of parents and relatives OF the
participants.
LATER.
Tie latest reliable report from the
Opera House disaster is that one woman
was. killed outright and number Of
children seriously II not fatally injured
in the stampede Of the audience
to get to the doors. It seems that there
was no foundation in the report Of the
gallery falling, but that the stampede was
caused by an alarm OF fire causelessly
raised BY mischievous boy in the gal
lery. It is almost impossible TO obtain
reliable details oi the disaster as the
streets for squares are filled with anxious
friends and relatives.
Still later-Itis now reported that six
persons we're killed in the stampede.
Only four names were ascertained, viz:
Mrs. Henry Kessler, Mrs. Nancy Clark,
Hattie Leslie and Harry White. Be-
tween fifteen and twenty were injured.
The allegory OF the Great Republic,
during the performance OF which occur
red the terrible disaster this afternoon,
has been upon the stage Of RobinSon's
Opera House for the past two nights, un..
der the auspices Of the Cincinnati Relief
Union. The proceeds were to be applied
to the relief Of the suffering poor OF the
city. The performers, numbering nearly
900 children, were taken from the public
schools Of the city, and Us the object was
worthy one, those who took part with
the children were old residents Of the city,
Vast audiences were present at each
presentation OF the allegOry. The weather
this afternoon being prOpitious and there
being no session Of the public schools the
matinee audience, in the most part, was
com mposed of women and children. About
half past two o'clock, while the great
house was densely packed, and the thou
sands OF children amongthe audience were
at the height Of their enjoyment, some boy
in the gallery, either through mischief or
ignorance, raised the cry OF fire as the red
| light from the colored fires used in the
piece flashed out from the wings. Every
inch Of the theatre was occupied and
the dense crowd was pressing and surging
about the stairs and in front OF. the
doors. Some one in the audience took
up the cry Of fire, and it was reechoed
from near the door by some one who
caught a glimpse OF the red glare from
the stage. There was an immediate rush
for the front doors. A child was pushed
down the steps and screamed, 1mme-
diately after man thrust his arm through
a window, and the scream and the crash
was enough to set the panic in full force.
The scene was terrible one. 1nthe mar
row vestibule leading to the street the
people in the rear mad with lear
pressed upon those in front shouting and
cursing. Men tcrror-stricken struck down
helpless women and children in front or
climbed over their heads to the top Of the
stair case and precipitated themselves
upon the screaming and bleeding mass oi
children and women In the hallway. The
scene in and about the Opera House after
the accident was heart rending. The
news Of the catastrophe spread like Wild
FIRE over the city, and from every direction
came people hurrying TO the scene until
the streets were impossible.
There arc many conflicting stories as
10 the origin Of the panic at Robinson's
Opera House. The building was filled
from parquette to gallery with a dense
mass, who not only filed all the seats and
aisles, but crowded the stairways, and
hundreds were outside seeking TO gain
admission. Behind the scenes were five
hundred school children who were TO take
part in the performance, which con-
sisted OF an allegory OF the Republic. AT
the time appointed for the commence
ment OF the exercises q calcium light
in the gallery flashed its glare on the
stage, and Immediately the cry Of fire was
raised. The audience became panic
stricken and a rush was made for the
stairways. Some are said to have leaped
from the balcony on the crowd below.
The lower circle Of the house is but few
steps above the level Of the street, but
the steps are narrow and soon became
blocked by the surging crowd. Inside
the house multitudes were pressing ior
the doorway, and in the panic women and
children were overthrown and trampled
to death by the panic stricken crowd.
The scene beggars description. The
alarm rapidly spread throughout the
city, and those who had wives or children
there hurried forward TO their rescue, A
few heroic men placed themselves near
the door and endeavored TO assure the
people that there was no danger, while an
effort was made from the stage to check
the mad cries OF the afrighted audience;
but quiet was not restored tilla number
were tramped 70 death and many serious
" injured. Those able to walk made
their way homeward, and those more se-
riously Injured were taken to the 9th
street station house and to the CONNER
cial Hospital. The dead were gathered
in one Of the Offices Of the Opera House.
Up to o r. NJ, the following had been re.
ported killed and injured: Mrs. Alfred
White and her son Harry, age l2; Mrs.
Nancy Clark, reported to have died from
heart disease caused by excitement; Au-
gust and Fred Laesch, brothers, ages s
and 10; Hattie Leslie, age l2; Jas. Crow
lev, age Z; Annie Mai Rienzi, Of Alton,
nj, Who was visiting friends here;
Miss Teroyica Massatt, age %; Mrs.
Henry Kessler suffered severe coneus-
sion Of the brain, and is reported dead
this. evening. One unknown woman is
dead. IAmong the injured are Fred.
strasburg, Miss Pumphrey, Master Harry
Bliss and a child named Coddingtop. La,
ter information will probably increase
the number Of injured.
'''H LATER. .I.u-
Carrie Uhl, base Of skull crushed and
collar bone broken; Mrs. Anna Flood,
hurt in breast seriously Mrs. Lyons, In
iured internally. Mrs. White, who was
killed. had Eve children with her, one Of
whom was killed, and another, the young
est was found clasped in her arms unin'
iured. Miss RienEi, Of Alton, was In the