Telegram-herald., 1889-12-12
JOHNSTOWN AGAIN.
Tns u Fassd Csvy visited by
Another CalAInlty.
THElrER-C0ERS IA WILD PlsIC.
a Fir~-Ak4rE1 Creates /. scare sd kesh
Eells~s la Wbieh Feartssn Persons
Are kulsd ssd maay More
IaIers4

soaSsfowx Pa Dee. Il IA alarm
q ars. caused b bUrning stable in
Kernyiile. caused p4nic a. The Psrzs
Opera-H House Tlesday uiEhr and four
teen persons Nere sllle4 AZ the rush Tor
the exit. SeyerEy-hye were iEg-red.
TAe dead rAus fAr are.
Bigler Mlss Clara Barns Nrs Nestsr
George Horuer Charles FfessaE George Stcn
ae-er Sf-llala ALlar .co-9ge1.. Jsha -F4, A
Fisi4AA1sr Isaac Folor LIME X kshrn. A.
weiss Joaa Yyulsa. hlcasra W0rfhlngtoa.
ILe alarm was sounded about 1870
o'clock, and. though the IRE ~as one
nlil- away. IL was iuPossible % hold
the audience Of over 60o peo-
pie, - ho crowded the theater "Uncle
Toms Cabin Was on the boards.
Since the food of last May the
town has been largely balit up OF
frame houses, and the citizens have been
in constant fear lest fire should sweep
away the rude homes and business
houses left in the stricken city. When,
therefore, an alarm came the people
arose With one accord and made frantic
rush for the door.
There were 500 or GOO men, women
and children in the hall, and 70 gain
the street IL was necessary 70 pass down
a narrow, walled-up staircase and
through narrow door. Tho people
from the streets rushed into the door
from the outside. and many were crushed
before they could be forced out. II was
necessary 10 turn the hose on the crowd
az the door before the rescuers could get
at the dead and wounded
The manager OF the Opera-house tried
in vain 70 quiet the crowd and check the
panic but the crash only became worse.
One man leaped from third-story win
dow and was probably fatally hurt. The
police came and tried 10 restore order
and break the Jam, and there is a
rumor, unconfrmed, that several
persons were dubbed 70 death. The
entire town turned out 70 watch the
work OF recovering the dead and rescu-
ing the injured. The panic was of
comparatively short duration, but ap-
palling while il lasted. The theaters Of
the town had been destroyed by the
flood OF last May, and since
then theatrical performances have
been given in dilapidated
building that had been condemned
long ago as unsafe. The shows
have chiefly been burlesque and farce
comedies. and the houses have usually
been packed TO the utmost. There was
no proper means of exit and il has fire.
ouently been said that disaster was GER
tain 70 result if the practice was con-
tinued.
The dead were borne to Henderson's
morgue, where since the food over 500
unknown victims of that awful disaster
OF six months ago have been taken and
prepared for burial. Here all were
promptly identified
OF the half hundred or more injured
ten are seriously hurt and three likely
TO die. A colored man in that portion Of
the gallery known as ''nigger heaven"
did much TO quiet a portion of the
audience. Stationing himself al third
story window be hurled back from
Il one after another Of the panic
stricken crowd who came forward to
Jump for their lives. Thus a number
were saved. Postmaster Banner and
Chief-of-Polic Harris also worked hero
ically and saved many of the weaker
ones from being trampled to death.
The sight which met the gaze of the
workers was terrible in the extreme,
and, accustomed as Johnstown people
are to horrors, many turned away sick
ened by the sight. The stairs were
found to be piled deep with the dead and
dying, most Of them being women and
children.
The cause of death in every instance
was the crushing at tho doorway leading
10 the street, in the frantic efforts Of the
people TO get out OF the building. The
street door leading 10 the theater stair
way is four feet seven inches wide in
the clear. This is three or four feet froU
the foot OF the stairway. On the second
step is double swinging door. This
I opening is exactly four fee
wide. The stairway leading u
/ the first floor is twenty fee
and seven inches in ascent The
stairway leading to the first gallery il
three feet wide. That TO the seconC
gallery is three at the foot and two fee
nine inches wide al the first landing
/ above.