The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-12-12
JOHNSTOVN'S HORROR,
The Terrible Disaster Caused by
la False Fire Alarm.
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DEAD
Thought to be Ten, While a Number
ofthe Injured will DIe--The Build,
ing Unfit for a Theatre-An
Awful Scene Witnessed.

JoHNsTowN, Pa, Dec, 1.-THE horro
at Johnstown was fully as shocking a
tist reports made 1t, The number 0
dead positively known Is ten, and fiy,
Of the injured are reported to have dice
this morning at their homes in yariou
sections OF town. The number Of in
Ijured is about thirty, None Of thosC
now surviving are seriously injured
being merely bruised and shocked, Thl
doctors say that the most remarkable
feature Of the accident Is that not {
single bone was broken, either Of those
killed or Of those injured. The follow,
Ing Is the official ist OF the killed;
TUE DEAD.
George slonaker, aged 2S, teamster.
Miss Lizzie Claycomb, domestic, aged
17-came here fiye weeks ago from Bed
ford county,
John Miller (colored), OF Chambers.
burg, P&-came here after the food
waiter In q restaurant,
Isaac Foler, aged 6S, coal miner work
ing here, but came from Ben's Greek,
this county.
Mrs. Wesley Burns, aged 40, OF sOmer'
set county.
the above.
George Horner, aged Il, jumped from
top gallery, 80 feet, down 10 the par.
qIette, neck broken.
Mrs. John W, Nestor, aged 26,this city,
Eddie Blugler, aged 8, Conemaugh
Borough.
There were. eight hundred people in
the house. Two hundred and forty
occupied chairs In the parquette, pro.
badly 200 more were in the circle and
aisles In the rear OF the parquette. In
the first gallery all the seats " are ocCu.
pied and the aisles packed. In the second,
or top gallery, all the benches we're oc.
cupied and many were also standing.
The cause Of death in every instance was
the crushing at'the doorway leading "
the street in the frantic efforts Of. the
people to get out Of the building.
AN AWFUL SCENE.
The cry Of hre was sounded from the
top gallery when the last act OF the play,
"Uncle Toms Cabin" was within a few
minutes Of completion. Instantly upon
the cry being raised, the audience made
a break and plunge for the narrow exit,
Those in front were thrown forward and
upon them the whole mass OF people
tumbled headlong, climbing over them
and causing u iam right at the street door.
The scene ut this time was simply horri.
ble. A great crowd at once gathered in
the street and pushed up SO closely
against the theatre entrance that the po-
lice could not keep them back. In order
10 drive them away II was found neces'
sary TO turn a stream OF water upon
them from a FIRE hose. All this time
the yells and cries OF both those inside
and out OF the theatre we're terrible TO
hear and were heard for squares. The
cause OF the fire alarm was smoke issuing
from the chimney OF kitchen in the
rear OF the residence OF DR.. A. N. Wake
field, several squares away from the
theatre.
A Coroner's inquest has been sum.
moned and will take testimony this
evening.
A DEATH TRAP.
The street door leading to the theatre
is four feet seven inches wide in the
clear. This Is three or four feet from the
foot of the stairway. On the second
step is double swinging door, This
opening Is exactly four feet wide. The
stairway leading to the first floor Ia
twenty feet and seven inches In ascent.
The stairway leading TO the first gallery
is three feet wide. That 10 the second
gallery ia three feet wide ut the foot and
Two feet nine inches wide at the first
landing above. The theatre, owing to
It's construction, has always been re-
garded as death trap. II was built
twenty-five years ago, but was not In
use much until the Hood destroyed the
only other place OF amusement there
was in the town.
A later dispatch says: No more deathG
have resulted, tue number OF dead, aE
before stated, being Ten. Probably tifty
sustained injuries, and some will likely
die.
The seriously injured are: Albert
Owens, aged IS years, Peeterville, Pa.
Charles Vaughn, Of Prospect; Stewart
Blackburn, Of Morrellyille; Richard
Worthington, Edward stautier, Wesley
Burns, James Clausen, Mrs. NJ. s. Nc,
Garry, Clarence EnHel, John Weisner
Martha Owens, John Devine.
The city officials are being criticised
for permitting the use Of the building al
u theatre, as it is claimed 1t WAS known
70 be unsafe. A thorough investigation
Of tue TumorB Of alleged clubbing by the
police during the panic last night will
be made.