Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-10-21
PANIC IN OPERA HOUSE
Dome Fell a Distance Of Fifty Feet,
Carrying a Part of the Gallery.
AUDIENCE BURIED IN THE RUINS
Sixty People Badly Injured and
Several Killed.
HORROR CAUSED BY ROTTEN TIMBERS

Cincinnati, O., Oct. JIG. AT O'Clock
last night the dome of Robinson's Opera
House fell in on the audience. Sixty
people were injured, and several were
killed.
The curtain had fallen on the first
act of Dangers of Great City,
Numerous people, during the inter
mission. mad gone out, and it was
while they were returning that the
accident occurred. The theatre was
packed, every seat in the house having
been sold.
Suddenly tremendous crash came
from the ceiling. 80 feet above. The
lights then went out, and screams
arose from every part of the house.
The ceiling had weakened and fallen,
carrying with it everything connected
with the dome, including an enormous
chandelier.
While the excitement was at its
height. and men we're cursing and
women screaming in their frantic en-
deavor to escape, there cnme another
crash. II was the entire ceiling tear
ing away from the rafters and tunbling
down upon the mass OF struggling hui
manity. 1t sounded like terrible
whirlwind. The noise was heard for
square around, and people rushed to
the front OF the theatre, but were driven
back across the street by tho stream of
pnnpe rushing from the inside. The
| timbers and rubbish, in falling, struck
the front of the gallery, carrying a
section with it A frightful panic
ensued. Scores Of people yelled Fire !"
willis hundreds tainted from fright.
| Dust from the rubbish arose in thick
clouds. sitting every one.
Some one succeeded in turning on
several lights, and those who were not
too badly injured or had not already
rushed down the stairs aud into the
aisles, made mad rush for the street
as soOD as they could see. A dozen
| patrol wagons were soon on the scene,
and an alarm of fire brought several
| engines.
Tho chief interest centres in the
cause of the dreadful accidenr. From
q careful examination, il appears that
not only was the construction faulty,
but the work and material were defec-
| tive. In word, ths timbers were
rotten. The walls, which are not more
than eight inches, were dry ana
| parched with age. There ia space OF
10 feet in the centre, between the cell
ing and the roof. In order to support
| the roof and ceiling, trusses we're run
i across from the west tu the east wall.
| There were four of these trusses. All
were made of woud, and were connected
by pieces of ioist with bolt holdings.
| Between these were joists OF the ordi-
nary kind. Between the two trusses in
the middle was hung the dome. 1t
was nine feet high, 15 feet in diameter
| and about 40 feet in circumference. The
inside was lathed and plnstered. and
| highly decorated. From It's center hung
chandelier containing 40 or 30 incau
descent lamps. The dome was maze Of
heavy timbers and bolts and nails.
The space between the calling and roof
might be called an attic, but it was
mover used for any purpose. The only
time any one visited the apartment was
to let down the chRndsier, but that
had not been done this year.
After tire accident, an Investigation
shaved that tho trussss and timbera
holding tho dome were rotten. They
had haen in use so long that they had
warped anu nurted. This caused the
bolts and naila to loosen. Tho entire
construction was thrown out of gear.
and the weight of the llomo brought il
down. With il came mortar, bricks
and raftors. 'phe huge rafters cumpos,
ing the truss that fell in were as dry ae
plnk, and the pieces of joist that con
nected them were worm eaton and rot
fen. Tho nails and bolts wore rusty,
and everything went to show that that
part OF the building was in auch dan
gerous condition that it is strange that
II was not discovered long ago.
Aftor tho dust had cleared away. the
dome was found UPRIGHT on tho hacks
of the parquette chairs. 1t settled az
it fell. 1t 10 thought that, on account
of its formation, the air caught it and
did not permit it to descend with as
much force as one would expect, as,its
position on the hacks OF tho chairs
showed When tho domo first began
10 SAG il took the rHfters with it. Some
OF these we're held in position in ths
walls, and hung over the railing of tho
gallery, making it dangerous for the
rescuers.
Cincinnati, o., Oct. IS. --Lata last
night Mrs a. Schudder of Covington,
Ky, one of tho victims of the Opera
| House disaster, died at the hospital.
This makes two deaths last night and
| four fatalities thus far in all.