Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-12-13
the building was on fire, and went on to |

the building was on fire. and went ON to
ring an alarm. II is also said that the
hell on the engine at the corner of Main
and Franklin streets was rung once or
twice. This was few minutes after
half-past ten. Some on in the upper
gallery, said to have been boy, yelled
" fire % A panic ensued men and boys
jumped from the galleries and lit on the
heads of the people on the floor.
A seat in the gallery broke with crash.
Some thought the building was falling.
Shrieks. cries, and oaths mingled in
awful confusion. Tumult reigned. A
hundred and fifty people seemed to go
down The narrow stairway at once. Those
down first were pressed upon so closely
that they fell in the doorway. The crowd
came confusedly upon them. The stair
was piled full of struggling'Leople. Agon-
izing shrieks came from those underneath
who were pinned to the floor and steps.
Others were suffocating. Such u scene
was never witnessed in Johnstown. 1t
was simply indescribable. The uproar
could be heard squares away. The
police were on hand and fought hack
those who were trying to get oul by walk
ing over the unfortunates in the
stairway. A great crowd soon
assembled on the street and had to be
fought back to give room to remove those
who were lodged in the doorway. These
latter were so tightly held to the floor
and steps that strong men could not pull
them out. 1t was not until the crowd in
the upper part of the stairway had been
forced back, that anything effective could
be done toward removing the jam in the
doorway.
CALLED BACK THE CROWD.
When the alarm was announced inside,
few of the more collected persons called
to the people to keep their seats. Nobody
seemed to listen. Several persons leaped
to the stage and assisted the actors in en-
deavoring to call the people to their seats.
The play Uncle Toms Cabin, acted by
Stetson's Company, was nearly over, the
scene being where Legree orders Tom to
whip Classy and upon Toms refusal
Legree whips him. The actors behaved
with great presence of mind, and pre-
vented the catastrophe from being worse.
Mr.. Frank Buchanan knew of back
stairway which he quickly ascended, but
not before many persons had used it as a
means of exit. He came to tle front of
the stage and attracted the attention of
the people He said that he had come in
from the outside and that there was no
fire. To prove it he said he would stay
right where he was. By this time great
part of the crowd had cooled down and
most Of them returned to seats or to the
space in the neighborhood of the stage.
Then it was that progress began TO be
made in the clearing the stairway
The dead and badly injured were
dragged up and placed on the stage,
and others less badly hurt were helped to
the top of the stairs
The policemen and workmen were
much hampered by the crowd outside.
The firemen at the engine near by turned
q stream of water from the hose toward !
the crowd and scattered them couple of |
times.
The dead and dying were carried to
different places near by. Several died in
q few minutes after being released. Others |
were lifeless when removed. The several
places to which dead and wounded were |
taken were Moses tailor shop, the Hubert
House, Opera House Saloon, the Opera
House Restaurant in the basement, and |
The tobacco and cigar store next to the
Opera House. Miss Clara Burns
lied after being carried to John
Thomas's partly completed show window.
The dead bodies were takeu to Hender-
sons undertaking establishment and the
wounded to their home,
While the dead and wounded were be-
ng removed there were dozens of people
rom all parts of thu town running about
ooking for friends who were known to
nave gone to the play. 1t was very diff
cult to give these people satisfaction.
CoRoNER's INQUEST.
The following gentlemen were en-
oaneled by Coroner Evans as Jury to
view the remains and ascertain the cause
Of the death of number of individuals
n Parke's Opera House on the evening of
December 10, 1899:
JAMES SHUMAKER,
GEO. Turner,
Il. ZANG.
JOSEPH PRICE,
Tom SEIBERr,
JACOB HoRNER.
Being duly sworn they proceeded to
,all witnesses.
A. E. Humphreys of JohnstOwn, Pa,
being duly sworn, testified as follows
was up behind the railing, and heard
he cry of fire from above, that is the
'ailng on the first floor of the Opera