Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-12-13

stairway had heen three times as wide as it
is. the same trouble would have occurred
if the people had acted as they did last
night. They jumped and fell and then
Others jumped on those that were down.
They all came down pell-mell.
MICHAEL MoCANN,
James Flynn, sworn--I reside in Johns
town and am one of the lessees and mana
gers of the Parke Opera House. Twas on
the stage during the performance when l
heard some one cry fire. In a moment
everybody was on their feet. The alarm
came from one of the galleries. The people
seemed wild, jumping from both galleries
and boxes. Two of the actors and myself
rushed down to the foo flights and tried to
quiet them, but everybody seemed to rush
for the stairway. When we saw we could,do
nothing with them and remembering the
back stairway, we assisted the women and
children from the audience on to the stage.
and stationed Il man at the back stairs to
pass them out quietly. After short time
Officer Warner and another officer ap-
peared, coming up the back stairs. They
assured the people there was no danger
and it seemed to pacify them. The officers
went down front and worked on the stair
way for ten or fifteen minutes. We saw
them carry up two women, a man, boy
and a girl. The man was dead and the
woman died in Il short time afte'. 1t
wasn't very long until Warner had the
passage way cleared and then the people
passed out. The exit of the house is not
very large, that is certain, but the way
the people piled down there it would be
very hard to get them out of any exit, no
matter how large it was.
JAMES Finn.
DR.. Geo. W. Wagner, affirmed--I re-
side in Johnatown. and am a physician.
Last night was summoned by
telephone to the Opera House. l
was informed that great disaster had
occurred, When l arrived the panic was
over and the house was almost emptied.
All who were in it were attending to the
wants of the injured and preparing the
dead for removal. | saw the dead body
of a woman lying on some chars another
woman on the stage very nearly recov-
cred from the shock, a boy, who was also
recovering, and the body of man whom
l afterwards learned to be eGeorge Sion.
icker. He was lying on the stage. de-
tected faint fiutter at his heart, and en-
deavored to revive him by artificial res
piration. Dr. Zimmerman also gave him
hypodermics of stimulants. We worked
with him about half an hour and were
finally forced to give up our efforts. He
gave several slight gasps during our
work, but finally died, The bodies were
taken to Henderson's morgue, where |
saw nine, identified as related by Mr..
Evans. | made a superficial examination
of all the bodies and am of the opinion
that they all died by suffocation. To-day
/ accompanied DR.. Evans, the coroner, to
the rark Opera House, and examined the
exits somewhat closely. We gained the
stage by the back stairway and found it
to be built in one corner OF the building,
not lighted, very steep and winding, sew
eral of the steps broken, and the entrance
from the stage only twenty-five inches
wide. An ordinary sized man filled the
entrance. The main and only exit for the
audience is situated in the front part of
the house under the gallery 1t is sur
rounded by a casing thlrty-siX inches
high. The exit from the first gallery is
on the left hand side of the house looking
to the front, and that of the second gal
lery en- the right side. Both exits come
together on the first floor and are sepa-
rated by casing thirty-siX inches high
The aisles from all parts of the house
centre at the main exit. Thirty-three
inches from the mouth of the stairway,
towards the stage, is an iron post which
helps to sustain the gallery.
The distance between each side of the
casing around the stairway is tCty-two
inches. Thirteen feet slanung down the
stairway are double doors swinging out
ward The clear opening in stairway
when doors are open is forty-cight inches
wide ard eighty-two inches high \ few
steps below these doors are tue outer
doors Of hail. fitted in the stairway which
is Of the same size. THERE'S then q small
pntform and three more steps to pave
mcnt There are nineteen steps each
seven and oue-half inches high from floor
of han TO outside doors end then the three
steps below these doors to pavement
The stairway leading TO first gallery is at
the front of Tie house TO the left There
are three steps which carry one .oa plat.
form thirty.siy inches wide aud thirty.one
inches above floor Of hall. From thsl
platform the main stairway to gallery GOES
of at right angle TO the three steps first
These stairs are thrty-lwo
inches wide and there is "a turn composed
Of four winders at The top, leading to the
landing on the gallery. There are eigh-
teen steps in al The stairs on the right
hand side, which lead to the top gallery,