Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-12-12
CRUSHED In A TRAP.
AWFUL FATE OF JOHNsTOWS'S FRESH
VICTIMS.
Ten Persons Instantly Killed in The Theatre
Panic, and Many More Very Seriously Hurt.
The Theatre Was a Vsrliabls
Death Trap.

PITTsBURG, December LITTLE horror
at Johns,own is fully as shocking as frs
reports made It, The number of dead
positively known is ten, and five OF tn'
injured are reported to have died thi'
morning at their homes in various sections
OF town. The number Of injured is ab1ui
thirty. None Of those now surviving are
seriously injured but merely bruised and
shocked. The doctors say that the mos
remarkable feature of the accident is thai
not a single bone was broken either oi
those killed or of those injured.
THE LIST oE THE DEAD.
The following is the official list OF the
killed: George Slonaker, aged %, team.
ster; Miss Lizzie Clay comb, domestic,
aged II, cime here five weeks ago from
Bedford county-Temains taken there to-
day; John Miller, (colored). Of Chambers
burg, Pa came here after the flood, wal
ter In a restaurant; Isaac FOler, aged 6S,
coal miner working here, but came from
Bens creek, this county; Mrs. Wesley
Burns, aged 40, CT Somerset county: Miss
Ella Burns, aged 10, daughter OF the
above; George Horper, aged II, jumped
from top gallery, 80 feet down TO the par
quette, neck broken; Mrs. John W. Mes
tor, aged 25, this city; Eddie B!ugler,
aged 8, COnemaugh borough.
THE HOUSE WAS PACKED.
There were eight hundred people in the
house. Two hundred and forty of these
occupied chairs in the parquette. Prob
ably two hundred more were 10 the circle
and aisles in the rear Of the parquette. 10
the first gallery all the seats were occupied
and aislts packed. In the second or top
gallery ali the benches were occupied and
many were also standing. The cause OF
death in every instance was the crushing at
the doorway leading to the street in the
frantic forts of the people to get ont the
building. The cry Of fire was sounded
from the top gallery when the lsst act OF
the play "Uncle Toms Cabin was within
few minutes of completion.
THE CRUSH AT THB DOOR
Instantly upon the cry being raised the
audience made break and plunge for
the narrow exit. Those in front were
thrown forward, and upon them the
whole mass ii people tumbled headlong,
climbing over them aud causing a Am
right at the street door The scene at
this time was simply horrible. A great
crowd at once gathered in the street and
pushed up 80 closely against the theatre
entrance that the police could not keep
them back. In order TO drive them away
il wss found nj .ssaTy to tnrn stream oi
water upon them from a fire hose. All
this time the ytlls and cries of those both
inside and out Of the theatre were terrible
to hear, and were heard for fqnares. The
cause of the fire alarm was smoke issuing
from the chimney OF kitchen in the rear
of the residence of DR.. A. X Wax, field,
several squares from the theatre.
A VaRITABLE DEATH TRAP
A cOroner's inquest has been summoned
and will take testimony this evening The
street door leading to the theatre stair say
is four feet seven inches wide In the clear.
This is three or four feet from the foot OF
the stairway. Ga the second step is a
double swinging door This opening is
exactly four feet wide The stairway
leading TO the frat floor ia 20 feet and :
inches in ascent. The stairway leadirg to
the first gallery il three feet wide. That
to the second gallery is three feet wide at
the foot and two feet nine inches wide at
the first landing above. The theatre,
owing to its construction, has always been
regarded as trap. 1t WAS built twenty
five years ago, but was not in use much
until the flood destroyed the only other
place of amusement there was in the town