The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1908-01-18
THEATER HOLOCAUST
Takes lives OF 1850
GAS TANK IN eoYERToWN, Pa,
PLAYHOUSE ExPLoDEs, KILL,
ING SCORES.
EXACT DEATH ROLL
CANNOT BE TOLD

CANNOl BE TOLD
Awful Panic in Burning Auditorium
When Cry Of "Fire" Startles Audi
ence Estimated at Four Hundred
Recovering Bodies Commenced.
Boyertown, Pa, Jan. 15.-When day
light dawned Tuesday the full extent
of the awful fire when the Rhoades
opera house burned was fully appar-
emit. The list of dead is placed at
100 and the injured at IS. Exactly how
many were killed may never be
known, for among the victims were a
pumber Of visitors who may have no
relatives to trace their untimely fate.
1t is estimated that there were 400
persons in the playhouse when the
explosion of the gas tank occurred.
The tank was being used in connec-
ton with pictures. An amateur per-
formance of Scottish Reformation"
for the benefit of st. Johns Lutheran
Sunday school, was being produced.
Instantly the explosion occurred some
one yelled "t1re," and in almost less
time than it takes to tell the center
of the opera house was a blazing
furnace. The rapidity with which the
flames spread was caused by the up
setting of the coal oil lamps used as
tootlights.
Awful Panic Kills Scores.
Some of the persons on the stage
endeavored to allay the frenzy of the
frightened women and children and
quiet the audience. But even the men
seemed to lose all control of them
selves and fought with the women and
children who composed the greater
part of the audience to gain the street.
In this manner many women and chill
dren, who might otherwise have es-
capped the flames, were forced back
and trampled upon. Particularly was
this the case with those who were
caught on the stairways. Pande-
monium reigned and the mad scram-
BILE for the exits was simply indescrib-
able. The weaker ones were brushed
664u0 anu Al Auduy 1AoLdACOo u 1plCu
to death. Scores Of persons on the
second floor, seeing the awful jam on
the stairways, risked their lives by
jumping from the windows. In this
way several were so badly injured that
they died before reaching any of the
numerous temporary hospitals. Boyer
aown is village of about $500 peo-
pie, and there is scarcely house in
the little town that has not been af-
flicted.
Fire Controlled at Last.
The fire was not brought under con-
troll until Tuesday after assistance
had arrived from Reading and Potts
town. Physicians and nurses were
also sent to Boyertown from Reading
and aided materially in alternating the
sufferings of the injured who had
leaped from the windows in their mad
rush to escape the flames. Tuesday
about 80 members of the state con-
stabulary, which is stationed in this
district, came over from Reading on a
special train. The work of removing
the bodies from the debris will be I'M
sually tedious and hazardous. When
the crush was at its height the floor
gave way, precipitating many persons
to the basement, and the bodies Of
these will be buried beneath the
charred timbers and tons of bricks
from the ruined walls. In addition to
the opera house and Farmers National
Bank, Rahn's hardware store and the
dwellings of George Rain, Harry Pen
nypacker and Alfred Zashard were
burned. The monetary loss will
amount to about $4,000.
Songs; Then Terrible Blast.
The people taking part had finished
their songs and, incidentally to the
drama, number of pictures were
shown by a moving picture machine.
This was operated by H. w. Fisher Of
Carlisle, Pa, who used calcium lights.
While he was operating the machine
there was a flash and a loud report
and the people sitting in the rear of
the opera house near the machine
arose in fright and rushed toward the
stage. Their action caused a panic
in the audience and many Of the peo-
pie, thinking the building was afire,
rushed toward the stage. The young
people who were taking part in the
performance motioned to them to keep
back and resume their seats but the
frightened spectators attempted to
climb onto the stage. One of the
young neon1a on the. stage mora ex-
cited than the others made a motion
as to repel them and in his excitement
he overturned one of the coal oil
lamps that were used as footlights for
the stage. It fell with a crash into
the auditorium and exploded
AbIaze in an Instant.
In an instant the stage floor was
ablaze and the frightened people
surged toward the rear again. The