The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-01-15
AND HUSBANDS MOURN LOSS
OF WIVES AND CHILDREN WHO
MET SAD DEATH.
MANY PATHETIC SCENES.
Men With Grave Faces and Women
With Tear Stained Eyes Stand &c
fore the Hideous Tomb of Their
Friends and Relatives.

BoyertoWn, Pa, Jan. l5- Pennsyl-
Vania state police are now ON guard
at the doors OF the four moreues in
which lie the charred bodies Of l6H
victims of the Rhodes opera house
fire. where identification OF the re-
mains began today. Early today ia
cob Johnson died al his home as the
result of burns received. Besides one
hundred volunteer grave diggers, 9th
ers will be engaged tonight. A pub
lie meeting will be held 10 arrange for
the burial of the dead.
BOyertOWn lies stunned by the blow
Of the borough administration but one
uncial. Burgess Ko"hlcr. suffered nci-
ther the death nor injury Of Il loved
one.
Towns Civil Arm Is Crippled.
Whole families have been wiped out
of existence: one orphaned child re-
mains of a family of six or seven.
Wives mourn husbands. husbands
mourn wives, The civil arm hangs
practically powerless. The state po-
lice are in charge, The saloons are
all closed. Business otherwise is sua-
pended A pail hangs over the place,
From door after door in the best resi-
dence sections of the city strcamers of
black dangle. The streets are silent
1hugh throngcd.
Men with grave faces. women with
1ear-stained eyes. throng the hotel cor
ridors. gather on the street corners, or
stand before the hideous tomb of their
friends and relatives.
All the talk is of death. They meet
on the highway and speak thus in
hushed tones:
Isn't it terrible: How many OF
yours were there"
My father and sister,.
Il have lost my wife and boy"
To one who does not understand. it
would sound apathetic. commonplace
hcartlcss. 1t is none of these. They
don't realize it yet They are numb
from surprise and grief They cannot
comprehend. Those who are gone
entered the Inflated hall. They never
emerged again. 1t is like a ship lost
at sea. We know that our loved ones
sailed on the ship and the news haf
reached us that the ship has gone
down with all ON board. They went
10 this entertainment and they never
came back.
Churches Turned Into Morgues.
That's all. For the rest in course
of time there may he a complete list
Of the dead prepared by process OF
elimination. All efforts to secure
such list failed From the break o
day yesterday. until long after sunset
all who were able 10 lift hand, devot
ed themselves 10 digging from the III
ins the bodies OF victims. School
houses. undertaking. establishment:
and churches were turned into
morgues, and in these places force o
Nndertakers recruited from Readins
Snd Pootstown worked endcayorinc Il
restore TO these corpses some sem
blance of humanity. foy today throug>
filed in 10 attempt the identification o
the victims
Meanwhile Coroner Robert Straussel
of Berks county. who has been labor
ing at the scene, is seeking men tol
his jury of inquest who do not feel The
burden of personal grief and loss. The
jury will fix the responsibility for the
calamity. They will have a serious
task. Indeed, save for the fact tina
tie hall appears to have been crowdcs
beyond its capacity, there does not
seem to have been any direct individ
ual responsibility.
Surveying the ruins now and listen
ing TO the stories of the few who es
capped unscathed. there is absolutel,
no reason TO be found why solitar,
soul should have persisted The hal