Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-01-15
CURIOSITY WAS RESPONSIBLE
One CT the Amateur Actors Wanted
to Sec What Caused a Mishsp and
While Gratifying His Desire Knock.
cd Over Tank Containing kero-
scne oiI-Drunkcn Firemcn Have a
Fight at the Fire.
(Ry Aasocintcd Press !

ib)1 tN iON.S =, PA. Jan. li-Whcn
night fell it put u stop to the work
OF recovering the dead from the ruins
from the Rhoades Opera House
where last nights holocaust occurred.
the official roll of victims numbered
100 Whether any more bodies arc
buried beneath the ruins cannot he
positively stated but 1t is believed
that The total list of victims will not
80 above 40. The ratio OF women
and girls TO men and boys is about
nine 10 one. The work of identifca-
ton will not be begun until tomor-
row as most of the bodies are still
lying In confused state at the four
improvised morgueS.
The Inhabitants OF the little Dor
ough in the Berks county hills to-
night are stepped In grief. The cal.
amity has paralyzed the little town
OF 1000 people. Everybody in the
place either lost one or more rela-
tivcs, or was intimately acquainted
with those who died in the fire. In
several cases whole families have
been wined out
H. was almost daylight this morn
ing before the flames were exiting
rshed and rcscuers were. able to
cutter the ruins to remove the dead
Tho morning was bitterly cold and
by the time benumbed and exposed
iiremen began the task of disentang-
ling the mass of burned beams and
twisted iron, The entire ruins we're
coated with ice and there was danger
nf tho maltc foIIiDa
1t was Z o'clock before the first
body was removed.
Coroner Strausser of Reading. who
reached the scene last night. had a
detail of men ready to tag the bodies
and keep record of the condition
III every corpse recovered. The
bodies were so badly burned that
there was little to tag them by. and
il is safe TO say that not one-half
OF the victims will ever be identified.
The second victim was taken from
the ruins about half an hour after
The first. and then the work of re-
covery moved more rapidly. BY noon
he rcscuers became thoroughly ex-
0raustcd from the cold and hard
work and for Z time work came al
most to a standstill
The Philadelphia G Reading Rail-
way Company sent II. W. Keifer. SUI
rerin'endenH 10 the scene. and Mr..
Keifer offered the company's assist
. ancc to Coroner Strausser.
Chief Burgess Kohler was unable
10 furnish mon to help ana Coroner
Siransscr Immediately ayailed him
self cf the railroads prefer Within
an hour the company had two car.
loads Of iabn~ ors and carpenters on
the ground and the work of recover
ing Tic bodies moved so RAPIDLY that
victims were bcing taken from the
ruins at the rate of two every five
minutes.
There were many different stories
rs TO Inc exact canse Of the panic and
fire and there were sevc'al rumors
of arges's but the borough officials
ana Coroner Strausser tonight de-
nied any action whatever had been
taken.
The coroner said that his one
thought was 10 get out all the bodies
before a slcet or snow storm sci in
and hampered the wo, k.
Where The Holocaust Occurred.
Tie Rhoades Opera House was To-
Gated on tihc second hoar of a three
story brick building. The first floor
was cccnred by national bank and
several stores and the third floor
was used for lodge rooms. The en-
iertainment hall was large room
about 30 feet wide and Is feet long
II had no gallery. There was a
stairway ut the front of the building
end narrow exit in the rear of the
stage, Fire escapes were built on
both sides and on the front of the
building.
So for rs can be learned there were
about 425 persons packed in the room.