The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-01-17
NEARLY 100 PERSONS
PERISH IN / FIRE
An Asful Catastrophe IN Rh0ade's
Opera House, B0yertOlNn.
PEOPLE AT FLAMES MERCY.
Most Of tils Victims We're Women
and Children.
MANY TRAMPLED TO DEATH.
PEOPLE AT FLAMES MERCY.
AaNY TRAMpLED TO DEATH.

Seven Hundred Members Of 81. Johns
Lutheran Sunday School in Rhoades'
Opera House Are Thrown Into a
Panic by the Explosion Of Gas
Tank-In the Rush That Followed
Coal OIL Lamps Are Upset and the
Fire sprang Up.
Boyertown, Pa. Especially - Be
tween so and 100 persons were
burned to death here in fire which
completely destroyed Rhoads' Opera
House.
The opera house was crowded with
the members of st. Johns Lutheran
Sunday School, who were attending
benefit given for that church.
While the show was In progress
tank exploded.
The actors endeayored to quiet the
audience, but III their anxiety TO
make themselves heard and to avoid
the awful stempede of the women
and children the coal oil lamps which
were used at the footlights were
overturned, setting the place on ire.
The flames, fed by the oil, shot
almost TO the ceiling, and there was
a wild rush of the zoo persons to es-1
cape from the burning building.
Scores of women and children were
trampled upon, and several who es-
capped being burned to death died af-
ter being dragged from the opera
house.
In many cases. it is said, entire
families have been wiped out.
The Bodies Consumed.
The scene which followed the ex-
plosion is indescribable Scores OF
persons who were In the balcony at
the time the explosion OCCURRED
jumped from the windows and sus-
tanned fractured limbs and skulls
TO add to the terrible disaster the
fire apparatus became disabled and
the structure was left entirely to the
mercy of the seething flames. It is
almost certain not a vestige of the
bodies of the unfortunates who We're
overcome by the smoke and perished
will ever be found.
Assistance was asked from Potts
town, but before tie FIRE apparatus
from that city reached this place the
entire center of the structure was q
roaring furnace.
Had the women and children heed
ed the warning of the cooler heads
In the audience the horrible loss of
life might have been avoided, but
there was the usual panic and stam-
pede which invariably follow such
catastrophe.
The flames spread rapidly and
communicated to the other parts OF
the theater. Men, women and chill
dren rushed for tho many exits ana
the weaker sex and the children were
trampled and manned in 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 disaster --
Parents Are Frantic.
Every home within radius of half
dozen blocks of the Opera House
was made temporary hospital,
where the wounded were rushed by
carriages and other means of convey
ance.
Boyertown is borough with
population of about $500 and is To-
Gated about midway between Potts
town and Reading.
The Opera House was a two-story
brick building. The first floor was
occupied by a hardware store and
on the second was the entertainment
hall.
Boyertown is eight miles from
Pottstown and 81 miles from Read
ing. 1t is located in Eastern Berks,
near the Montgomery County line,
and is situated in the midst OF a
thriving agricultural community. It's
people are among the most well TODD
in the county. 1t has number Of
fiourishing industries, and its homes
are as substantial as in the large
cities.
The entertainment that was being
given was "Thc Story of the Scot
fish Reformation, given by Mrs.
Munroe for the benefit of the Re-
formed Church.
At least 40 participants, local tall
ent, were on the stage, and these
jumped over the footlights into the
audience. The latter fed for the
stairway, and the ensuing disaster
occurred. A few cool-headed men
tried to preserve order, but it was
useless, in view Of the raging fire
which broke out simultaneously with
the explosion. Rhoads' Opera House
was owned by DR. Thomas J. B.
Rhoads, one of the best-known men
in Boyertown.
A Survivors, Story.
One of the survivors, who escaped
with scorched face, said:
1t was as sudden as 1t was un-
expected. The explosion, the STAN
pede, the panic-stricken people wedg-
ed in the stairway, the cries of those
in the rear. the dreadful smoke, the
women and children overcome, the
roaring flames and then scores en-
quilted in the seething fret seems
| tn me that IL occurred all In a min