Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-14
100 DIE IN
MADFTGHT
FOR LIFE
PANIC SEi7ES AN ENTIRE
AUDIENCE
WOMEN AND CHILDREN CRUSHED
IN AIsLEs
Members of Leading Families of PENN
syIvania Town Die in Awful Fur.
Understanding Spectators
Fight Wildly at Exits
By Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
| BOYERTOWN, Pa, Jan. IA.
Nearly 100 persons of this bor-
ough were killed in theater fire
and panic tonight, and nearly
three score injured, many of them
fatally. A majority of the killed
were members of the leading FAM
lilies of the town.
| While the Scottish Reforma-
ton" was being reproduced in
Rhoade's opera house by Mrs.
Monroe of Washington, a tank
used in | moving picture scene
exploded. Immediately there was
a wild rush for the exits of the
building.
Men of mature years endeav-
ored to still the panic, but their
voices could not be heard above
the shrieks and screams of the
terrified women and children who
composed the greater part of the
audience.
1t seemed as though nearly the
entire audience made a mad rush
for the exits the moment the ex-
plosion occurred. In their at
tempt to quiet the great crowd
those persons on the stage acci-
dentally upset the coal oil lamps
used at the foothghts.
Lamps Exploded
The burning oil scattered in
all directions and the lamps,
which were used to light the
opera house, exploded, throwing
the blazing oil over the terror
stricken people who were fighting
frantically to gain the exits.
In the mad rush a section of
the floor gave way, precipitating
scores of persons to the basement.
1t was scarcely five minutes from
the time of the explosion of the
tank until the entire heart of the
structure seemed a roaring fur
mace.
There was a mad scramble to
the stairway, and scores of wo-
men and children were knocked
down and trampled upon, many
of them doubtless being crushed
to death.
At least fifty persons, realizing
that exit by the stairway meant
almost certain death, risked their
lives by jumping from the win
dows. Limbs were broken and
skulls were crushed by this meth
cd of escape.
Fast in Exits
In the meantime a relief corps
was at work at the entrance to
the theater, endeavoring to re-
lease those who were wedged in
the doorways and unable to extri-
cate themselves. Many persons
who otherwise might have es-
capped from the furnace were held
in check by the awful jam at the
doors.
AS the. flames cut their way
toward the front of the building,
women could be seen to clasp
their hands and fall back into
the flames. Once the doorways
were cleared, the rescuers
dragged many women and chill
! dren from the stairways leading
to the balcony.
: Some of them were SO badly
injured that they died before
: reaching a temporary hospital.
Skulls were crushed and the faces
) of some Of the victims were 50
. horribly mutilated that they
( were barely recognizable. In one
instance the skull of a child apr
parently about 10 years OF age,
: was crushed almost to a Jelly.
The opera house was crowded with the
=, members OF ST. Johns Lutheran SUNDAY
. school. who were attending benent given
, for that church. While the show was
, In progress a tank exploded. The So
, tors endeavored to quiet the audience,
but in their anxiety to make themeeiVes
heard and to avoid the awful stampede
of the women and children, the coal Oh
! lamps which were used at the footiights
i were overturned, setting fire TO the place.
The flames, fed by the oil. shot almost
+ to the ceiling. and there was Wild rush
/ of the 700 persons to escape from the
] burning building.
Scores of women and children were
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