New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1908-01-22
DEATH LIST IS ~.
Loss Of Life in Opera House Fire
at Boyertown, Pa.
AWFUL Jam ON sTAIRWAYs
Weaker Ones Knocked Down in Vile
Scramble to Escape and Many
Crushed to Death.

RoyertoWn, Pa, Jan. 15.-The catas-,
trophe resulting from the burning of
the Rhoades Opera House continues
to grow in horror. One hundred and
Sixty-seven bodies have been taken
from the ruins and five persons have
succumbed to their injuries. Many Of
the bodies were burned beyond recog-
milton.
It is estimated that there were 400
persons in the playhouse when the
explosion of the gas tank occurred
The tank was being used in connec
tion with pictures An amateur per-
Torrance OF Scottish Reformation
for the benefit of st. Johns Lutheran
Sunday school was being produced
Instantly the explosion occurred some
one yelled fire" and in almost less
time than it takes to tell it the center
of the opera house was blazing fur
mace. The rapidity with which the
flames spread was caused by the up,
setting OF the coal oil lamps used as
the footlights by some OF the persons
on the stage who endeayored to allay
the frightened children and quiet the
audience. But even the men seemed
TO lose all control of themselves and
fought with the women and children,
who composed the greater part of the
audience, to gain the street. In this
manner many women and children
who might otherwise have escaped
the flames were forced back and
trampled upon. Particularly was this
the case OF those who were caught on
the stairways. Pandemonium reigned
and the mad scramble for the exits is
simply indescribable The weaker
ones were brushed aside and in many
instances trampled to death. Scores
OF persons on the second floor, seeing
the awful jam on the stairways, risked
their lives by jumping from the win
doWs. In this way several were sc
badly injured that they died before
porary hospitals.
Perish With Escape in Sight.
So rapidly did the flames spread
! that many of the audience were
| caught and overcome before they
: could reach the fire escapes. The
/ frenzied people fought with each othel
! cipal means OF exit from the building
and a struggling mass of Aumanit.
was quickly piled around the door!
/ that led to the street. Flames over
! took them and they were burned t.
death almost in sight of escape. 4
number OF people who were attracted
/ by the cries Of fire rushed from tn,
street to the opera house and up tn,
stairs to the second floor. They sue
ceeded in rescuing some, but wer
forced to abandon the others to thei
fate as the quickly advancing flame
/ drove them from the building.
Boyertown is a town of about $50
in the little town that has not bee
afflicted by the visitation OF fire.
Physicians and nurses were ais
sent to Boyertown from Reading an
aided materially in alleviating the su
ferings OF the injured who had leape
from the windows in their mad rus
to escape the flames.
The chief of the PittstoWnSfire d.
partment, who investigated the caus
of the disaster, says the first rus
toward the stage was caused by Sc
. eral men and women becoming frigh
ened When the hose connecting til
moving picture machine and the tan
supplying the light. slipped off its CO.
nection and made kissing nois
The tank itself did not explode,
says, until after the flames he
! reached it.