The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1908-01-17
SCORES perish IN
THEATER HORROR
SHOCKING DISASTER DURING A
PERFORMANCE IN OPERA
HOUSE AT BoYERToN, PA.
Nearly 100 Are Killed-Tank Explo.
sion Throws Audience Into Panic,
Lamps Blow Up, Floor Collapses
and Structure Burns.

trophe terrifying in it's details and
sickening in it's results Monday swept
nearly 100 souls of this town into
eternity in almost the twinkling of an
eye and injured nearly three-score,
many of them fatally. Most of the
killed were members of the leading
families of the town.
While the Scottish Reformation
was being produced in Rhoades' opera
house by Mrs. Monroe of Washington
a tank used in moving picture scene
exploded. Immediately there was
wild rush for the exits. Men endeav-
ored to still the panic, but their voices
could not be heard. 1t seemed as
though nearly the entire audience
rushed for the exits the moment the
explosion occurred.
Building Attire; Floor coIIapses.
In their attempt to quiet the crowd
those persons who were on the stage
accidentally upset the coal oil lamps
used as footlights. The burning oil
was scattered in all directions and the
lamps which were used to light the
opera house exploded, throwing oil
over the terror-stricken people who
were fighting frantically to gain exits.
Then section of the floor gave
way, precipitating scores of persons to
the basement AS the floor collapsed
the shrieks of the helpless persons
who were carried down were heard
for blocks
1t was scarcely five minutes from
the time of the explosion of the tank
until the entire structure was like
roaring furnace. There was a wild
scramble for the stairway leading to
the balcony and scores of women
and children were knocked down and
trampled upon, many Of them doubt
less being crushed to death. At least
so persons, realizing that exit by the
stairway meant almost certain death,
risked their likes by jumping from
the windows. Many of these were
painfully injured.
Fatal Crush at Doorway.
Meantime a relief corps was at
work at the entrance to the theater,
endeavoring. to release those who
were wedged in the doorway and un-
able to extricate themselves. Many
persons who otherwise might have
made their escape from the furnace
of flames were held in check by the
jam at the doors. AS the flames ate
their way toward the front of the
building women could be seen to clasp
their hands and fall back into the
flames.
Once the doorways were cleared
the rescuers dragged many women
and children from the stairways lead
ing to the balcony. Some of them
were so badly injured that they died
before reaching temporary hospital.
Skulls were crushed and the faces of
some of the victims were so horribly
mutilated that they were barely recog-
nizable.
Scenes Are Terrible.
To add to the terrible disaster the
fire apparatus became disabled and
the structure was left entirely to the
mercy of the flames. The night was
OllS VI anu oh6uloh. nv
shrieks of mothers who had rushed to
the scene as soon as they learned of
the fire was pitiful. AS the night wore
on the crowds surrounding the build
ing grew to such proportions that it
was almost impossible for the police
force, which had been augmented by
score of men from Pottstown and
Reading, to keep the crowd back.
One woman who said she had lost her
entire family in the theater, was with
difficulty restrained from throwing
herself into the roaring flames.
At one o'clock special train from
Reading, bearing physicians and
nurses, reached here.
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 gave up in despair.
Boyerton is borough with a pop
ulation of about $500 and is midway
between Pottstown and Reading.