The morning journal-courier., 1908-01-14
Between Fifty and Seventy five Members of Lutheran Sunday School Meet
 Death at Boyer
 town, Pa.
APPALLING STAMPEDE
Seven Hundred Persons Tn the Opera House Make a Mad Rush for Exits, When an Explosion 0c-
 CUTS.

Boyertown. Pa, Jan. 13-Between fifty and seventy-five persons were burned to death tonight in fire that completely destroyed Rhoad's opera house in this place.
 The opera house was crowded with the members of St Johns Lutheran Sunday school, who were attending a benefit given for that church. While the show was in progress tank ex- ploded. The actors endeavored to quiet the audience but in their anxiety to make themselves heard and to avoid the awful stampede of the women and children, the coal oil lamps which were used at the footlights were overturned, setting the place on fire. The flames fed by the oil shot almost to the ceil- ing and there was wild rush of the seven hundred persons to escape from the burning building. Scores of wo- men and children were trampled on and several who escaped being burned to death died after being dragged from the opera house. In many cases, en- tire families have been wiped out. The scene which followed the explosion is indescribable. Scores of persons who were in the bacony at the time the ex- posion occurred, jumped from the win dows and sustained fractured limbs and skulls.
 To add to the terrible disaster the fire apparatus became disabled and the structure was left entirely to the mercy of the seething flames It is almost certain not a vestige of the bodies of the unfortunates who were overcome by the smoke and perished ever will be found. Assistance was asked from Pottstown but before the fire appara- tus from that city reached this place the entire center of the structure was . roaring furnace.
 Assistance was at once asked of both Reading and Pottstown and special trcins carrying nurses and doctors were rushed to the scene of the disaster.
 Every home within radius of half . dozen blocks of the opera house was i, made temporary hospital where the wounded were rushed by carriages and other means of conveyance.
 Royertown is borough with a pop ulation of about 2,500, and is located about midway between Pottstown and Reading
 The fire is not yet under control but it is not thought that 1t will be communicated to other property as the opera house is on plot of ground by itself.
 Hundreds of persons surround the burning structure apparently uncon- scious of the pending danger from falling walls Many parents who had children in the opera house are pacing to and fro almost maddened by the awful sight.
 The night was one of anguish The shrieks of mothers who rushed to the scene as soon as they learned of the fire was pitiful. As the night wore on the crowds surrounding the building grew to such proportions that it was almost impossible for the police force. which had been augmented by a score of men from Pottstown and Reading. to keep the people back One woman who said she had lost her entire fami- ly in the theater. was with difficulty restrained from throwing herself into the roaring flames.
 At 1 o'clock a special train from Reading bearing physicians and nurses reached here, but there was little for them to do, for the injured who had dashed themselves to the pavement had been cared for by the physicians assist ed by the Pottstown relief corps. Al min of ,,,;d wall Of the theater collapsed. The flames broke out anew and those who had vainly hoped to be able to find the remains of some of their loved ones turned in despair from the scene of the catastrophe.
 It is estimated that at least 75 per sons were injured by being trampled upon either on the stairway or by jumping from the windows of the burn- ing structure. Of this number at least a score were fatally injured. at least a half dozen succumbed to their in- juries after being hurried to one of the temporary hospitals.
 Three children, ranging in age from eight to twelve years, and one wom- an, who were dragged from the build l ing by persons who had rushed to the rescue, had been trampled almost to a pulp, the skull of one of the unfor- tunate children had been crushed as though an eggshell.
 The fire was under control shortly before 1 o'clock. but it will be abso- lutely impossible to attempt to make a search of the ruins before tomorrow Ii is extremely doubtful if the remains Of the victims can be distinguished from the debris. for many persons in the audience were covered with | burning oil as the lamps exploded.
 Latest estimates place the dead at nearly one hundred