The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-01-17

br the stairways meant almost certain
death, rfsked their lives by jumping
from the windows. Limbs were broken
n skulls crushed by this daring meth
cd of escape.
In the meantime a relief corps was
AZ work at the entrance to the theater
sndeavoring to release those men who
were Wedged In the doorways and un-
Y to extricate themselves.
MANY persons who otherwise might
nave made good their escape from the
furnace flames were held in check by
the awful jam at the doors.
Women in Agony.
AS the flames cut their way toward
tne front of the building women could
be seen to clasp their hands and fan
back into the flames.
once the doorways We're cleared the
rescuers dragged many women and
children from the stafrways leading to
the balcony. Some of them were so
. Daaly injured tha they died before
were crushed and the faces of some
or the victims were SO horribly multi
ated that they were barely recognize
able In one instance the skull of a
child apparently about 10 years old
was crushed almost to q Jelly.
Scores of women and children were
trampled upon and several who es-
capped being burned to death died after
being dragged from the opera house.
IN many cases whole families, it is
said, have been wiped out.
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
municated to other parts OF the thea
Ter. Men. women n children rushed
Tor the many exits. and the weaker
sex and the children were trampled
n MANNED by the mad rush to gain
the street.
assistance was at once asked Of both
Reading and Pottstown, and special
carrying nurses and doctors
We're rushed to h scene Of the dis
aster.
Every home within a radius Of half
dozen blocks OF the opera house was
q temporary hospital, where the
wounded We're rushed by carriages and
other means Of conveyance.
BoyertoWn is O borough with a pop.
OF about $500 and is located
about midway between Pottstown n
Reading.
Rear Wall coIIapses.
"A few minutes after midnight the
wall of the theater collapsed. The
names broke out anew, and those who
mad Vainly hoped to be able to find
the remains of some Of their loved
oaes turned in despair from the scene
OF the awful catastrophe. 1t is esti-
mated that at least Is persons We're in
1ured by being trampled on either in
the stairway or by jumping from the
of the burning structure. or
mis- number at least a score We're ia
ANY injured. a half dozen succumb-
ing to their injuries after being hur-
ried to one Of the temporary hospitals.
, Ihree children ranging in age from
3 TO IL years and one woman who was
ragged from the building by persons
VINO had rushed to the rescue had been
skull OF one OF the unfortunate chill
dren had been crushed as though an
egg shell. N'
In addition to the opera house, the
Farmers National bank, Erhan's hard-
ware house and the dwellings of George
tam, Harry Pennypacker and Alfred
zahahard burned. The monetary loss
amounted to $4,000. ~
The chief of the Pottstown fire de-
partment. who investigated the cause
OF the disaster, say the first rush
several men and women becoming
frightened when they heard the hose
connecting the moving picture ma
crime and the tank supplying the light
silpped off it's connection and made a
Missing noise. The tank itself did not
explode. he says, until after the flames
reached it. ~
In going to the fire, the Boyertown
collided with a tree and one
fireman was thrown from the appara-
tus and instantly killed.
All saloons have been ordered closed
Ing unruly.