Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-10-21
DEATH IN A THEATER
FIVE KILLED IN A CINCINNATI
PLAYHOUSE.
Ceiling Falls i'm RobinsOn's Opera
House and Wild Panic Follows-.
Frenzied Spectators Rush Frantic.
ally for the Exits-Children Injured,
Hugh Roof Truss Falls,

AHc AaaILuS VI tuc CEILING III 1tODuEOn
opera house Friday evening gave Cmcin-
natl almost a repetition Of the horrible
accident Of &c, when the cry Of ire ID
the same opera house caused n 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
cd in the orchestra chairs were submerg-
ed IN mass of plaster and fallen tim
bers. The list at the hospital shows five
dead and twentysiX more or less seri-
ously injured. In addition to these 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 Il dome, which was formed by
rafters rising from walls of the theater
and joined in the center OF the ceiling by
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-
cipitatcd upon the heads Of the 200 spec
tators. The preliminary cracking and
slight shower of loose plaster gave short
warning, 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
-, ~,
come, rushed from the building, and many
| were crushed and tramplel upon us they
| attempted to get out. Those who escaped
| severe injury in the orchestra made rush
| for the stage, which soon became 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 theatcr 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 bowling mob was rushing
| about interfering with the work of rescue.
While the excitement was at 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 tumblins down upon the masses Of
| struggling humanity. 1t sounded like
| 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, shat caused the trouble. The fault
| lies with the roof trusses. The house
has been built more than twenty-five
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 fastenangs; 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 parquct very much in the shape of a
capital letter ~" The wonder is that SO
few were hurt and Of the few hurt 50
many escaped with slight injuries.