Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-01-15
1ns Monlng lournnI saeeiaI leased wire ]

IBy Morning journal Special Leased ire'i
BEAVERTON Pa Jan. l4.-When
nightfan put a stop to the work OF re-
covering the dead from the RUNS Oh
the Rhoades opera house, Where lds'
nights holocaust occurred, the OIL
fciaI roll of victims numbered 10 :,
Whether any more bodies are pufleu
beneath the ruins cannot be posi-
lively stated, but it is the pelieI Oh
those who had charge Of the grueSoIle
work that all Of the dead have been
removed and that the total list of vic
rims win not go over 170. The ratio
of women and girls to men and boys
Is about nine to one The work OF
identifying them will not be begun
until tomorrow. as most of the bodies
are still lying in a confused state at
the four improvised morgues'
The population of the place is about
$500, and the disaster paralyzed the
town and the people are going about
dazed, 1t is safe to say that every
body in the place either lost one or
more relatives or was intimately ac-|
ouafnted with those who died in the
fire In several cases whole families
were wiped out.
II was almost daylight this morn
ing before the eames were es-
tingmshed ard rescuers We're able TO
enter the ruins to remove the dead.
The morning was bitter cold and by
the time the benumbed and exhausted
fremen began the task Of Olsen
tangling the mass of burned beams
and twisted iron, the entire ruins
were coated with ice and there was
danger Of the wall falling.
The work was slow at first and IT
was 7 O'Clock before the first body
was removed,
Coroner Strasser, of Reading, VINO
reached the scene shortly after ma
night last night had a detail OF men
ready to take the bodies and keep Il
record of the description of a corpse
received. The bodies were so bauly
mutilated. however. that there was ut
tIe left to discribe them by and not
half of the victims will be identiiled'
The Philadelphia and Reading ran :
way offered men to help and soon mao
two carloads Of laborers ana car
nenters on the ground. The work ol
recovering bodies then moved so
rapidly that victims were being taken
from the ruins at the rate OF two every
FIVE minutes .-
Gated on the second floor of a thf' p
story building The first floor was o''
cunied bv a National bank and "
oval stores and the third foor !.
used FOR lodge rooms.
The entertainment hall was a larS'
room about so feet wide and 70 zee
long Ii had no gallery Ihere Va
stairway at the front OF the pulld
ing and narrow exit in the rear o
ne etaea Fire escapes were built on
both sides and on the tront OF I'M
building, ,...,
So RAJ as can be learned, there wer
ahout 425 persons packed in tn
room, most of whom We're Adults.
The number of children present wa
small There were about siXty-nV
nqrsons. all local talent on the stage
who We're giving a performance
"The Scottish Reformation,
The entertainment was nearly over
the audience waiting for the cuftal
to go up on the last act, when some
Thing went wrong with the calcium
light apparatus that was perched o
small platform near the front en-
tradce OF the building and at the bac
OF the audience.
The light was in charge of n. "
Fischer of Carlisle Pa, and he say
I rubher tubing slipped from one {
the tanks. At any rate there was
Ioud kissing sound which cause
many in the audience to turn the
heads IN curiosity TO see what i wa
There was absolutely no panic up
this time and nothing probably Woul
have occurred If one or more OF N
nerformers back of the curtain ma
not been over anxious 70 learn Wh'
the noise was Who he or theY wei
nrobably viii never be known.
Hearing the kissing sound ana u
slirht commotion in the audience OF
az the performers raised the eurta
from the floor In front OF the Gu
tain was a tin tank perhaps ten te
long. three inches wide ana thr
inches high It contained Goa on a.
about ten footlight9 In raising u
curtain the performer accidental
turned this tank over and II Tell
the floor within a few inches 81 =
persons in the front row.
Rev. Adam A. Weber pastor OF
Jahn's Lutheran church, for t
beneht Of whose Sunday school I
entertainment was being given, tri
10 pick up the tank with the assa
ance of others. but before they COZ
do so the oil flowed out and caug
FIRE Then came the inevitable cry
FIRE" and a scene impossible an
curately describe Eve Witnesses s
that the audience rose en- masse a
the one impulse was to reach the tr'
door All attempted but few got Q
The seats in the center of the y
We're of the usual folding Varle
while those along the side OF the Wi