Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-01-17
$50 PERISH
IN 1HEATER
HOLOCAUST
WOMEN AND CHILDREN TRAMPLED
ON OR ROASTED ALIVE AT
BOYERTOWN, PA.
MADDENlNG RUSH FOR ESCAPE
Victims in Wild Frenzy Leap from Bal
comics, Fight with Comrades and
Fall Before Wall of Fire.
PICTURE MACHINE IS BLAMED.

PICTURE MACHINE IS BLAMED.
| BOYERTOWN, Pa, Jan. 14.-One
hundred and fifty dead and at least seven
! ty-6ve injured, many fatally, is the ter
rible result of last nights theater dis
aster. In the twinkling of an eye
happy audience of about 400 turned it
self into screaming, terrified mob that
sought only refuge from the flames
caused by an explosion of gasoline tank
connected with moving picture machine.
In the wild tumult and rush for the
| doors someone upset the coal oil foot
lights and the burning oil scattered over
! the terror stricken crowd. AS the foOc
collapsed the shrieks of the helpless per-
sons 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 interior of the
! structure seemed a roaring furnace.
| Estimates place the number killed at
! from 125 to 100. The town officials
think at least $50 lives were lost
In going to the fire Boyertown engine
company collided with a tree. One of
the fremen was thrown from the appa
ratus and, landing heavily against the
tree was instantly killed. At + am,
the borough police ordered all saloons
| closed as the rough element was becOm-
ing unruly.
Relief Work Is Begun
The fire was not brought under control
until early this morning after assistance
had arrived from Reading and Potts
town. Physicians and nurses were also
sent to BoyertoWn from Reading and
aided in alternating the sufferings of
the injured who had leaped from the
windows in their mad rush to escape.
About fifty members of the state con-
stabulary came over from Reading on Il
special train. The work of removing
the bodies from the debris will be u1l-
usually tedious and hazardous When
the crush was at its height the floor gave
way, precipitating many persons to the
basement and the bodies of these will
be buried beneath the charred timbers
and tons of bricks from the ruined walls.
In addition to the opera house. the
| Farmers National bank. RAINS hard
ware store and the dwellings of George
Rain, Harry Pennypacker and Alfred
Zashard burned The monetary loss
will amount to about $4,000.
A Sunday School Performance.
For several months the Sunday school
pupils of st. Johns Lutheran church had
| been rehearsing The Scottish Reforma-
! ton" which was beng staged by Mrs.
II. Z. Monroe of Washington, the author,
and when the curtain rose at O'Clock
| the opera house was thronged with rep
resentative citizens of the borough. The
drama was we'll played and the piece
worked smoothly for an amateur produc-
ton. The second half of the play, in
which the students from Glasgow uni
versity and the Puritan school marched
to ''Leath to meet Queen Mary" had
part had finished their songs and Incl
dentally to the drama, number Of pic
lures were shown by a moving picture
machine. This was operated by H. w.
| Fisher of Carlisle, Pa, who used cal
cium lights.
Explosion and Panic Follows.
| While he was operating the machine
there was a flash and loud report and
the people sitting III the rear OF the opera
mouse near the machine, arose IN fright
and rushed toward the stage. Their ac-
ton caused panic in the audience and
many of the people, thinking the build
ING was atire, rushed toward the stage.
| The young people who We're taking part
in the performance mOtloned to them to
keep back and resume their seats, but
the frightened spectators attempted to
climb onto the stage. One OF the young
people Oh the stage, more excited than
the others, made a motion as to repeI
them and in his excitement he over
turned the coal oil lamps that were uscG
as footlights for the stage. 1t fell With
4 crash into the auditorium and eX
ploded
Fight Like Fierds to Escape.
In an instant the stage floor was ablaze
and the frightened people surged
toward the rear again. The youthful
actors fled from the stage and managed
| to escape, clad in their stage garments.
The crowd in the front of the auditorium
fed to the rear and they were met by
crowd from the rear frantic to escape
from the peril of the burning picture ma
chine in the rear. The mob became
panic stricken, and strong men beat
down women and children in their eff
forts to get out of the building. Frank
Callen, Il blacksmith, seized his 4-year~
old son and made his way 10 a window.
| When he attempted to return to get his
wife, she was in struggling mass of
humanity and it was impossible for him
to reach her. The flames spread rapidly
and many of the audience were caught
and overcome before they could reach the
fire escapes. The frenzied people fought
| with each other to reach the front en-
trance.
Die with Help Near.
The front entrance was the principal
| means of exit from the building and
struggling mass of humanity was quick
ly piled around the doors that led to
| stairs which led to the street Smoke
stifed them and they We're burned to
death almost in sight of escape from the
seething furnace that surrounded them
| A number of people who were attracted
by cries of fire rushed from the street
| to the entrance to the opera house and
up the stairs to the second floor They
| succeeded in rescuing some but were
forced to abandon the others to their
| fate as the quickly advancing flames
drove them from the building.
| Charles B. .Spatz. editor of the local