Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-01-15
Metropolitan Officials Will In
spect and 10 Cent Thea
ter Exits Now.
AFTER B0YERTOWN HORROR
Little Danger. However, in Cases
Where Buildings Are Construct
ed for Playhouses.

IN which nearly 2OU lives were lOSt,
was not directly caused by the moving
picture machine, as at first reported,
the report has called attention to the
danger of those machines, hundreds of
which are in daily and nightly opera
ton in every city in the country.
Chief Croker of the fire department
says there is great danger from fires
from these machines.
Danger in Regular Theaters Small.
In regular theaters there is practic
ally no danger from the machines, but
in the small and 10 cent shows there
is very real danger, as the machine
is liable to start fire at any moment,
and in the "store show" little attention
is paid TO the matter of exits for the
large crowds constantly in attendance.
Were 425 In Death Chamber.
Boyertown. Pa. Jan. Is. - The
Rhoades opera house in which the dis
aster of Monday night took place was
located on the second floor of a three
story brick building. The first floor
was occupied by a national bank and
several stores and the third floor was
used for lodge rooms.
The entertainment hall was q large
| room about so feet wide and rs feet
long. 1t had no gallery. There was a
stairway at the front of the building
and a narrow exit in the rear of the
sides and on the front of the building.
| So far as can be learned there were
about 425 persons packed in the room
most of whom were adults A number
of children were present. There were
about 65 persons, all local talent, on
ance of THE Scottish Reformation
Near Close of Performance.
The entertainment was nearly over
the audience waiting for the curtain
10 go up for the last part, when some
thing went wrong with the calcium
light apparatus that was perched or
a small platform near the front en-
trance of the building, and at the baci
lOf the audience.
The light was in charge of II. w
Fischer of Carlisle, Pa, and he says .
rubber tube slipped from one of tn,
tanks. At any rate there was lou(
kissing sound, which caused many il
the audience to turn their heads il
curiosity to see what it was.
Curiosity Cause of Holocaust.
There was absolutely no panic up t.
this time and probably nothing woul'
have happened if 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.
, Hearing the Kissing sound and tn
slight commotion in the audience, on
! of the performers raised the curtai
! from the floor In front of the cul
= tain and serving as footlights was
! tin tank eight feet long, three inche
wide, and three inches high. 1t col
tanned coal oil and 10 lights.
D In raising the curtain the performe
! accidentally turned this tank over an
it fell to the floor within a few inche
q of the persons in the front row.
a Tried to Pick Up Tank.
!, Rev. Adam A. Weber, pastor of S
S Johns Lutheran church, for the bel
eft of whose Sunday school the ente
tainment was being given, tried to pic
: up the tank with the assistance of otl
e ers, but before they could do so the o
h flowed out and caught fire.
# Then came the inevitable cry /
e fire." and what followed has been ir
s. possible to accurately tell. Eye wi
t nesses say that the audience rose G
n masse and the one impulse was
d reach the front door.
I'll All attempted it, but few got OF
IS The seats in the center of the ha
e were of the usual folding variety, viii
l. those along the sides of the hall we
r loose chairs. In the scramble to g
and were never again able to rega
their feet.
6 Those who did reach the front G
trance found it iammed. One of t
II. double doors had been bolted shut
as to better enable the ticket taker
RI take up tickets.
n But Two Could Pass Mt Once.
" Not more than two persons cou
oi pass the door at one time, and aft
ne the first half dozen got through t
as narrow passage it became clogged wi
%. the struggling mass of humanity. Nj
women, boys, girls, and chairs we
tangled up in solid mass that no O
on the outside was able to disentang
m In the meantime some one discover
ed that there were fire escapes on ca
ed side of the building. and dozens ma
is their exit by those avenues of escs
land gave the alarm. The fire bell v