The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-09-07
FILM EXPLODES, PANIC ENSUEs
Scores Killed and Wounded i'm The
atre DiSaSter

Canonsburg, Pa, Aug. - Twen-
ty-siX persons were killed and over
sixty injured tonight, when a mo-
ton picture film exploded in the
Canonsburg Opera House.
Immediately following the flash
OF the film, some one shouted
Fire" There was a rush for the
exit and in a moment there was a
writhing, screaming mass of hu-
manlty, ten feet high in the narrow
stairway leading to the entrance of
the theatre. Most of the dead were
smothered. a majority of the au-
dlence was composed of women
and children. In the fierce rush
for the exit they were thrown from
their feet and trampled upon.
Others were thrown upon them and
those at the bottom of the human
pile were suffocated.
When two volunteer fire depart
ments reached the theatre the
sight staggered them. Those of
the audience who had escaped
from the building and other specta-
TORS drawn to the scene were rush
ing about the front of the build
ing. No person, it seemed, was
making any effort to aid the strug-
gflng mass within the theatre. The
firemen pushed into the building
and practically threw persons into
the streets. The dead were laid in
row along the sidewalk.
Fight to Reach Victims.
Relatives fought and struggled to
break past the guards and reach
the victims. Within a few moments
after the film flashed and the pan
ic started, the fire whistles were
blown. Practically the entire pop
ulatlon of the town responded and
packed in narrow Pike street, from
which the fatal theatre entrance led.
All of them were apparently ter
ror stricken and could give little
assistance.
For several minutes after the ex-
plosion, the audience, numbering
about $500 was unaware of the ac-
cldent. The operator heroically
fought down the flames and sue
ceeded in extinguishing them
Then, with hands burned and al
most suffocated, he opened the door
OF the little box and staggered out
with the opening of the door, a
dense cloud of smoke poured into
the auditorium.
AT this moment some person Yell
ed fire" Then started the awful
rush for the lone doorway. At the
| stairway they collided and jammed
into probably 200 other persons,
who were awaiting the end of the
performance to take the places of
those who had seen the show. I'm
mediately the stairway was packed
and Jammed ten feet high with
the dead and the dying.
I0dies Taken to Mor0ue,
Late tonight the firemen were
reinforced by citizens and the
crowd was driven far back from the
scene. The bodies were then lifted
from the sidewalk and taken to the
improved morgue. In the midst Of
the excitement an unknown woman
threw her infant child from a side
window of the theatre, fifty feet
from the ground. ]. w. Reese
caught the baby in his arms and
placed it in charge of a woman at
nearby fruit stand. Up to a late
hour tonight the child has not been
claimed
When the body of Mrs. Harry
Kelly was found she was clasping
tight to her breast her five-year-
Old son. The lad had died from
suffocation, but there was not a
/ bruise or scratch.
Girls Heroism Saves Many.
The list of dead probably would
have been greater but for the he
/ roism of Miss Mary Craig, pianist of
the theatre. When the cries of
fire" sounded and the rush for
safety started, Miss Craig began
playing slow march. Over and
over she played the slow selection,
never faltering, and many of the
crowd caught the swing of the
music. When the people had swept
from the building, Miss Craig left
uninjured.