Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-01-15

were loose chairs In the scramble
to get out many persons fell over the
chairs and We're never again aple 70
regain their feet Those who did reach
the front entrance found ii jammeu'
one of the double doors had been
bolted shut so as to better enable the
ticket taker to take up the tickets.
Not more than two persons could
/ pass this door at one time and after
the first few got through the narrow
| passage it became clOgged with the
struggling mass of humanity men Wo-
men. bows, girls and chairs were
| tangled up in solid mass that no one
from the outside was able to disen-
tangle.
In the meantime someone discover
ed that there were fire escapes on
( each side of the building and dozens
made their exits by those avenues OF
| escapes and gave the alarm
The fire bell was rung and the
/ whole town was aroused and went 20
/ the rescue All this time the iiames
! from the oil tank were creeping 20
ward the terrified mass of people, who
were franticaIy shrieking and fighting
/ "a get out The noise was dreadful
and few heard the cries of those VINO
found the fire escapes. Some OF the
/ brayest who had gained the ire es-
canes pulled dozens from the struG-
Cling mass and directed them to the
, sides of the building
| While the frenzied people were
fighting TO get down the front steps
the calcium light tank exploded ana
fire was spread over the entlfe mass
of people This added horror was
more than the feeble rescuers coulu
stand, and in order to save their own
forced To tIpp QOWIl
the fire escapes.
ON the front steps outside the door
men nulled frantieally to open way
for the wedged-in people, put hoi
, more than half a dozen were rescued
I'm this manner.
+ The explosion of the calcium and
the flames from the front OF IN
stage, which by this time had reacIeo
! the struggling people, made turtheI
- rescue impossible ,,,u5i,o
r The entire interior of the building
, was one seething furnace, Firemer
, threw feeble stream into the purh.
, ing building, but it had no erect OF
the flames. .-,-, !,
Fathers and brothers, frenzied bl
/ the thought that loved ones were u
% tbe fiery place, were compelled 10 re
- treat Nothing could be done TO ge
s. their people out and they were torce'
to stand by and watch the aWiul sac
e rifice of life. z-z,.,,
: oned The building and threatened IN
: adjoining property, the fire depart
f nlpnt of Pottstown, nine miles dlSLah'
n was summoned. The firemen IRON
g Pottstown found the situation bad am
went to work with VIM 10 SldS ~
!, nrogress Of the flames This was ac
e conpIished after the building wa
entirely destroyed and seVeral auJoii
is ing structures. badly damaseu'
e While the flames Wert ~ o,,l ern
q checked some of the Boyertoh "
# men and others who were assistln
them made frequent trips TO near
p saloons with the result that toWdr
n morning some Of the men became ui
= ruly cu,+s anon
m themselves and with the FotlsIo"
! dremen At one time i looktu
* though the entire two ilre con- "a Z -, -
would become involved ~ - n,
V and if was only the good work OF IN
VS. state police. who had been summohe
,f from their barracks at Reading 70 az
u sist the town in it's affliction llat
,d more serious affray did not occur.
ir The condition became so serlol
{ that Burgess Koehler at O'Clock
~ the morning issued an order 70 q
Id saloonkeepers within the borough
ne close their places
"a The order was promptly conplle
~ with and the saloons VIII feHla
NJ closed until further notice.
When the flames were eXtlngulsh'
,,a and the rescuers entered the bulldll
ne a horrible sight met their gaze Bodl
IL we're piled in one solid mass, SIX re
w. high on the second flood SO soma
,er we're they wedged that pick axes al
ae crow bars had to be used to sepafa
III the victims. AS each victim W
he taken from a pile a numbered tag W
iIy attached and the body placed on
20 board. The body was then cover
he with a quilt hundreds OF which we
furnished BY stores and citizens, a.
c. lowered to the street by means OF la
~ ders They were placed In WACO
and taken to the four morgues.
iad rapldlv were the bodies removed tn
w wagons we're not always on hand a
Ia the dead were carried through [
~ streets to the morgues. DR.. j.
~ Evans. Burgess of Malvern W
euneryjsed the removal Of the bod
M, On both Of the corners, said he did !
"a believe that 0 per cent OF the V
n,,t fins would ever be Identified.
~ nearly every case the upper port
,aii of the body was burned away and
a., great many instances the low
ais parts of the bodies were not touch