Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1908-01-16
MANYOWNERLEsSTEAMS
Horses Taken to Stables just
Before Disaster.
SAD, sICKENING SCENES.
Bodies Of One Hundred and SIXTY
Victims Of the Panic and Fire as
Bowsrsowns Pa. Placed In the Fom
lnprevissd Msrsuss.

Boyertown. Pa. Jan. 15.--with the
opening OF four improvised morgues in
which are the bodies Of the victims OF
Monday nights theater holocaust the
Inhabitants Of this little borough be
gan To realize the lawful extent OF the
tragedy. Tho hand OF sorrow has
touched probably every family in the
town and neighboring villages. Where
families were not directly affected by
the terrible panic. and fire through
the loss OF relatives they are mourning
for the loss OF friends or acqraint'
ances. The gruesome scenes follow,
ing the disaster brings a shudder TO
the stoutest heart. and many thou.
sands who come as curiosity seekers
have gone away. declaring they never
wante to witness another sight like It.
Four buildings used as morgucs con-
tain 1862 bodies. Jacob Johnson. who
WAS badly hurt In the mad rush for
e.it from the burning building. has
died. 4.
Coroner Strasscr Is making an I'm.
vcstigatIon preliminary TO the official
Inquest 1T Is the saddest picture ]
ever looked unon." he said NO Nv
Ing person can depict the scene. II IL
simply Understandable. ! shall make 4
thorough investigation. leading IN ~
what | consider the most horrible AZ
fair that ever occurred In eastern
Pennsylvania
The coroner's attention was called
70 the fact that the oil lamps were
used for footlights in the opera house
| IN place OF stationary illumination. He
said he would make thorough inves-
tigatlon.
But two members OF the cast so far
as can be learned were killed. This
was due to the precaution taken by
Mrs. Della Mayer She had premon'
ition that something would happen.
| At n luncheon given TO the members
OF the cast IN hall several days ago,
she said she feared something. There
ought to n means OF escape" she said,
The rear entrance vas spoken OF. and
| NJ her suggestion the doors were taken
off the hinges so In case OF accident
egress would easily be accomplished
Henry w Fisher OF Carlisle. Pa
who operated the calcium lights. which
was the original cause Of the terrible
disaster. made his escape from the
burning building. though not without
first receiving severe burma. MIR
Fisher said: "The accident to the cal
cium lights was caused by the cap on
one OF the tanks on n calcium light
blowing out This caused sharp re-
port and flash which startled the
neople In the audience. stuck to my
apparatus and finally got the leak re-
paired and succeeded In quieting this
ALARMED people. Just rs had then
calm. the foolish action OF some
frightened person on the stage caused
the upsetting OF footlight lamp, and
the consequent spread OF the falmei
which nothing could avert Not until
then did desert my position and seel
my own safety In flight"
That the victims were not confined
20 residents OF Boyertown Is shown by
the number OF unclaimed teams In th'
city. Fully forty teams remain I'm
called for In stables and hostlers sa'
they belong TO people residing within
radius OF five or six miles OF Boyer
town. who drove TO this place on Mon
day with their families TO witness tn
production OF the Scottish Reforma
ton" There Is no clue to the identit'