Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-02-25
800 ROASTED ALIVE
N MEXICAN THEATER
Moving Picture Film Sets Fire 20
Crowded Playhouse at Acapulco
and Panic Ensues.
C0RPSES BLOCK ALL THE EXITS.
Whole Families Blotted Out by Dis
aster Which overtakes City Dur
ing Gala Performance.

Three hundred people were burned
to death and many were injured in a
fire which destroyed the Flores Thea
ter in the City of Acapulco, Mexico,
Sunday night The news of the disas-
ter reached the city OF Mexico Monday
afternoon, telegraphic communication
with Acapulco having been destroyed
owing to the fact that the telegraph
Office adjoining the theater was burned
and all wires put out of commission.
1t is known that several Americans
were among the victims.
The Flores Theater was a wooden
structure. and Sunday night over 1000
people crowded into it to witness Il
special performance given in honor of
Governor Damian Flores of the State
of Guerrero, who was visiting the city
at the time One of the numbers on
the program consisted of a series of
moving pictures. While the operator
was exhibiting these film caught fire
and blaze was quickly communicated
to some bunting which had been used
for decorative purposes.
Corpses Choke Way.
In in incredibly short time the
flames spread TO all parts of the struc-
ture. There were but three narrow ex-
lis and the panic-Stricken audience
rushed to them, many persons failing,
to be crushed to death. their bodies
choking the way to escape for others.
The screams of those imprisoned
were terrifying. Owing to the rapid
lty with which the fire spread and its
intense heat it was impossible to at
tempt rescue work, and those impris-
oned were literally roasted alive, as
the fire burned with little smoke ar.t
few were suffocated
The efforts of the fire department
were confined to attempting to save the
adjoining buildings, and The firemen
succeeded so well that the property loss
was small The telegraph office, post
Office and custom house were damaged.
but all of the governments records and
the registered mail were saved.
Monday pitiful scenes of grief were
witnessed on the streets of the city.
Men, women and children were wan
derlng from place to place, hunting for
relatives and friends. Many of the
dead were from the first families of
the State, the affair at the theater
being a social event of considerable
importance and calling out the wealth
lest and Oldest families for miles
around. In some instances whole fam
lilies were wiped out of existence
The municipal authorities have
caused large trenches to be dug and |
into these the bodies of the dead were |
laid. Identification of the dead has |
been impossible. the bodies having
been burned in most cases. to a crisp.
City Important Port.
Acapulco is an important seaport on
a bay of the Pacific Ocean about 200 |
miles southwest of Tie capital 1t has |
one of the best harbors on the Pacific |
coast, which has made it an important |
commercial center. though it has few |
local industries. and its population is |
only about 5000 or 10000. On ac- |
count of the heat and the effluvia from
a large morass to the east the climate |
of the town Is very unhealthy for Eu-
ropeans. though a passage cut through |
the rocks to let in the sea breeze has
tended to improve its salubrity.