Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-01-23

By the etairways meant almost certain
death. risked their lives by jumping
from the windows. Limbs were broken
and skulls crushed by this daring meth
cd Of escape.
In The meantime a relief corps was
at work at the entrance to the theater
e~ndeavorfng to release thos. men who
were wedged in the doorwa.,s and UNI
able to extricate themselves.
Many persons who otherwise might
nave mad good their escape from the
furnace flames were held In check by
the AWFUL jan at the doors.
Women in Agony.
AS the flames cut their way toward
the front OF the building women could
be seen to clasp their hands and fan
back into the flames.
once the dOorways were cleared the
rescu"rs dragged many women and
children from the stairways leading to
the balcony. Some of them We're SO
badly injured that they died before
reaching a temporary hospital. Skulls
were crushed and the faces of some
OF the victims were so horribly multi
ated that they were barely recognize
able. In one instance the skull OF O
child apparently about 10 years old
was crushed almost to a Jelly.
Scores of women and children were
trampled upon n several who es-
capped being burned to death died after
being dragged from the opera house.
In many cases whole families, 1t is
said, have been wiped out.
To add to the terrible disaster. the
fire apparatus became disabled and
the structure was left entirely to the
mercy Of the flames.
Needed Not Caution.
Had the women and children heed
ed the warning OF the cooler heads in
the audience the terrible loss of life
might have been avoided. but there
was the usual panic and stampede
which invariably follows such a catas-
trophe.
The flames spread rapidly and COM
munfcated to other parts OF the thea
ter. Men. wOmen and children rushed
for the many exits. and the weaker
sex and the children We're trampled
II MANNED by the mad rush to gain
the street.
Assistance was at once asked of both
Reading and Pottstown. and special
trains carrying nurses and doctors
were rushed TO the scene OF the dis.
aster.
Every home within a radius of half
a dozen blocks OF the opera house was
made a temporary hospital. where the
wounded were rushed by carriages and
other means of conveyance.
BoyertOwn Is a borough with @ pop-
ulation OF about $500 and Is located
about midway between Pottstown and
Reading.
Rear Wall coilapses.
A few minutes after midnight the
rear 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 awful catastrophe. 1t is esti-
mated that at least 15 persons were in
l tflr1p6 nv ha{nCy fy>at nj ~, ,ttt,~. T.,
the stairway or by jumping from the
windows of the burning structure. OF
this number at least a score were ia
tally injured. n half dozen succumb-
ing to their injuries after being hur-
ried to one of the temporary hospitals.
Three children ranging In age from
s TO IL years and n m who was
ragged from the building by persons
who had rushed to the rescue had been
trainpled lmost to a pulp and the
skull of n OF the unfortunate chill
dren had been crushed as though an
egg shell.
In addition to the opera house. the
Farmers National bank. Erhan's hard
ware house n the dwellings, of George
Eahn. Harry Pennypacker and Alfred
Zahahard burned. The monetary loss
amounted to $1,000
The chief of the Pottstown fire de-
partment. who investigated the cause
OF the disaster. says the first rush
toward he stairs as the cause OF
several men and women becoming
frightened when they heard the hose
connecting the moving picture ma.
chine and the tank supplying the ligh,
slipped off its connection and made a
Kissing noise. The tank itself did not
explode. he says. until after the flames
reached it.
In going to the fire, the Boyertowr
company collided with a tree and one
fireman was thrown from the appara.
tus and instantly killed.
All saloons have been ordered CLOSED
today as the rough element is bccom.
ing unruly.