The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-14
Awful Holocaust Follows Tire. h Theatre h a Small
 Town
LIVES CRUSHED OUT
 AND BODIES BURNED
Wild Panic Follows Explosion of Tank In the Theatre and a Stampede Follows With Most Ter
 ribe Consequences.

Boyertown, Pa, January 1S.-A catastrophe, horrifying in it's details and sickening in it's results, tonight swept nearly 100 souls of this borough into eternity in almost the twinkling of an eye, and injured nearly three score, many of them fatally. A majority of the killed were members of the leading families of the town.
 While the play was being produced in Rhoades' opera house by Mrs. Mon roe of Washington, a tank used in a moving picture scene exploded. Inn mediately there was a wild rush for the exit of the building. The actors endeavored to still the panic, but their voices could not be heard above the shriel<s and screams of the terrified women and children who composed the greater part of the audience.
 The scenes cannot be portrayed fitly by the most imaginative. The blood curdling cries for help of those who were penned within the walls of the blazing structure could be heard above the roaring seething flames It seemed
  had made mad rush for the exits the moment the explosion occurred. In their attempt to quiet the crowd those persons who were on the stage acci- dently upset the coal oil lamps used at the footlights. The burning oil scattered in all directions and the lamps which were used in the opera house exploded, throwing the blazing cjl over the terror stricken people who wre fighting frantically to gain the exir.
 Floor Gives Way.
 Tn the ,.7fsh a section of the floor gave way, precipitsting scores of persons to the basement It was scarcely five min utes from the time ue the explosion of the tank until the structure seemed a roaring furnace. There was mad scramble for the stairway leading from the balcony, and scores of women and children were knocked down and trampled upon. At least 50 persons rsked their lives by jumping from the windows. Limbs were broken and skulls were crushed by this daring method of escaping.
 In the meantime relief corps was at work at the entrance to the theatre, en- deavoring to release those who were wedged in the doorway and unable to ex- tricate themselves. Many persons who otherwise might have made good their escape from the furnace of flame, were held in check by the awful jam at the doors. As the names tore through the building, women were seen to clasp their hands and fall back into the seething blaze. Once the doors were cleared the rescuers dragged many women and chill dren from the stairways leading to the balcony. Some of them were so badly injured that they died before reaching a temporary hospital. Skulls were crushed and the faces of some of the victims were so horribly mutilated that they were barely recognizable.
 The list of dead so far as known is as follows:
 List of the Dead.
 Mrs. Frank Cullen, Lulu Fegley. Mrs. Daniel Gabel Daniel Kramer, Mrs. Dan Tel Kramer. Lotte Kramer, Fred God schah Mrs Fred Godschall, Elisha Re- uer1 Hslry Toms, Mrs. Harry Reinhardt Mrs. Georse Romig, Herbert Godschall, Mrs Herbert Godschall, Mabel Graf. Mrs J. J. Becker; three children of Mrs. Becker; Lottie Trader, John Trader. Charles Lever, Daniel Krause, Morris II. Anderson: two children of MT. and Mrs. Anderson; Mrs. Carrie Weand; Franklin G. Leidy, A. Foreman, Mrs Foreman Charles Lowery, Jennie Kunz, Miss Mary Tabor, Harry Foreman, Mrs. Harry Fore man, two children of MT. and Mrs. Harry Foreman; a daughter of Amos Engle; Clara Haltzman, May Bauman. all of Boyertown.
 Mrs. Ephram Johnson, Miss Johnson. a daughter; Mrs. Amos Hartman; wife of Dr. Francis; Frank Boyer, William Boyer, E. H. Boyer, Anna Dorro Mrs Anna Buman, Herbert Johnson Mrs. Herbert Johnson; daughter of William Boyer, all of New Berlinville
 Mrs. Reuben Hoffman, Oscar H. Mench Miss Lizzie Zeigler, Mary Ronich all of Eilbertville.
 Whole Families Lost.
 In many cases entire families have been wiped out. The scene which followed the explosion is indescribable. Scores of persons who were in the balcony at the time thet explosion occurred, Jumped from the windows and sustained fractured limbs and skulls. To add to the terrible destruction the fire apparatus became dis abled and the structure was left en- tirely to the mercy of the seething flames It is almost certain that not a vestige of the bodies of the unfortunates who were overcome by the smoke and per- 1shed will be found Assistance was asked from Pottstown, but before the fire apparatus from that city reached this place the entire center of the structure was roaring furnace.
 Heeded No Warning.
 Had the women and children needed 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 stampede which in- Fariably follows at such catastrophes. The flames spread rapidly and com municated to othe CT. parts of the thea Ire. Many women and children rushed for the main exits and were trampled lnd maimed in the mad rush to gain the street. Assistance was at once asked of Reading and Pottstown, and special trains carrying nurses and aoctors were rushed to the scene of he destruction.
 Every home within radius of half block of the opera house was made