Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-01-17
THEATER HOLOCAUST
takes lives OF 1850
GAS TANK IN RoYERToWN, PA,
PLAYHOUSE ExPLoDEs, KILL
ING SCORES.
EXACT DEATH ROLL
CANNOT BE TOLD
Awful Panic in Burning Auditorium
When Cry Of Fire" startles Audi
ence Estimated at Four Hundred
Recovering Bodies Commenced.

Boyertown, Pa, Jan. 15.-When day.
light dawned Tuesday the full extent
Of the awful fire when the Rhoades
opera house burned was fully appar.
emit. The list of dead is placed at
$50 and the injured at rs. Exactly how
many were killed may never be
known, for among the victims were a
number of visitors who may have no
relatives to trace their untimely fate.
1t 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-
ton 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 the center
of the opera house was blazing
furnace. The rapidity with which the
flames spread was caused by the up
setting of the coal Oil lamps used as
foOtlights.
Some of the persons on the stage
endeavored to allay the frenzy of the
frightened women and children and
quiet the audience. But even the men
seemed to lose all control Of them
selves 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 chill
dren, who might otherwise have es-
capped the flames, were forced back
and trampled upon. Particularly was
this the case with those who were
caught on the stairways. Pande
monium reigned and the mad scram
Bile for the exits was simply indescrib
able. 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 windows. In this
way several were SO badly injured that
they died before reaching any of the
numerous temporary hospitals. Boyer
aown is a village of about $500 PEG
pie, and there is scarcely house in
the little town that has not been at
flicted.
Fire Controlled at Last.
The fire was not brought under con
troll until Tuesday after assistance
had arrived from Reading and Potts
town. Physicians and nurses were
also sent to Boyertown from Reading
and aided materially in alternating the
sufferings of the injured who. hac
leaped from the windows in their mad
rush to escape the flames. Tuesday
about SO members of the state con
stabulary, which is stationed in this
district, came over from Reading on {
special train. The work of removing
the bodies from the debris will be un
sually tedious and hazardous. Wher
the crush was at its height the fool
gave way, precipitating many persons
to the basement, and the bodies O
these will be buried beneath the
charred timbers and tons of brick.
from the ruined walls In addition tt
the opera house and Farmers Nationa
Bank, RAINS hardware store and the
dwellings of George Rain, Harry Pen
nypacker and Alfred Zashard were
burned. The monetary loss will
amount to about $4,000.
Songs; Then Terrible Blast.
The people taking part had finished
their songs and, incidentally to the
drama, number of pictures were
shown by moving picture machine
This was operated by H. w. Fisher Of
Carlisle, Pa, who used calcium lights
While he was operating the machine
there was a flash and loud report
and the people sitting in the rear Of
the opera house near the machine
arose in fright and rushed toward the
stage. Their action caused panic
in the audience and many of the PEG
pie, thinking the building was afire
rushed toward the stage. The young
people who were taking part in the
performance motioned to them to keel
back and resume their seats but the
frightened spectators attempted tt
climb onto the stage. One of the