Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-01-14
The Boyertown Horror.

Royertown, Pa, Jan. l4-Explora-
ton OF the stesmiDg ruins OF Rhosdes
Opera House shortly before noon today
and a poll of The homes in the little
parish Of St. Johns Lutheran Church,
indicates that the list of dead resulting
from the fire and panic last night, which
terminated an amateur production given
under the auspices of the church, vii!
approximate one hundred aud fifty.
Ssventy.fVe bod es have already been
identified, according to the coroner, and
reports from temporary hospitals indi-
cate that several fatalities may result
smcug the seventy persons seriously
iojuted.
Scarcely home in this place today
but is saddened by the death of one or
more relatives or friends. In number
of insta sces entire families have been
wiped out. OF the five hundred re sons
in the little opera house when the FIRE
and panic broke, scarcely one hundred
escaped death or injury.
Rescue parties searching the ruios to-
day are greeted with appalling sights such
as have not been tqualled in the country
BY any disaster save the Iroquois fire In
Chicago, VIII oh las! nights tragedy
closely resembled.
Many of the bodies of the victims
we're entirely consumed by the aimes
aud Gnly chs'red pieces of bone remsin
O.hers, which we're protected from the
flames by being buried under piles oil
desd bodies, have been taken out today
unstorched, but horribly mutilated. Dis
% bered hands and fingers have been
found which we're literally trampled cff.
4 shocking number of children we're
among the victims and many Of these
tiny forms brought out today were liter
ally crushed to pulp, showing that the
little ones had been ruIhlessly lrsmpled
in the frenzied rush to safety.
Included in the dead are nearly sill
of The leading members of ST. Johns
Lutheran Church and hardly family
of that church but has lost some of their
children.
Further investigation today reveals
that the entire disaster was due pri-
msrily to the panic aud stampede. The
6rs. explosion, which resulted from an
escspe of the gas used 10 R moving
picture mschiLe, was inconsequentisl in
itself. The FISH aud noise of the ex-
plosiou, however, terrified the children,
who packed the hall and started the irst
rush for the doors. 1t was then that
those on the stage became frightened,
and the kerosene lamps used for foot
lights we're kicked over and the place
fred.
While a number of deaths would un-
doubtedly have resulted from the panic
alone, it wss the fire which msgnitied
he disss'er. Almost in twinkling the
one narrow exit was clogged with wall
of human forms. Others who sought to
get out hy the msin passagewsy encOun-
tered this wall Of bodies aud beat msdly
spainst it. A number Of them then
turned to fee to the windows, but the
frepzied crowds about these few openings
made escape that way exceedingly slow.
Meanwhile the members Of the amateur
company on the stsge were fleeing by
the rear entrance. The open stage door
and the open windows In the main hail
served 10 send q drsugbt through the
fire trap and ths flames swept over the
entire house as if by magic, lespiug about
the imprisoned wreich6s who we're caught
without chance of escape. Among the
charred corpses today was found one
body of a woman with a child Rugged
close to her breast, the Two being burned
into one cinder. Oiher bodies found in
the main portion of the honse-thOse
trapped without a chance 10 hee-Were
found with hands clasped and in an at
titude of prayer.
Of the injured who escaped nearly all
are suffering from broken limbs or frsc.
tuTed skulls, the result Of mad leaps from
the windows. In the list of identified
dead todsy is the name of Mrs. Stella
Mayes, who had coached the young
church folks 10 the play being given
las, night, "Msry, Queen of Scots"
Mrs. Msyes was on the stage at the
time and gave her life in an effort to
save the young people under her charge.
II is said today that the woman might
have capped herself, but went back to
The dressing room to see if any of her
charges remained and wss cut of By the
flames.
1t vas scarcely fifteen minutes from
Badly Mixed Up.
Abraham Brown, of WintertOn, N. Y, had