The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-01-17

Boyerton, Pa, January 14.-When
night fall put stop to the work OF
recovering the dead from the ruins
of the Rhoades Opera House where
last nights holocaust occurred, the c<-
fetal roll of victims numbered 167.
Whether any more bodies are buried
beneath the ruins cannot be positivei =
stated, but it is believed that the total
list of victims will not go above 10
The ratio of women and girls to men
and boys is about nine to one. The
work of Identification will not be be-
bodies are still lying in a confused
state at the four improvised morgues
The inhabitants of the borough in
the Berks county hills are tonight
STEPPED in grief. The calamity has
paralyzed the little town of $500 peo-
pie. Everybody in the place either
lost one or more relatives or was init
mately acquainted with those who
died in the fire.
In several cases whole families have
been wiped out. It was almost day
light this morning before the flames
were extinguished and rescuers were
able to go into the ruins to remove
the dead. The morning was bitter
cold. The entire ruins were coated
with Ice and there was danger of the
walls falling. 1t was o'clock before
the first body was removed. Coroner
Strasser, of Reading, who reached the
scene last night had a detail of men
ready to tag the bodies and keep a re-
cord Of the description Of every corpse
removed. The bodies were so badly
burned, however, that there was little
to describe them by, and it is safe to
say that not half the victims ever will
be identified. The second victim was
taken from the ruins about half an
hour after the first, and then the work
Of recovery moved more rapidly. BY
noon the rescuers became thoroughly
exhausted from the cold and hard
work and for a time work came al
most to standstill.
The Philadelphia and Reading rail-
way company sent w. H Keiffer, su-
erintendent Of the Reading division,
to the scene and Mr.. Keiffer offered
the company's assistance to Coroner
Strasser. Chief Burgess Koehler was
unable to furnish men to help and
Coroner Strasser Immediately availed
himself of the railroads proffer
Within an hour the company had
two car loads of carpenters and lab
orers on the ground and the work of
recovering the bodies moved so ran
idly that victims were being taken
from the ruins at the rate of two every
five minutes.
There were many different stories as
to the exact cause of the panic and
fire and there were several rumors of
arrests, but the borough officials and
Coroner Strasser tonight denied that
any action whatever had been taken
The coroner said that his one thought
was to get ont all the bodies before a
sleet or snow storm should set in and
hamper the work
So far as can be learned there were
about 425 persons packed in the room.
most of whom were adults. The num-
Der of children present was compara-
lively small. There were about f5
persons, all local talent on the stage
who we're giving performance Of the
Scottish Reformation The entertain
ment was nearly over, the audience
waiting for the curtain to go up on
the last act when something went
wrong with the calcium light appara~
trS that was perched on a small plat
form near tie front entrance Of the
hn+l6tng and at the back Of the audi
erce. The light was in charge of
Il. w. Fisher, Of Carlisle. Pa. and he
says rubber tubing Slipped from. ere
Of the tanks ht any rate there was
loud kissing sound which caused
many in TIA audience TO turn their
heads in curiosity to see what it vas
T". tre was alb ohte1y 10 Lqnin Up to
this t'roe. and nothing probably would
have h90raUad i one or more Of he
performers H2'Iin@. the curtain had not
been curiors to learn what was caUs
ing the hiering sCr1Td and commotion in
the audience, one OF the performers
raised the curtain from the floor In
front Of the curtain and serving As
footlights was a tin tank perhaps eight
feet long. three inches wide and three
inches deeD It contain coal oil and
about ten 'i~bts. n raisin" The cur
tain the performer accidnnaIlv turned
this tank over and Il fell To tre floor
within a few inches of those persons
in the front row. The Rev Adam A
Weber. nac+or Of ST Johns Lutheran
church, for tha benefit Of whose Sun
day School the entertainments was be-
ing given. tried to pick I'D the tank