The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-01-17
ALL THE BODIES atC,,TtRED
Number of Lives Lost in Theatre
Fire Total no
One-Ffrth OF Population OF Town
Wiped Out Scenes at Noryue Hears
Rendtng-Tew of Bodies RecoCntz-
able by Fcaturcs-Thrcc Supposcd
Victims Turn up.

Boyertown, Pa, January l5.-Bear-
ling up bravely under the awful biow
! which IL received in the destruction Oh
Rhoades opera house by fire Monday,
this thriving little borough totay
came TO a full realization or the fact
that one- fifth OF It's population wss
wiped cut OF existence by the holo-
caust The figures complied oy COR
ODER Straesser at nightfall show Gnat
there are ITO cead as a result OF the
FIRE. The list includes one fireman who
lost his life fighting the fire and ons
man, Jacob Johnson, who died today
from injuries received In the blazing
playhouse Three charred bodies were
recovered from the ruins OF the build
ing today and OF the 16S bodies or re-
lnains tiat lie In the improvised NOR
cues lit have beon officially or par
:ially identified by sorrowing relatives
or friends. The private morgues I'm tho
town we're not or sufficient size 10 re-
ceive the bodies OF those taken from
the fire ruins and the public school
was also used as q charnel ho1se.
Each bit OF jewelry or fragment OF
clcthing picked up in the b'ackened
ruins was tagged, as were the remains,
and all in search OF missing loved ones
were permitted to pass through the
Tuesome rows to make identihcations.
Few of the bodies could be recognized
by the features alone, and In most
cases the upper portion of the corpses
was scared or burned to O crisp. A
detail OF state police held the anxious
crowds in check around the improvised
morgue and those seeking missing re-
latives and friends were compelled to
pass into view the bodies in order
Scenes at the morgue were heart
rending Children Of tender age were
In some cases called upon to assist I'm
making the Identification OF parents
who met untimely death IN tho lire
and panic and again feeble men ana
women were racked with anguish as
they came upon some distorted BODY I'm
which they recognized the form of n
lost son or daughter.
Before any of the bodies were re-
moved from the morgue Coroner Stras-
ser empanelled a jury TO view the re-
mains and the scene of the fire and
sit at the inquest
No date has been filed for the inquest
Coroner Strasser opened an ONCE
tonight In the mansion house, and o.
tablished bureau Of information,
where he granted death certificates
and signed insurance papers. In this
connection, the representatives OF
scores Of insurance companies are I'm
Boyertown paying Off claims as fast
as they are presented There were
ffty-five undertakers or their repre-
sentatives in the town today and there
was plenty for them to do. All was
called upon to assist I'm preparing the
remains for inspection and identifca-
tion.
Coroner Strasser says not more than
% OF the entire number OF bodies re-
moved from the fire have headaL There
are several trunks that will probably
never be identified. as there were sev-
eral strangers in the audience.
Building Inspector Hickman of
Reading, who mace an inspection or
the opera house. which was destroyed
says tonight: "In my opinion the peo-
pls In the hall we're overcome by the
fumes from the tank used In connec-
ton with the tableau lights and sim
ply coAld not help themselves. A man
old me that he reached In the doorway
10 assist woman from the building
and that he was nearly overcome by
gas de was not In the hall when the
fire started"
John Rhoades and his grandson, who
were supposed to have been killed In
the nre and Mrs John Dyer, another
supposed victim, turned up today.
q committee has been appointed IN
arrange for the proper burial OF the
dead. o