Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-12-13
Y a couple Of men. I.dont know how

long was in the jam. The lower doors
were open as far as could see, but there
was jam below as we'll as above. The
stairway is about six feet wide. The hall
is very bad one to get out of on account
of.there only being one stairway, and 1t
is so narrow.
MIR. Turner-What about the back
stairway? Answer don't know any
thing about that. saw several persons
crawl down the post from upper gallery.
The cry to be quiet seemed to come from
the stage.
Question by Coroner-Do you consider
the house safe one ? Answer-I do moi.
A. e. HUMPHREYS.
John Morley, Johnstown, Pa, sworn
l was not at the show. was coming
down Main street shortly after the cry of
fire, and when l had reached John
Thomas store there was woman laying
in the window, her head was held by John
Harris (not the Chief, and DR.. Sheridan
was attending her. was there when her
ather ident flied her as his daughter, Miss
Burns, of Kernville. JOHN II. MORLEY.
L. w. Washburn, sworn-I reside il
Utica, N. Y. l am the proprietor of the
company which gave an exhibition in the
Main Street Opera House OH the evening
of December 10, 1889. / was not in the
hall when the alarm was given, had left
about o o'clock. In the case of an alarm,
or an accident, or when there was an ac
tual fire the exits are not sufficient for the
escape of the people from the house.
L. w. WAsHBURN.
Will G. Ieager, sworn--I am mem.
ber of the company which occupied the
hall December 10, 1889. | am musi-
clan. The first alarm heard was on the
inside Of the theatre. think 1t was given
by boys on the upper gallery. A panic
ensued at once. The hall was full of
people. The people on the stage spoke
to the audience and told them to keep
quiet, that there was nothing the matter.
The audience crowded me to the stage
and could not see what was going on at
the door. l. together with some of the
members of the company helped some of
the ladies on the stage to save them from
being crowded. The company made no
effort to escape, but all l saw were help
ing the people. | do not consider the hall
safe one in case of a fire. | have been
in great many theatres and do not re-
call one in which the exits are so bad as
this cne. reside in Westerly, r. l.,
when am at home. The Lanic occurred
just as the last act was fairly started.
WILL c. YEAGER.
+. F. Reininger, atfirmed-I reside in
Johnstown, Pa. l was at the theatre,
there was quite large crowd there,
was on the first gallery and heard the
cry of fire and thought it came from the
upper gallery, and the people on the gal
lery where | was all made for the stairs
to get down, saw some Of the people
on the lower floor run for the stage and
Others for the stairs. l heard some one
from the stage cry out for the people to
take their seats, that there was no danger
of fire, didn't come off the gallery,
staid there until order was restored and
then saw them carry five persons that
seemed to be in faint, towards the stage.
l judge it was fifteen or twenty minutes
from the first alarm until order was re.
stored. l didn't hear any other alarm
but the cry of fire. B. F. RElNINeER.
E. D. Pugh, sworn-I reside in Johns |
town, was at the show on Tuesday even
ing, l was in the top gallery and heard |
the alarm of fire given on the upper gal
lery. The gallery was crowded, l started |
for the stairway and seen it was crowded |
so, that held back, the crowd kept push |
ing behind and l was carried to the lower
end of the stairs on the first floor. | saw
and knew Mary Burns and Clara Burns
of Napoleon street, Johnstown, Pa. l
seen the dead bodies of both these per-
sons lying in Henderson's morgue. The
alarm was given in one of the front rows
OF the gallery. 1t was about fifteen min
utes from the time the alarm was given
HhN'i SCb "
showmen following to the people to keep
quiet that there was no fire. | don't
know anything about back way to the
hall. didn't hear the fire bell ringing
Z. d. PUGH
Inquest adjourned to meet at Coroner
Evans Office this evening at 7:30.
HOW THE NEWS WAS SENT ABROAD.
The Western Union Telegraph Office
was closed the operator having retired. but
the uuflagging Master Jas. y. B,ough,
reporter for Pittsburgh paper, went to
Cambria and aroused one of the operators
and sent the news of this disaster to his
paper. Soon came the inquiry from
everywhere for particulars.
BIDS FOR BACHELORS.
Agree with the girls father in politics.
and the mother in religion.