Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-12-18

A YOUNGSTOWN, Pa, dispatch of the
10th says: During performance. OF
Uncle Toms Cabin at the Opera House
here tonight, a cry of fire was raised,
resulting in terrible rush for life down
the narrow stairs. Thirteen persons
were killed and many terribly injured.
Those who lost their lives were in
stantly crushed to death. Seventy-five
are seriously injured. 1t was found
necessary to turn stream Of water on
the crowd from a fire engine standing
near, before the dead and wounded
could be taken out. People rushed
from the outside up the narrow stairs
and were crushed by the crowd forcing
its way to the street.
The performance was drawing to q
close when the fire bell was rung, caus-
ing a frantic scramble for the exit.
| There were about 900 men, women and
children in the hall, and to gain the
street 1t was necessary to pass down q
narrow, walledup staircase and through
81 very narrow door. The people from
the street rushed into the door from the
outside and many were crushed before
they could be forced out. When
the crowd was driven away the follow
ing persons were found dead upon the
stairs: John Carl, F. Begler, Miss
Clara Burns, Mrs. Nester, Geo. Horner,
Chas. Friant, Geo. Stonaber, of Mt
Pleasant, Pa; VIM. Miller, colored; A.
Fleishour, Isaac Folor, Lizzie Claycomb,
two unknown women.
Among the seriously injured were
Charles Vaughn, Albert Owens and q
man named Welmer. There are about
thirty others injured, but their names
cannot be ascertained. The alarm
was false and there are many threats
against the unknown man who started
it.
The screams of tie people were ter.
rible and it was shocking to see small
children knocked down by big men and
trampled upon. The theater has al
ways been considered dea, trap and
was condemned twelve years ago, but
the other one was washed away in the
flood and this one has been in use. The
manager tried to quiet the crowd, but il
WAS no use. One man jumped from the
third story window and was seriously
hurt, and many more would have
jumped but for few cool heads. 1t is
stated that the police injured several
persons in trying to clear the jam. All
the dead were taken to Henderson,
mOrgue and all were identified.
The number of injured is now swelled
to fifty, ten of them seriously, and
three at least will die. A man in the
boys gallery prevented a good many
people from jumping from windows. Ii
was over two hours after the panic be-
fore the hall was cleared. and some OF
the injured and dead were lying in the
building an hour afterward. The town
is in frenzy of excitement, with peo-
pie looking for friends who are said to
be missing. Great blame is attached to
the 6remen, who rang the bell for the
alarm knowing the fire to be in the adj
jacent town of Kernville.
The theater is a small three-story
brick building fronting on Main Street
with no fire escapes and only the mar
row exit previously referred to.
One lady in box in the second story
jumped to the stage and was slightly
injured. Quite number of people
jumped from inc gallery on
the heads Of the unfortunate
people on the lower floor. When
the hose was turned ON the frantic peo-
pie on the stairway the dead and in
jured were piled almost to the level OF
the upper floor.
Coroner Evans Immediately impan-
eled a jury of six men, who rendered
the verdict that the victims came to
their deaths by being crushed at the
ODera HOuse