Omaha daily bee., 1908-01-15

BONERTOWN Pa Jan 1a-Ar p'clocl,
this afternoon lG5 bodies had been rerov-
cred from the ruins Of the opera house.
The coroner stated AZ that hour that he be-
heved thai a number more would be found
The chief Of the Puttstuwn fire aeuRrf-
ment, who investigated the oHuse Of the
disaster, ssyB the first rush toward the
stage was caused by several men and
women hecoming frightened when the hose
connecting the moving picture machine and
the tank supplying the hight slipped Oft
its connection and made missing noise
The tank itself did not explode, he says,
until the Flames reached It.
In going to the fire the Buveftown com
pany coIhded with tree and one Of the
firsmens who was thrown from the ap-
pBrstUs and landed heavily sEninst q tree.
Was instantly killed An the saloons ars
ordered closed today. as the rough element
iE bscnrninE un1uly.
List Of the Dead.
TIE list OF known dead follows.
MRS. JOHN BBcKER AND TWO
Or CHARLES M4xER AxD DAUGR-
RoBERT LAPIsH.
child OF REV, A. M WEBER
Il Ii FIclEI IrN
MISS ELMA ENGLE
MRS, IRA SHARES
MHS. RICHARD II RlSER
MRS. DANIEL KRAI-Z
Mhs. GEORGE ROMlNE
CHALL
HERBERT GoTTsCHALL
HENRY BRINDER.
BLANCHE MABEL kOOKEL
ELLEN GOTTSCHALL
MABEL GRAFF.
LoTTIE GRAVES AND SISTER.
CHARLES MOVER AND DAUGHTER.
DANIEL KFlATZ.
NORRIS ANDERSON AND TWO
JAMES ANDERSON. WIFE AND TWO
cHARLEs MAURHR-
STELLA kULP.
CARRIE WEAND.
FLORENCE WEAND.
EDNA BOYER
KELLEY BOYER
MAMIE tolls.
MRS MAGGIE LEFEvRE
MRS. MARY LEINBACH
MRS. ADAM MOYER
DAVID GABLE
FRANKLIN LEIDY.
ANNA LEIDY
ESTHER CULLEN.
DOTTIE BOWMAN.
ELLA JOHNSON.
ANNA ZEIGLER
JOHN FRITZ.
CORA FRITZ
MRS JOHN GLAZE
MRS REUBEN HOFFMAN ANn
DAUGHTER
MRS JOHNSON
Hall a Blazing Furnace.
Ii is estimated that there were 400 par
sons in the play house when the expl0Eia1
Of the gas tank occurred The tank WA
being used in connection with pictures
An amateur performance Of Scottish
Reformation for the benefit Of St Johns
Lutheran Sunday school was bsi-lE pro
duoed Instantly the explosion occurred
someone yelled fire" and IN almost less
time than il takes 10 tell II. the center Of
the opera house was blazing furnace
The rEpidity with which the flames spread
WIS caused by the upserttug Of the coal oil
lamps used as the fOotlights by su1ns o.
the persons rhs stage who sndssvursd
10 GIlBy the frightened children and quiet
the sudiehoe. But even the men seemed 10
lose all control Of themselves ana fought
with the women and children who eon-
posed the greater part Of the sudienos 10
gain the street In this manner many
women and children who might otherwise
have escaped the flames were forced back
and trampled upon.
Particularly was this The case of thnss
who were caught on the EtHirways. The
mac scramble for the eIitE wBE simply
indeHcribAhle The weaker ones we're
brushed aside and in many Instances
trEmple5 to death. Scores Of persons en-
the second floor, seeing the Hwful Jam on
the stairway. riEled their lives by junip-
ing from the windows In this way several
were 80 badly injured thai thsy died BE-
fore reaching any o. The numerous tenn
porsry hospitals
Men Lost Their Henaa.
Boysrtown is q town Of about an per-
SONS ana there iE scarcely q house IN the
! little town that has not been afflicted by
lEEt niRlIf's visitation Of fire Her ben W
StevenE one Of those VINO esrHpso the
4 flames, In speaking uf The fre today uaid;
When the explosion occurred fhare were
a. least thirty boys and giris on tn stage
while many more were bsflind the scenes
4 Without warning there was 3 terrific e1-
/ plDEion. which seemed 20 shake ths whole
I building Immediately there was & wild
] rush for the exits. The people on the
/ stage Jumped over ths fBotIlEttf into ths
/ audience All EesEned % have loEi control
I Of themselves. The Flames FIRST consumed
4 the scenery and came toward tbe erUEd