The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-01-04
A WESTERN TERROR.
Sad Ending of Knights of Pythias
Festival
A FLOOR GIVES WAY, KILLING FOUR
AND WOUNDING NEARLY
100 PERSONS.
The Building Catches Fire and Six People
are Burnt TO Death.

CLEVELAND, o. Jan. 1.-During the Knights
of Pythias' festival at Shanesville, Tuscarra-
was county, last evening, the floor gave way,
precipitating the company, numbering over
stantly killed, ten others fatally injured and
between seventy and eighty more or less
bruised or burned. The building took fire al
most instantly, producing scene OF the widest
excitement. The lights were nearly all ex-
tinguished, leaving the shrieking, struggling
mass of humanity to grope their way from the
ruins almost in the dark. BY the prompt ac-
ton of those who escaped uninjured, and other
citizens summoned by the terrible alarm. the
fire was subdued, but not until quite number
lad been more or less burned. The night was
very cold, and the scene is described as fright
full in the extreme. The knights arc OF the
first families of the place, and the gathering
included the intelligence and beauty of the
neighborhood. The band had just ceased play
ing when crash was heard and the floor be-
gan to settle lengthwise in the centre. The
timber had slipped off the post in the rear and
was pulled out of the brick wall in front The
centre settled rapidly and broke lengthwise,
the ioists being kept up at the outer ends in
side the walls. This threw the people, tables
and stoves all together. The falling floors bar
rcaded the front doors, but these were soon
chopped down. A chandelier in the store
room below was broken, and the oil, spilled
over number Of persons, burst into blaze.
Milton Yoder, five year old, was burned to
death in bis mothers arms. She was fatally
burned. Fortunately the building did not
catch fire. The storht added to the confusion.
The cries and screams of the suffering vic
Tins, mingled with the groans and shiieks OF
the dying. made the night hideous, while the
frantic efforts of the victims to escape es they
rushed around with their bodies burned and
blackened presented horrifying spectacle.
AS the floor fell in the shape of Y, there
was no means of escape until assistance from
the outside arrived. During all this time the
fire was doing its frightful work, and six
persisted in the flames, including Mrs. DIR.
Yoder and her little fve-year-old son, who was
burned to q crisp in his mothers arms. -Four
were crushed to death by the falling timbers
and about 60 others were seriously injured,
some perhaps fatally, as many had arms and
legs broken and ribs crushed in, while others
were horribly burned. By the heroic efforts
of the citizens the side of the building was
broken in and water dashed on the poor strug-
Cling mass of human beings, and many lives
thus saved. The total number killed and
wounded will probably reach 100. The physi-
clans of Shanesvile, Rogersville and Canal
Dover are giving all the aid possible to the
sufferers. The victims are now deing well,
though some more will perhaps die Of their
injuries. The building was a rickety frame
structure and has long been considered I'M
safe.
The following is as complete list of the
casualties as far as it is possible to get:
Dead-Miss Mary Neff, 20 years. skull frac-
tured Milton Yoder five years old, burned.
Fatally burned-Mrs. DR.. Yoder, Mrs. Allen
Cooler, Miss Annie Oren.
Seriously injured-Fred Schwab and Lewis
Kerch, legs broken; James Walter, arm
broken; Lizzie Showater. collar-bone broken;
Augusta Heisler and Mrs. Luclla Shelf,
ankles dislocated; Geo. Froehlich, DR., feet
burned.