The Cairo bulletin., 1908-01-14
Actors Try to ForestaI| Panic
Without Success Many
TrampIed to Death
Coal Oil Lamps Used For FootIishts Overturned
and Fed Fire Which Started From Tank
Explosion--Outside Towns Send Aid

II ca Ja2eFioWH, fa.f JAN. To- istkNtsNii
ififty and .seyenty-persons were burn
ed I'd death tonight In d fire which
.lcompIetely destroyed the Khoaas
Opera huose In this city
The opera house was crowded with
lmembers Of ST. Johns Lutheran Sun
fday school, who were attending u
benefit given for that church While
tthe show was in progress tank ex.
Eploded Tho actors endeayored to
quiet the audience but In their anx.
Iiety to make themselves heard and to
avoid an awful stampede OF women
and children. the coal oil lamps which
were used as foot tights we're over
turned, setting the p.ace on nre.
The flames fed by the oil, shot al.
most to the ceiling and there WAS d
wild rush OF seven hundred persons
| To escape from the burning building
Scores Oh women and children wars j
tralnpled upon and several who es.
capped being burned to death, died
after being dragged from the opera
|hcuss.
III many cases. 1t is. stated that en-
tire families have been wiped out
tire families have been wiped out. Tha
indescribable. Scores OF persons wha
were In The balcony ar the time ths
explosion occurred, jumped from win.
downs and sustained fractured limbs
and skulls.
n 10 add to the terrible disaster. tha
lire i apparatus became disabled and
the structure was left entirely 10 TIM
mercy 0f the saething flames.
II Is almost certain that not i YES.
tige of the bodies of unfortunates who
we're overcome by the smoke and per
islied Will ever be found.
Assistance was asked from POTTS
town but before tho fire apparatus
from that city reached this place. the
entire center Of the structure was n
'oarint. furnace.
Had tho women AMI children heel
d the warning of the cooler heads a.
ne audience, the horrible loss OF lIra
night nave been avoided but tner,
vas the usual panic ant stampete
which invariably follows at such i
atastrcnhe. The flames spread ran.
ily and communicated to the othey
arts OF the theater. Men. women ami
hildren rushed for he many exits and
ne weaker sex and the children were
rampled and manned in the mad
ush to gain the street.
Assistance was at once asked OF
oth Reading and Pottstown and
pecial trains carrying urses and doc.
'rs We're rushed to the scene OF the
haste.
Every home within a radius of haif
dczen blocks of the opera house
as madc a temporary hospital
here the wounded were rushed bs
irriages and other means of convey.
nCs
Boyertown is borough with a non.
alton of about twenty-five hundred
III is located about midway between
5ttstown and Reading.
The fire is not yet under control
II It is not. thought that IT WIN be
'mmunieated 20 other property as
3 opera house is on a plot OF ground
! itsel.
Hundreds OF persons surrounded
9 burning structure apparently un.
Iiseious OF the pending danger frcsa
lllng walls. Many parents who had
iidren in the opera house are nae.
to and fro almost maddened by
o awful sight. f-
AT one O'Clock TUESDAY a MI
eeiai train from Readingi bearing
iysieians and nurses reached here.
I as there was little for them 10 do
the injured who had dashed them
Ives 10 the pavement had been
red for the physicians assisted the
'ttstown relief corps.
IL Is estimated that at least Is per
ms were injured by being tramuled
'on either on the stairs or BY mmp-
2 from the windows OF the burning
-ueture. OF this number al least
ore we're fatally injured. and az
ist half a dozen succumbed to their
iurics after being hurried to one of
2 temporary hospitals.
Three children ranging in ages from
10 y years aud one woman who
re dragged from the building BY
rsons who had rushed TO the rescue.
4 been trampled almost to pulp.
Ie skuH Of one OF the unfortunate
lliren had been crushed as though
was AZ egg shels-
The FIRE vas under cosff.l shortly
lore one ociock fTues1av q. M