The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-14
One Hundred and Fifty Persons
Lose Their Lives
In Theater Fire and Panic at
Boyertown, Pa.
EXPLOSION OF A TANK
Used in Producing Moving Pic
lures Started the Disaster.
Coal Oil Lamps Upset and Gre
eted a Furnace.
DOORS WERE BLOCKED
Women and Children We're
TrampIed Into Pulp.
Many Sustained Serious Injuries
From Jumping.
DOORS WE'RE BLOCKED
Women and Children Were
Trampled Into Pulp.
Many Sustained Serious Injuries
From Jumping.

Boyertown, Pa. Jan. 14.-One hun
dred and fifty persons of this borough
were killed in a theater fire and pam
1c last night and seventy-five injured.
many of them fatally. A majority of
the killed were members Of the lead
ing families of the town.
While 1.-THE Scottish Reformation"
was being produced in Rhodes,s
Opera house by Mrs. Monroe OF
Washington, a tank used in a moving
picture scene exploded. Immediately
there was a wild rush for the exists of
the building. Men of mature years en-
deavored 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 en-
tire audience made a mad rush for
the exits the moment the explosion
occurred In their attempt to quiet
the great crowd those persons who
were on the stage accidentally upset
the coal oil lamps used at the foot
lights. The burning oil scattered in
all directions and the lamps which
were used to light the opera house ex-
ploded, 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
sons to the basement.
1t was scarcely five minutes from
the time of the explosion of the tanks
until the entire heart of the structure
seemed a roaring furnace. There was
g mad scramble for the stairway
leading from the balcony and scores
OF women and children were knocked
down and trampled upon, many of
them doubtless being crushed to
death. At least so persons, realizing
a-yit Nv fl1n CT ail-Xyr1 l.
most certain death, risked their lives
by jumping from the windows. Limbs
were broken and skulls were crushed
by this daring method of escape.
Doors Were Blocked.
In the meantime a relief corps was
at work at the entrance to the thea
ter endeavoring to release those who
were wedged in the doorway. and un-
able to extricate themselves. Many
persons who otherwise might have
made good their escape from the fur
mace were held in check by the awful
jam at the doors
AS the flames cut their way to-
ward 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 children
from the stairway leading to the bal
cony. Some were so badly injured
that they died before reaching tenn
porary hospital Skulls were crushed
and the faces of some of the victims
were so horribly mutilated that they
were barely recognizable. In one in
stance the skull of a child, apparently
about ten years of age. was crushed
almost to a Jelly.
Had the women and children needed
the warning of the cooler heads in the
audience the horrible loss of life
might have been avoided, but there
vas the usual panic and stampede
which Invariably follow at such a
ca atastrohpe. The flames spread rap
idly and communicated to the other
parts of the theater. Men women
and children rushed for the many
exits, and the weaker sex and the
children were trampled and manned
in the mad rush to gam lne street. As
sistance was at once asked of both
Reading and Pottstown and special
trains carrying nurses and doctors
were rushed to the scene of the dis
aster. Every home within a radius of
half a dozen blocks of the opera house
was made temporary hospital. where
the wounded were rusned by car
riages and other means of convey
anceS.
Lost Her Whole Family.
Boyertown is a borough with
population of about $500 and is To-
Gated about midway between Potts
town and Reading.
The night was one or WalIlnS and
anguish The shrieks of mothers who
had rushed to the scene soon as
they learned of the fire was pitiful. AS
the night wore on the crowds sur
rounding the building grew to such
proportions that it was almost impos-
sible for the police force which had
been augmented by a score of men
from Pottstown and Reading. to keep
the people back. One woman who
said she had lost her entire family in
the theater was with difficulty re-
strained from throwing herself into
the roaring flames.
At 1 o'clock a special train from
Reading bearing physicians and
nurses reached here. but there was
little for them to do, as the injured
who had dashed themselves to the
pavement had been cared for by the
local physicians, assisted by the Potts
town relief corps.
A few minutes after midnight the
rear wall of the theater cola apsed. The
flames broke out anew. and those who
had vainly hoped to be able to find
the remains of some of their loved
ones turned in despair from the scene
of the awful catastrophe.
It is estimated that at least rs per-
sons were injured by being trampled
upon either on the stairways or by
jumping from the windows of the
burning structure. OF this number at