The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-01-14
a GAS TANK EXpLODES
Women and Children TrampIed
Upon in Mad Rush as Many
Jump from Windows-Fa-
talities May Reach 100.

BoyertOwn, Pa, Jan. IA ca
tastrophe horrifying in it's details
and sickening in it's results last
night swept nearly one hundred
souls of this borough into eternity in
almost the twinkling of an eye and
fatally. A majority of the dead were
members of the leading families of
of the town.
While the Scottish Reformation"
was being produced in Rhoad's op-
era house by Mrs. Monroe of Wash
ington a tank used in moving pic
ture scene exploded. Immediately
there was a wild rush for the exits
of the building. Men of mature years
endeavored to still the panic, but
their voices could not be heard above
the shrieks and screams of the ter
rified women and children who COM
posed the greater part of the audi
ence
The scenes can not be portrayed
fifty by the most imaginative The
blood-curdling cries 70 help of those
who were penned in within the walls
of the blazing structure could be
heard above the roaring, seething
! flames. 1t seemed as though nearly
! the entire audience made mad
70 ha ut
explosion occurred.
In their attempts to quiet the
| crowd, those persons who were on
the stage accidentally upset the coal
oil lamps used as the fotlights. The
burning oil scattered in all direc-
tions 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 exits
In the mad rush, a section of the
floor gave way, precipitating scores
of persons to the basement AS the
{ floor collapsed, the shrieks of the
( helpless persons who were carried
down were heard for blocks.
/ 1t was scarcely five minutes from
the time of the explosion of the tank
until the entire heart of the struc-
t ture seemed roaring furnace.
There was 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 fifty per-
sons, realizing that exit by the stair
! way meant almost certain death,
risked their lives by jumping from
the windows. Limbs were brok'.a
and skulls were crushed by t,i. dar.
ing method of escape
To add to the terrible disaster
the fire apparatus became disabled
and the structure was left entirely
to the mercy of the seething flames.
1t Is almost certain not vestige O.
the DOuloS OI tue uuIOTtuudJcS WHO
were overcome by the smoke and
perished will ever be found.
Every home within a radius OF
i half a dozen blocks of the opera
house was made a temporary hos.
pital, where the wounded were rush
ed by carriages and other means of
conveyance.
At l o'clock special train from
Reading bearing physicians and
nurses reached mere. Tut there was
little for them to do. as the injured
who had dashed themselves to the
pavement had beer cared for by the
local physicians, assisted by the
Pottstown relief corps.
A few minutes after midnight the
rear wall of the theatre collapsed
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