Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-12-13

and ] got water for her and restored her.
The water was brought to me from the
stage. Then l assisted in getting the
people down the back stairs. | can't say
whether any one jumped over the railing
into the stairs. 1t was about ten or fif-
teen minutes until the stairs were cleared.
The people rushed down before the cry
of fire they thought the curtain was
raised. There was good many people got
down the back way. One person can about
get down the stairs. Before the panic |
went down the front stairs to see if the
doors were open. Mr.. McCann had the
doors fixed, they were not open, but
could be pushed back very easily. One
of the doors is fastened by bolt and This
was removed so that the doors could be
fastened back against the wall in min
ute. l don't know how wide the opening
between the door is. JAMES CLAIR.
Michael McCann, sworn-I am one of
the lessees and managers of the Park
Opera House. was ia and out through
the house and around the top Of the stairs
all night, Snd about the time the last act
was on | went to bottom of stairs to see
that the doors would be prepared when
the curtain would fall. One of the doors
is usually held by a small bolt to keep the
door closed. removed the holt and left
the doors hang loose. Iwent to bottom
of stairs, which Is only few steps fur
ther down. | was standing there talking,
when heard bell ring. l never had
heard the bell before, its tone was strange
to me, 1t rHng a dozen claps before 7
the ringing of the bell meant. One of
them said he thought it was one of the
new fire bells. | said to them: GEN
tlemen, for Gods sake go away from the
door," feared some one might cry fire.
They turned as if to leave, and then l
turned to door and started up stairway. l
opened door and got on inside of door,
thinking could reach top of stairs before
the people would hear the bell. The
first or lower gallery windows being open
the people evidently heard the bell as
soon as | did. By the time got half way
up the stairs they began 10 jump over the
banuisters down into stairs. There was
quite a number sitting on bannisters
around top of stairway. l saw by the
jumping and the rushing that there would
be panic. l called to the men in front
to be calm they said they couldn't, they
were being pushed. They pushed me
down in front of them. To the best of
my knowledge fifteen or twenty people
landed on the sidewalk before the block
ade took place. l staid few minutes,
helping 10 get those who tell on the side
walk out of the road. Several others
helped me to get them away. The thing
got so serious looking to me, and my wife
and child being on the inside of theatre, l
rushed around to back stairs and made
my way on to stage. ] went to foot
lights and begged the people for Gods sake
to be calm, that there was no danger. BY
this time my wife, who was on the stage,
ran to me and threw her arms about me,
and my child was crying my wife
begged me to take her out | insisted on
her standing on the stage until / went
down among the people, She insisted on
me taking her out, and as the people
seemed calmed down considerable on the
inside, took them down the back stairs
and through Postoffice alley. l left her
at tGnfiith's corner with child, and l
rushed over to front of theatre. The po-
licemen were fourishing their batons AMI
drew back again. There was fearful
howlir.g mob about the door, and some
body at engine turned the water on them.
After that the people drew back from
sidewalk. Soon after that Il passage-way
opened through to top of stairs. | re-
turned to my wife on the corner, and we
saw them carry several people away from
the front of the theatre, evidently
wounded. l met my brother and sent
my wife and child home with him. BY this
time the theatre was emptied. After this !
went TO top Of stairs by the front way,
then l saw the first corpse, a lady, Mrs
Aestor, they called her She was laid out
on some chairs | saw several people up
around The stage and two spcope on
stretcbers asked If they were dead.