Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-01-16

BOyertOWn, Pa, Jan. 14.-At
O'Clock this afternoon the number
of dead was officially given as
about $50. More than fifty bodies
have been taken out of the ruins.
One hundred, mostly women and
children are missing from their
homes.
Boyertown Pa. Jan a. - At eight |
O'Clock this morning the number mis-
sing as a result of last nights fire and
panic in the Rhoades Opera house
was placed at 1876 and the injured at
Is. Exactly how many were killed
may never be known, for among thea
victims were number 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 used in con-
nection with the pictures, occurred.
An amateur performance of the
Scottish Reformation" for the bene-
fit of the German Lutheran Sunday
school, was being produced.
Coal Oil Lamps Spread Fire.
Instantly after the explosion occur
led someone yelled fire" and in al
most less time than 1t takes to tell 1T,
| the opera house was blazing fur
mace. The rapidity with which the
flames spread was caused by the up
setting OF the coal oil lamps used as
! footlights by some persons on the
stage who endeavored to allay the
| fright of the women and children and
quiet the audience.
4 But even men seemed to lose all
of OH
the women and children who compos-
ed the greater part of the audience. In
this manner many of the weaker ones
who might otherwise have escaped
. the flames were forced to the floor
and trampled upon. ~ 9
Many Saved by Jumping.
, Particularly was, this the case with
those caught on the stairways. Pande-
, monium reigned and the mad scram-
bic for exits was awful. Scores of per
sons on the second floor, seeing the
t jam on the stairway, risked their
, Lives by jumping from the windows.
Several Of these were badly injured
and it is believed they will die later
| r. Had the women and children needed
: the warning of the cooler heads in the
: audience the horrible loss of life might
a have been avoided, but there was the
:, usual panic and stampede which in
I i variably follows at such catastrope
Assistance was at once asked Of
i both Reading and Pottstown and spec
\ / ial trains carrying nurses and doctors
were rushed to the scene of the dis
a aster.
= Every home within radius of half {
;, dozen blocks of the opera house was
:, made a temporary hospital, where thu
:, wounded were rushed by carriages ans
9 other means of conveyance.
d Parents Crazed by Grief.
J. Hundreds of people surrounded tn
q structure all night, apparently uncon
e scious of the pending danger from
1t falling walls.
IS Fire Burned All Night.
n Bayertown is village of $500 pee
d pie and there is scarcely a house i
.e the town that has not been affecte
h by last nights visitation of fire. TIL
fire was not brought under control III
s. til early today after assistance had al
n rived from Reading and Pottstow1
ir Physicians and nurses were also ser
to Boyertown from Reading and aide
materially in alternating the sufferin
;, of the injured. The work of remoyin
-, 10 the bodies from the debris will b
~ ~ unusually tedious and hazardous 9
~ they are beneath the charred timber
~, ~. of the Inflated structure
~ ~ The monetary loss will be abol
ar $4,000.
| Ii,