Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-12-11
ILL-FATED JOHNSTOWN.
Another Sad Catastrophe
Within Its Borders.
PEOPLE TRAMPLED TO DEATH.
STAMPEDE at a Theater Caused by q
False Alarm Of Fire-A
Dozen Victims.

lAseociated Press Dispatches TO the HEEALD,l
JouNsrowN, Pa, December 10.-Again
has this ill.fated town been visited with
q disaster. This time, instead OF water,
it was a cry of fire in theater that sent
nearly q score of lives into eternity and
MANNED fully seventy five others, several
Of whom it is feared are fatally injured.
Parkes' opera house, where the
catastrophe occurred, is three-story
building on Main street. The building
has for long time been considered un-
safe. There were about 600 persons,
principally women and children, in
the house tonight to witness the
Uncle TOMS Cabin show. About
10 80 there was an alarm of fire
sounded by fireman stationed ION the
corner near the opera hou 10, caused by
the discovery of fire in Kernville. The
alarm being sounded so cloae greatly
excited the audience, and they imme-
d ately rushed for the street. They were
met at the entrance by crowd from the
outside, who Thought the FIRE was in the
opera house. The two crowds coming
ak feet wide, and the frantic efforts Of
those in the rear of the outcoming crowd
caused
A TERRIBLE JAM
Which was made worse by people jumping
from the galleries onto the heads of those
on the stairs. The firemen had to turn
their hose on those on the outside to
ease the jam, and when the injured
could be gotten at the stairway was
found to be piled almost to the level of
the upper q ,or with dead and injured.
The following were
TAKEN OUT DEAD: s
| Lizzie Claybaugh, Isaac Foley, A.
Fleshner, John Miller, John Carl, Geo.
Stonaker, Charles Friant, George
Horner, Mrs. Nester, Miss Clara Burns,
E. BHler and two unknown women
thirteen in all. The following persons
were
| SERIOUSLY INJURED:
Richard Worthington, Mrs. Plats, Mrs.
Lester, Albert Owens, John Weimar,
Charles Vaughan. The number of 9TH
ers who we're painfully injured will prob
ably reach seventy-five. Coroner Evans
was summoned and Immediately en-
paneled a jury of six men, who rendered
q verdict in accordance with the facts.
To make the sad duties of ministering to
the dead and injured more arduous, a
heavy rain Get in shortly after the acci-
dent, and has continued ever since. Ex-
citement il so great it is almost impossi-
BILE to gather o clear history of the acci-
dent, as every person has his own view
of the matter.
IT WAS ALWAYS A DEATH.TRAP.
| The screams were terrible. 1t was
shocking to Gee small children knocked
down by big men and trampled upon.
This theater has always been noted as q
tdeath-trap, aud was condemned twelve
years ago; but the other one was washed
laway in the flood. and this one has been
in use again. Toe manager tried te
quiet the crowd, but it waa useless. One
man jumped from third-story window
and was seriously hurt.
EXCITEMENT INTRNsE.
Women and men alike wer5 mad, and
there was fighting on the main street
while those inside were being killed. il
was over two hours after the jam before
|, the hall was fully clesred and the injured
, and dead removed. Excitement here il
go intense that it is almost impossible te
get at the particulars of the matter
Everybody is excited, and very few peo
pie have gone to bed at o'clock in thu
morning. The saloons were open until {
, ate hour, and considerable drunkenness
. was added to the other horrors.