St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-11
Ten Persons Crushed to Death
and Seventy-Five Others
Injured.
SWindlep Ducker Uses VitriOl
to Disfigure the Man Who
Exposed Him.
Two Men Blown Into Eternity
by an Explosion Of Nitro
Glyeerine.


performance of the Uncle Toms Cabin
troupe was drawing to an end in the
Main Street Opera house last night, the
fire bell was rung. causing a frantic
scramble for the exit. There were 500
or 600 men, women and children in
the hall, and to gain the
street, it was necessary to pass down
a narrow, walled-up staircase and
through very narrow door. The peo-
pie from the streets rushed into the door
from the outside and many were
crushed before they could be forced out.
1t was necessary to turn the hose on
the crowd at the door before the rescu-
ers could get at the dead and wounded.
When the crowd was driven away the
folio wing persons were found dead
upon the stairs:
MISS CLARA BURNS,
MRS. NESTER,
GEORGE HORNER,
CHARLES FIANT,
JOHN CARR.
MRS. LISTER,
JOHN MILLER,
A. WEISS.
JOHN WYMAN.
RICHARD WORTHINGTON,
ISAAC POLAR.
AN UNKNOWN WOMAN.
Among the seriously injured were
Charles Vaughn, Albert Owens and
man named Weimer. 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 were terrible, and it
was shocking to see small children
knocked down by big men and trampled
upon. This theater has always been
noted as death trap. and was con-
demned 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
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 reported
that the police injured several persons
in trying to clear the Jam. All the
dead were taken to Henderson's
morgue and all were identified.
Coroner Evans and jury of six men
viewed the remains and came to the
decision that the victims came to their
death by being crushed and mangled in
Parke's Opera house.
The coiOred man killed was of Cham
bersburg, Pa, aged nineteen. STAN
aker, of Mount Pleasant, aged twenty;
Lizzie Claycomb, aged nineteen; Clara
Burns, aged nineteen. also Mrs. Burns,
mother of Clara, aged forty, was killed.
Isaac FOler, aged sixty. George Horner,
aged eleven, Mrs. Nester, aged twenty
five, E. Bigler, aged eight. Some more
injured were G. Engbert, l.. Bundy and j.
hnyit .,G
now swelled to fifty, and ten of these are
ter will die. 1t is likely that the Off
cials will close this opera house,
although had the crowd kept their
wits about them not one would have
been hurt. An unknown man in the
boys gallery. which is known as ''nig-
ger heaven" did a great deal in keep
ing the people from jumping
from the third story windows,
and doubtless saved many lives.
Blame is put on the fireman who rung
the JOhnstown fire bell, because the
fire was in Kernville, but he is not to
blame. Postmaster Banner, Policeman
Decker. StcarnS, Harris and others
acted nobly
IN RESCUING THE INJURED.
Women and men alike were mad, and
6nere was ngntlng on Maln street while
those inside were being killed. 1t was
over two hours after the Jam before
the hall was cleared, and some
injured and dead were lying in the
building an hour after the crash. The
Vaughn boy was seriously hurt about
the head. Most of the injured were
taken to adjoining stores and prop
erly cared for. The excitement is
intense. and very little rest here
tonight. There are several persons
missing, all ladies; but owing to the
confusion their names cannot be ascer-
tanned. A large number of saloons were
open until IL O'Clock, adding to the hor-
rOr of the scenes. Had not the hose been
turned on the proper time it is hard to
tell what would have been the result.
The house is small, three-story brick
building, fronting on Main street,
and like the South Fork reservoir,
has always been considered unsafe
and while the new one was in operation
it was little used, and had but asmall
exit from the second story by narrow
pair of stairs to the street, ard had no
fire escapes at all. One lady in box
in the second story jumped to the stage
and was slightly injured. The house
was packed to its utmost capacity.