Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-12-12
Il PEOPLE KILLED
And from Is to 100 Others
More or Less Injured.
J0HNST0WN HORROR.
The Afflicted City the Scene of
Another Disaster.
THE WILD ALARM OF FIRE
In an Opera House Causes the Great Loss
of Life.

While Witnessing Uncle Toms Cabin
the Cry of Fire is Raised and While
Making Their Egress the People Are
Crushed in a Narrow Stairway-A
Wild Scene of Confusion Ensues
JoHNsTowN, Dec. 11.-This city of
disasters, without parallel, has another
horror. The dreadful visitation came
last night, and though its dead and in
| jured victims do not number more than
100, all told, it came upon them with
even less of warning or of preparation
than the omens that preceded the awful
deluge of May 81.
Ten persons at least were killed and
seventy-five seriously njured as result
of fire panic at the Johnstown Opera
house, which was opened to the public
only one short fortnight ago. Stetson's
''Uncle Toms Cabin" was the play. and
there was large audience present, con
| sidering the Very limited means which
Johnstown people now find at their
command for any kind of amusement
purposes
Wild Cry Of Fire,
During the performance the cry of fire
was raised, To a people among whom
any sudden warning might mean SO very
much-to those who had passed through
the flood of the century, and had not
! forgotten its horrOrs-this cry was con-
tagious. 1t spread Ike wildfire itself,
and was on every lip in an instant. Ter
ritied and panic-stricken, the hundreds
of people in the audience rushed. over
seats, struggling bodies and everything.
toward the one means of exit. This.
alas! was only single. narrow stair
way, and over one another. headlong and
otherwise, the frightened people tum-
bled, regardless of the consequences.
Ten Bodies Taken Out.
That the loss of life and limb must be
terrible, was easily discovered, long be-
fore all the panicky people had got away
from the fated place. BY 40 o'clock a.
M, nine dead bodies han been recovered
from the wreck of tie stairs and audi
torium, and dozens upon dozens of the
injured had been assisted to doctors
offices and drug stores for relief and
restoration.
By a. m. ten dead bodies had been
counted out. and it seemed as if the
number might yet be swelled possibly
doubled, The number of injured at
this hour had reached seventy-five, and
there had been as yet only the most su=
perfcial and hasty of searches for either
the rescued or the dead.
The Opera House Was Wrecked.
Fire had not contributed as speedily
to this end, indeed. As the panic had.
Moreover, for a time there was positive
doubt among those who had escaped,
whether the alarm had been false one
or true. They weren't taking any
chances on its genuineness, once they
became thoroughly alarmed, The rush
for ife-fur that precious boen OF which
the wicken waters had so nearly robbed
them all on that fatal May day-was the
only controlling motive. now that the
fiery element was upon them.
This much has only been written on
the spur of the moment, just as the first
authentic news was passed from mouth
to mouth Ill the multitude that had soon
gathered about the fated spot. Further
particulars follow.
Another Report.
At the performance OF Stetson's Uncle
Toms Cabin" company in Old Main
Street Opera house Crebuilt). panic was
caused by the alarm of fire being given.
The hall was crowded. and in the rush
for the only exit, which was reached by
narrow stairs, ten persons We're in
stantly crushed to death and probably
seventy-fiye were seriously injured.
1t was found necessary to turn a
stream of water in the crowd from fire
engine standing near before the dead
and wounded could be taken out. Peo-
pie rushed from the outside up the mar
row stairs and were crushed by the
crowd forcing its way out.
Still Another Account.
AS the performance of Uncle Tom
was drawing to a close the fire bell was
rung, causing frantic scramble for the
exit. There were-500 or 800 men, women
and children in the hall, and, to gain the
street, it was necessary to pass down d
narrow, wall-up staircase and through
narrow door.
The people from the streets rushed |
into the door from the outside. and |
many were crushed before they could be |
forced out. 1t was, therefore. necessary |
to turn the hose on the crowd at the |
door before the rescuers could get at the |
dead and wounded. When the crowd |
was driven away the following persons
were found dead upon the stairs:
The Killed.
Miss Clara Burns.
Mrs. Nester.
George Horner.
Charles Frank.
John Carr.
Mrs .ictar