The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-15
Death List GrolDs. h Theatre Horror
 Al BoyertolDn, Pa.

to the floor, while those along the sides of the wall were loose chairs. In the scrambleto get out many persons fell over the chairs and were never able to regain their feet. Those who. did reach The front entrance. found It damned with people who were fight ing and shrielxing to get out. One of the double doors had been bolted. shut so as. to better enable the ticket taker to take up tickets. Not more than two persons could pass this door at one time and after the first half dozen got through the narrow passage. 1t became humanity. Men. women. boys, girls and chairs were tangled up in solid mass that no one from the outside was able to disentaugle
 Some one discovered that there were fire escapes on each side of the build Ing and dozens made their escape through this avenue and gave the alarm. The fire bell was rung and the whole town was aroused and went to the rescue. All this time the flames from the oil tank were creeping toward the mass of people, who were frantic ally shrieking and fighting to get out. Some of the bravest who had gained the fire escapes pulled dozens from the struggling mass and directed them to tAc cAdSS LII tu0 sWAIo the frenzied people wevA fighting 10 get down the frent steps the calcium light tank exploded and fire was spread over the entire mass of people
 On the front steps outside the door men pulled frantica1ly to open a way for the wedged in people, but not more than half dozen were resuced In this manner. The explosion of the calcium tank and the flames from the front of tn stage which had by this time reach- ed the struggling people, made further rescue impossible. The entire interior of the building was one seething furn- ace.
 Sioans of the Dying.
 Bremen. threw 3 feeble stream of water Into the burning building but 1t had no effect on the flames. The cries of the unfortunate victims. many with their clothing already ablaze. and the means of the dying were heartrend- ing.
 When the flames had entirely envel- oped the building and threatened ad- joining property, the fire department of Pottstown. nine miles distant, was summoned. The firemen went to work with vim to stay the progress of the flames. This was accomplished after the building was entirely destroyed and several adjoining structures were badly damaged.
 While the flames were being check ed. an unfortunate scene occurred. Some of, the firemen made frequent trips to nearby saloons with the result that toward morning. some of the men became unruly. Tbere were frequent fights and at one time tt looked as 4hongh the pottstown and Royertown companies would become involved in a free light. The state police who had been summoned from their barracks ct .sna IA. l.. IA. 4 fiiction. prevented a more serious af- fray.
 The condition became so serious that Burgess Kohler at 5 o'clock In the morning, issued an order to all saloon keepers within the borough to close their places until furtheh notice.
 When the flames were extinguished and the rescuers entered the building a horrible sight met their gaze.
 Bodies were piled in one solid mass six feet high on the second. floor. So solfdly were they wedged that pick axes and crow bars had to be used gently to separate the victims. As each victim was taken from the pile number tag was attached and the body placed on boards. after which 1t was taken to one of the morgues.
 Tn nearly every case the upper por- tion of the bodies were burned away and in a great many instances the low CT parts of the bodies not touched by the fire.
 Deeds of Heroism. 4
 There were many heroes in the awful catastrophe. Some may live to tell of their deeds. Fathers and mothers who might have saved themselves fingered to get their children and perished in the flames Brothers. who might have gotten out in safety. hesitated to make sure that their sisters were safe. and they, too. are numbered among the dead. Sweethearts, with little thought for themselvesa bent all their energies in an effort to rescue their companions and their lives were also added to the harvest of death.
 Many that had reached the outside in safety dashed back into the burning building in a mad and fruitless desire to save.
 The chief of the Pottstown Ire de- partment who investigated the cause of the disaster, says the first rush to- ward the stage was caused by several men and women becoming frightened when the hose connecting the moving picture machine and the tank supply ing the light slipped off it's connection and made hissing noise. The tank it. self did not explode, he says until aft CT the flames had reached 1t.
 In going to the fire the Boyertown engine collided with a tree. One of the fremen was thrown from the ap- naratus, landing heavily against the tree. and was instantly killed. At this morning the Borough president ordered all saloons closed as the rough clement was becoming unruly under the influence of whiskey.