Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-10-21
DEATH in A THEATER
FIVE KILLED IN A CINCINNATI
PLAYHOUSE.
Ceiling Falls in Robinson's Opera
House and Wild Panic Follows
Frenzied Spectators Rush Frantic
ally for the Exits Children Injured.
Hugh Roof Truss Falls.

Ine failing or the ceiling in R0blns0n's
opera house Friday evening gave Cincin
natl almost a repetition OF the horrible
accident of '76, when the cry of fire IN
the same opera house caused stampede
in the audience and over 100 persons
were crushed to death. Friday evening
the Holden Brothers Comedy Company
was producing Dangers of Great City,
and the curtain had just been rung up on
the second act, when there was an omin-
Gus cracking heard all over the house. A
moment later the house was in total dark
ness and 200 persons who had been seat
ed in the orchestra chairs were submerg-
ed in a mass Of plaster and fallen tim
bers. The list at the hospital shows five
dead and twenty-six more or less seri-
ously injured. In addition to these a large
number, probably twenty-five or thirty,
were so slightly injured as to be able to
walk home.
The ceiling of the theater was in the
shape of a dome, which was formed by
raftcrs rising from walls of the theater
and joined in the center Of the ceiling by
n circular bar Of iron. This bar was
fastened to the roof of the house by iron
rafters, the whole forming the inside shell
of the theater. This whole mass was pre-
cipitated upon the heads of the 200 spec
tators. The preliminary cracking and a
slight shower of loose plaster gave a short
warming, being enough, however, to en-
able many to get under the seats and
thus save themselves.
Trampled Upon in the Rush.
The gallery, balcony and dress circle
were untouched, but the occupants Of
these, fearing that the worst was yet to
come, rushed from the building, and many
We're crushed and trampled upon as they
attempted to get out. Those who escaped
severe injury in the orchestra made rush
for the stage, which soon became a mass
Of struggling humanity, entangled in the
ropes and stays of the scenery, which had
fallen upon the stage. The cries Of those
trying to escape and the means and pray
ers Of the injured were heartrending. The
actors fled from the theater in their stage
clothes and escaped injury.
All the lights in the theater were extin-
guished by the breaking of the main cleo
trio wire. In five minutes the patrol
wagons and as many fire engines and lad
der companies were surrounding the the
alter and a bowling mob was rushing
about interfering with the work of rescue.
While the excitement was ut its height
and men were cursing and women scream
ing in their frantic endeavor to escape
there came another crash. 1t was the en-
tire ceiling tearing away from the rafters
and tumbling down upon the masses of
struggling humanity. 1t sounded like a
terrible whirlwind. The noise was heard
for n square around, and hundreds rushed
to the front of the theater, but were met
and driven back across the street by the
streams of people rushing from the in
side. Hundreds were crushed under foot.
Cause of the Disaster.
Among the first who entered the build
ing after the dome had fallen was Presi-
dent George w. Rapp of the Cincinnati
Chapter, American Institute of Archi-
tects.
1T was not that DOME" said he, point
ing to the huge heap in the center of the
floor, that caused the trouble. The fault
lies with the roof trusses. The house
has been built more than twenty-f
years and the wood has shrunk until the
bolts and nails afforded the smallest pos
sible security. One of these trusses had
rotted away from it's fastcnings; it has
parted and thrown the two sections down,
and they in their descent pulled the dome
with them" ~
The damage to the structure was moth
ing at all to the stage. comparatively lit
tie to the gallery, which suffered most, al
most nothing to the dress circle and much
less than one would think from the debris
scattered through the parquet where the
main truss landed. The truss rested in
the parquet very much in the shape of
capital letter "V." The wonder is that so
few were hurt and of the few hurt so
many escaped with slight injuries.