The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1904-01-06

There were scores and scores OF peo-
lie whose faces had literally been
.Iampled completely OFF by the heels
OF those who rushed over then. and in
one aisle the body of man was found
with hardl, vestige of clothing or
flesh above his waist line The entire
upper portion Of his body bad been
cut into mince meat and carried away
by the feet of ;hose who tiamplod
him. A search was carefully made
with hope of finding his head but 1t
could not be discovered, and all that
will ever tell his friends who he was Is
the color and appearance of his cloth
ing on the lower limbs and this is in
such a condition as to be hardly rec.
ognizable.
Fire Escapes Not In Place.
The theater had been constructed
but short time and all it's equipment
was not yet in place. This was un.
fortunately the case with fire escape
in the rear of the building.
The small iron balconies TO which
the iron ladders we're to be attached
were up but the ladders had not yet
been constructed When the panic
was at it's height a great number oil
women ran for these fire ESCAPES only
to find as they emerged from the door
way upon the little iron platform that
they we're 30 to so feet from the
ground, a fire behind and no method
Of escape in front
Those who reached the platform
first endeavored to hold their footing
and to keep back the crowd that
pressed upon them from the rear The
effort was utterly useless and in few
moments the iron ledges were jammed
with crowds of women who screamed
fought and tore at each other like
maniacs.
This lasted but brief time and the
rush from the interior of the building
became so violent that many of them
were crowded of and fell to the gran
tie pavement below. Others leaped
from the platform, fracturing legs and
arms and two were picked up at this
point with fractured skulls. having
been killed instantly.
Next to the Chicago fire this is the
greatest catastrophe that has ever oc'
Cured in that city. The news spread
with great rapidity and in short time
hundreds of men. women and children
were rushing toward the theater
Although all the patrol wagons and
every ambulance owned by the city
we're pressed into service. they were
utterly inadequate to carry away the
dead and in a short time there was a
line 80 feet long of corpses piled two
and three high on the sidewalk In
front of the theater.
II was found necessary in order to
convey the bodies rapidly to the
morgue and to the various undertaking
establishments to impress trucks into
service and in these the dead were
hauled away.
Hundreds of Funerals.
Along whitened streets funeral pro
cessions, half hidden in clouds Of snow
wound their way to cemeteries from
every part of the city on Saturday AMI
Sunday. From hundreds Of doors there
futtered the black emblem of death.
Half-masted flags added their evidence
that Chicago was in mourning for her
fire victims.
In many blocks three and sometimes
four funeral cars stood ready for their
passengers. Al cemetery gates cortege
waited on cortege. Grave digge"S
worked throughout the night
The list of dead was increased to 5SS
by the death of Leroy Rainbold, a boy
years old. OF the 10 bodies at the
county morgue. four were identified
Sunday.
AT Mondays meeting of the city
council many resolutions were intro
duced for betterment OF management
o. theaters. The mayor will endeavor
to canvass the situation with the the.
atrical managers He says no theater
will be allowed to open its doors until
II has complied with every ordinance.