Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-01-15
167 BODIES RECOVERED
FROM B0YERTOWN FIRE,
Town Of $500 People Wrapped In Grief. Pathetic
Scenes at Ruins. Whole Families Wiped Out
...vCtimS Are Mostly Women and Girls.

| Boyertown, Pa, Jan. 14.-When
nightfall put stop to the work Of
recovering the dead from the ruins of
the Rhoudes Opera house. where last
nights holocaust occurred, the official
roll of victims numbered 1851. Whether
any more bodies are buried beneath
the ruins cannot be positively stated
but it is the belief Of those who had
| charge of the gruesome work that all
Of the dead have been removed, and
| that the total list Of victims will not go
| above 40. The ratio of women and
girls to men and boys is about 9 to l.
The work Of identification will not be
begun until tomorrow, as most Of the
bodies are still lying in a confused
state at the four improvised morgues
The inhabitants of the little borough
in the Berks county hills are tonight
stepped in grief The calamity, terrible
when it is realized that the place has
a population of but $500. has paralyzed
the town anu the people are going
about dazed. They scarcely realize
what haszhappened and cannot believe
that loved ones, friends or acquaint-
ances. were lost in the awful panic
and fire. 1t is safe to say that every
body in the place either lost one or
more relatives, or was intimately ac-
quainted with those who died in the
fire. In several cases whole families
were wiped out.
1t was almost daylight this morning
before the flames were eXtinguished
and rescuers were able to enter the
ruins to remove the dead. The morn
i,lg was bitter cold and by the time
the benumbed and exhausted firemen
began the task of disentangling the
mass of burned beams and twisted
iron, the entire ruins were coated with
ice and there was danger of the walls
falling.
| The work went slowly at first and it
was o'clock before the first body was
removed. Coroner Strasser, of Reading.
who reached the scene shortly after
midnight last night. had detail of
men ready to tag the bodies and keep
q record of the description of every
corpse removed The bodies were so
badly burned, however, that there was
little to describe them by and it is
safe to say that not half the victims
will ever be identified.
49,
Their uins about a half hour after the
first and then the work of recovery
moved more rapidly. By noon the res
cuers became thoroughly exhausted
from the cold and hard work and for
time the work came almost to a
standstill. Fortunately the Philadelphia
& Reading Railway Co. sent the super
intendent of the Reading division Of
the railroad to the scene to offer the
company's assistance to Coroner Stras-
ser. Chief Burgess Kohler was unable
to furnish men TO help, and Coroner
Straaser Immediately awaited himself
of the railroads offer.
Within an hour the company had two
carloads of laborers and carpenters on
the ground and the work Of recovery
Of bodies moved so rapidly that vic
tins were being taken from the ruins
at the rate Of two every five minutes
There were many different stories as
to the exact cause of the panic and
) fire and there were several rumors OF
arrest, but the borough officers and
, the coroner tonight denied that any
action whatever had been taken. The
coroner said that his one thought was
to get out all the bodies before a sleet
or snow storm should set in and ham
per the work.
The Rhoades Opera house was locat-
ed on the second floor Of a three-story
brick building. The first floor was oc
cupiod by bank and several stores
and the third floor was used for lodge
rooms. The entertainment hall was c
, large room about so feet wide and Il
feet long. 1t had no gallery. There wa.
a stairway at the front of the building
and narrow exit in the rear Of tht
stage. Fire escapes were built on boti
sides and on the front of the building
So far as can be learned there wer,
about 425 persons packed in the room
most of whom We're adults. The mum
Der Of children present was compare
lively small. There were about 81 per
sons. all local talent, on the stage, wht
were giving performance Of the Scot
fish Reformation. The entertainment
was nearly over, the audience waiting
for the curtain to go up on the las
part, when something went wrong will
the calcium light apparatus that wa:
perched on small platform near ths
front entrance of the building and a
the back of the audience. The light wa.
in charge of H. w. Fischer of Carlisle
Pa, and he says a rubber tube Slipped
from one CT the tanks. At once Their
was loud Kissing sound, which caused
many in the audience to turn thei
heads IN curiosity to see what it was
There was absolutely no panic up t
this time and nothing probably woult
have happened il one or more of tn
performers behind the curtain had no
] been curious to learn what was caus
ing the noise. Who he or they wer
probably will never be known. Hear
ing the kissing sound and the Sigh
commotion in the audience, one of TIL