The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-10-16
An OPERA HOUSE HORROR
The Dome Fell and Crushed Three
People to Death.
MANY SERIOUS INJURIES
Falling Pieces OF Plastering Gave Warn
Of the Coming Catastrophe, Giving
Many an Opportunity to Make
Their Escape.

&littiiiiidtlf oilihs WI. Ia Hiff PER
sons were killed and over 20 others
were more or less seriously injured by
the falling Of the dome of Robinsons
opera house this evening. At about
S:i5 O'Clock. soon after the raising of
the curtain on the performance Of
the Dangers of "A Great City" plas-
tering began To fall from the dome CELL
ing 40 or so feet above the heads of
the people seated i'm the parquet. The
house was fairly well filled. but not
crowded. The plastering fell in small
particles at first. but enough Ia alarm
some Of the timid. who retired. A little
later the plastering began 10 shower
down i'm great chunks. There Was
rush fiom the gallery, which was not
very well filed. The balcony was soon
emptied. Those In the dress circle re-
tired as promptly as possible, and,
strange Ia say. without an apparent
panic. The crowding Of those To the
door obstructed the passage of the
people from the parquet, which ac-
counts i'm measure for the number OF
casualties. Nobody expected at the
moment any other danger than from
with a great crash, the great central
truss OF the ceiling. ~ feet long ANA 10
feet wide, came piunging down. The
ends of II struck on the Two gallery
wings and doubled IL up in the center
sending IL down into the parquet with
"A great scattering of joists and TIM
hcrs. Nothing ON the stage was harm
ed. Of course there We're means from
IN. injured and. as often happens.
loudest from those least huri.
The news spread rapidly and there
was rush of patrol wagons and of
fir.men Ia the scene. The salvage
corps, with its wagon, was nrst on IN"
ground. and IL was followed by all the
police patrol wagons who carried the
injured 10 the Cincinnati hospital The
list thus far shows three dead. five
dangerously. ii not fatally. wounded,
and 70 more ar less seriously injured.
In addition Ia these large number,
probably 81 on -. We're 50 slightly in
jured as To he able tn walk home. or
the seriously injured al The hospital
several win require amputation of
limbs. yet everyone Is refusing To sub
nit to the operation. A score of SUR
geons volunteered their assistance Ia
the hospital corps. A sufficient number
was accepted. Hundreds Of people
gathered In front of the hospital clam
oring for the names of the injured. An
attendant stood AT the doorway with a
list Of those brought Ia the hospital
and answered the anxious inquiries.
Many names were inquired for that
were not in the hospital list. At the
opera house ropes We're stretched across
all approaching streets and the police
had all they could de- Ia keep the crowd
of .a00 or s,o0J people from crushing
through. All sorts Of wild rumors We're
ailoat and public curiosity was on tip
toe. all the more ardent because of these
runois.
Following is a list of the dead and in
jured. The dead:
AN UNKNOWN MAN.
MISS LrCY COHEN.
MRS. GEORGE kLEOMAN.
Dangerously injured-Mr. Goldman.
Mrs. Studder. Mary Studder. Mary
Hawes, unknown woman.
Seriously or slightly injured-pea1
Hall, Grace Connor. w. J. Weiss. Jacob
w. Wylie. Mary Hess, John White,
Amelia Wright. Mary Howe. Ella Nor
man. Della Algeir and her children.
Stanley. Joseph and John. Daisy Fair
head, 5. q. Long. Il. ]. Fairlid, T. /.
Wiley. Fred jerks. William Motcen.
w. j. McCabe. clint Dean. Kate
White. Maggie studder Samuel Roscn-
baum, Clint Steele.
The damage to the theater building
Was slight: Ia the stage comparative ely
little; 10 the gallery almost nothing;
Ia the dress circle much less than ole
would think from the debris scattered
around through the rarqu,t. where ih.
main truss landed. rh" truss rested
i'm the parquet very much in the shape
Of "A Y. The wonder il that 50 few
were hurt, and Of the few hurt that
80 many escaped with sligh. injuries.
The accident seems 10 be easily oN-
planned. Among the first who entered
the building after the dome had fallen
was President George W. Rapp NJ the
Cincinnati chapter uf the American In
stitute Of Architects.
III was not that dome" said he.
pointing To the huge heap In the cen-
ter of the floor. that caused the trou-
BILE The fault lies with the roof
trusses. The house has been built more
than % years and the wood has shrunl,
until the bolts and nails afforded the
smallest possible security. Onc uf these
trusses has rotted away from its fas-
Jennings. parted and threw the two Sec
tions down and In the descent pulled
the dome with them -