Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1896-01-03
KILLED NATHEATER
rWENTY-FOU7 PEOPLE sUFFOCkTED
AND CRUSHED TO DEATH.


The Historic old Front street Theater In
n,t,,,,,or, ,,,. ec,-. Of d, rri~btguI Ms
's.9'A iA''' "''''' Oh i''7 N"use"
Wiid aud fAtai aiau'pedr,
..
''''-
IONS "tfo Aillod t'N b''i' a7 ih"hy inure
serious. + injured during @ panic at the
old Front .rccf ttCl.ef iu this city.
Almost al Tho 81. iIu7 are OF Polish ma
tivitv.,rd r-,t-.t. ee.Ha .ffen.
aL- f..,.,. ,grt.f. t,,,ob,blv tho old.
--lt-.t. ..... anal r-..-,, ..it t, dove
,,-.-
""- i''t' "''
90 H'-io" ofeta' N-.. l-7 D--H el'en III
the Old house iN... "-aH iof the past
month. I13 tr.et u-tc1 receipts show
that over "a 200 tickets had been sold
,yh-n. ut s O'Clock, tho sale OF seats was
st7rn-1 i.--4rs, ,rero vera no more left
Gsreroi ,l,oi-s.oo ticl.eis we're sold. how
aver. aftor tbis. and it Is supposed that
tbere yvcro rt least 600 pgople within
the walls whom the curtain went up on
tbe first net. AS the capacity of the house
is less tbon 9. 500 the density of the crowd
NAV be imneined
TeD minutes after the curtain rose one
of the attendants went up to the second
tier to liqht a gas let which appeared to
have been extinguished. As he turned
the cock and applied match the light
hared ur' ana 10 was seen that there was
no tip 10 the burner. Inc jet was well
down toward the stage ON the lett slde OF
the house IN plain view oil the greater part
OF the auaiehce, nut as the giare rom IL
showed against the wall some one IN the
gallery shouted tlre! flre! flre! IN
on instant lnefr was a MAD scramble ior
the uoof, ~ WhIoh the WhoIe auuleuoe
TOOK part' Inc NahHuhru Oh uho terror
strIckeh inululIuuo to"ohou Ihe entranoe
on Front street pusheu on ny the howi-
ing shiiekihg mon nohlhu thenl. Ihose
in tho foremost RANK were cninpelleu 10
turn TO the rlght ana to the leit TO reaoh
tho uuuple entrance way puliU IN une
FORM OIL storm doors. Fassihg through
these doors they reached nlght OF steps
leading from each door downward to
landing from whence broad stairway OF
moderate hoIght would nave carried them
INTO the street ana TO saIely,
Inc steps leaulng from the uoorWays
are put about leet hlgh' put the lanu-
ing az their hase is narrow Down tnese
the irlghtcneu people hurled themselves
IN the irlghtiul struggle TO reach tne open
alr ana 10 eaCape the certain oeatn they
thousht was behlhu theln'
Like Herd of frightened BuffaIoes.
As the crowds from the two doors-one
on tho right and the other on the left
reached the landing they met. There was
brief struggle. and then somo one lost
his or her footing and fell. In a moment
the crowd, pushed with irresistible force
from the rear, crowded upon the prostrate
form and began in turn to stumble, reel
and presently 10 fall prone upon the floor
under tha'mvriads of feet coming like a
herd of fr'rltened bulialoes from behind.
In less timo than 10 takes to tell it the
landing was packed 20 or 30 deep with
the ulnio r.rickrn multitude, and the
hurdrd1 behind them were struggling
over them 10 reach the street.
The tumu.ta. uactcd an immense crowd
from tho outside. many of whom tried to
gain entrance to tls 10 ator, thus adding
to the con usion. A dozen policemen,
also attracted iy the sLrichs Of the fright.
oued crowd, huoi to tho scene, and,
using tha.t clubs on -hoso outside pushed
lhi0o +a ,'. 400. va %. iAo HEi'Eins mass
on t"7 ''"o. '.e A'ss 10 reach
tnJ-i was .." .' I'' OLE -.e''5' whose Deat
is Du' '''ls away. ing DIS way
ON. u- ~ '-' A-'..' -'. .i.' L1 Siaspeu
iat Oh -..7 aAa' NH. "'th an MS
i-i'- .' "'' WI '..tH rom uhuer the
suIt.'L '.."'' " i..eo aV her iaoe
SHOW s' .i...' .a3 ".7 pas, aii human alu-
e,a' l''.. "."1 -..u'' AA'.A ne teacheu
ln'" GUS .'. oi ..-.'-i.y an! plileu ouO
u.F "--"o !... o."' I.t TOO was
I.'", '..' -..l WIN scarce a
, VI OH .e a'-'' oHhoefs Dy
~ '-y ~ 1'1lh Oh unelr
IeIlu'. '.. '-e p'oa'iate ones
/ P'.'a'"t '-'' % U" me s'ue"aIh'
Ai'""-"N-.7 ''-tIeu Vhe oeau TO the
Aot5ue am" lh7 "ouhHeG 10 the city nos
p'taL "Helsyei p."S,ioanle' put IN many
SNses Vno iu''9 sleh'4F INJURED ana IN
| Iow C"ses tIos7 VINO we're oaaly hurt were
.aNeh u lneir uoIles ny lrIehus' Mhen
the mass On gre iauulng haG Deeh oleared
aMay, 'Ie I'ghteheu mop lnslue was
quio'ou uu"n suilISieh''y 10 enapie 1ne
poi!O9 psI5 ~ ~ 80 1nS 'lSaDer' then IL was
.Iutiu 'i'n' 'u9Fe Iiau peen no uanger, anu
t, tiIeO lio' a Soul Wouiu nave Deeh injured
ii''' 'lio 'uui7iOe Du' Ieiiaineu seateu'
MoTgne FILLED With Dead Bodies.
Nine bodies were taken to tho morgue
all of them dead from suirooation. OF
those taken TO the city hospital 10 are
dead. Two more will undoubtedly die
and ten are seriously hurt All the dead
and wounded are Polish Hebrews, and
/ few of them have friends or relatives who
are able to speak the English language
sufficiently well to make themselves un.
derstood or enough knowledge Of the ways
of this country to know where to 90 to
look for their lost ones. The dead are of
all ages-frCm mere infants to gray haired
men and women All wero killed or in
| jured in the terrific crush on the fatal
/