, 1897-10-16
A CINCINNATI HORROR
THREE PERSONS KILLED AND
THIRTY INJURED IN AN oP-
ERA HOUSE.
The Dome o. the Robinson Structure
Falls in on the Heads OF the Audi,
ence-Five OF the Injured are
Thought to Be Fatally Hurt-The
Building Was Old and Faulty.

Cincinnati, O., Oct. 15.-Three per-
sons were killed and over 80 others were
more or less seriously injured by the
falling Of the dome OF Robinson's opera
house. At about 8:45 o'clock. soon at
ter the raising OF the curtain for the
performance Of Dangers OF a Great
City" the plastering began to fall from
the center of the dome yelling. 40 to 50
feet above the heads of the people seat,
ed in the parQuette. The house was
fairly we'll filled, but not crowded.
The plastering fell in small particles
at first, but enough TO alarm some OF
he timid or cautious. who retired. A
little later the plastering began to show
er down in great chunks. There was a
rush from the gallery, which was not
very well filled. The balcony was 500
emptied.. Those in the dress circle re-
tired as promptly as possible, and,
strange to say. without al apparent
panic. The crowding Of these to the
door obstruc,ed the passage OF the peo,
pie from the parQuette. which accounts
in a measure for the number Of casual,
lies. Nobody expected at the moment
any other danger than from the falling
plasterjng.
A GREAT CRASH.
Suddenly, and with q great crash, the
great central truss Of the ceiling, 80
:eet long and 30 feet wide, came plung-
ing down. The ends OF 1t struck on the
two gallery wings and doubled 1t up In
the center. sending 1t down into the
parquette with a great Settlement OF
joists and timbers. Nothing on the stage
was harmed. OF course there were
means of the injured, and, as often hap.
pens. lcudest from those least hurt.
The news spread rapidly and there
was a rush Of patrol wagons and Of fire.
men to the scene. The salvage corps.
with Its wagon, was first on the ground
and It was followed by all the police pa.
troll wagons, who carried the injured to
the Cincinnati hospital.
The list ut the hospital showed tire,
dead. i've dangerously. IL not fatally
wounded, and 26 more " less seriously
injured. In addition to these a large
number. prbably 20 or so. were 30
eighty injured ~ to be able to walk
home. OF the seriously injured at the
hospital several will require ampu;ation
Of limbs. yet everyone 10 refusing to
submit to the operation. A score Of sur.
geons volunteered their assistance to
the hospital corps. A suficient number
was accepted.
A SAD SCENE.
The scene in front of the hospital door
was q sad one. Hundreds OF people
gathered there ciamoring for the nance
o: the injured. An attendant stood nj
the doorway with a list Of those brought
to the hospital and answered the anx-
ious Inquiries. Many ame were In,
quired for that were not in the hospital
list.
At the opera house ropes were stretch>
ed across all approaching streets and
the police had all they could do to keep
the crowd Of 1000 OF 5000 people from
crushing through. All o r Of wild ru>
mors were afoat. and public curiousty
was on tip-toe, all the more ardent be.
cause OF these rumors There was q
story a6oat that one man was missing.
It was = Wild rumor, for he could mot
be In che opera house, where the debris
was 90 scattered that it did not form .
piled up mass anywhere.
Anyone standing at the door o: the
hospital. in front of that pstitul, sosrow-
full. a~nxiously inquisitive crowd, could
understand that not one man, but many
men, women and children were miss
ing by friends ut home.
The damage to the theater building
was nothinv 1t all. to the stage compar>
atively little. to the gallery almost moth.
Ing. to the dress circle much less than
one would think from the debris scat.
tered around through the parquetts
where the main truss landed. The trusa
rested In the parouette very much In
the shape q a capital letter v. The
wonder 10 that 20 few were hurt. and
Of the NV hurt that 90 many escaped
with siight injuries.
OAUsn or THE ACCIDENT.
The accident tonight seems to be cas-,
ny explained Among the Arst VINO -,
tered the building after the dome had
fallen WIS Prssiasnt George W. Raps
q the Cincinnati Chapter. American In
stitute Of .AfchkectA !.
1T vas not mat DONE" aid be. poise,
Ing to ne hugs heap IN the csntsr Of III
-Aoof. "that caused ~ trosblA TN
fanlt lies with the rook trustees. M
horss Aas besa bulk noee than = ysarl
and he wood Aas sAFunk mil the hetfl
and nails a1oe6sd the 1altsst posasetl
security.
sOns Il these trussss ~ rdtted away
hdn ~ isstsatnBA pafssd saA tArsu
ths TO ststipns AoWn. Nd n ~ =.
lspsat pnS)eA H. done WITH tAslk. TAsnl
3-nnA Lsss~A 10000 49,