Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1911-08-31
FIRE PANIC IN
PICTURE d THEATRE
twenty-five Killed and Score
injured.
FIGHT TO GAIN THE STREET,.
Narrow Stairway 5osribse Death
Trap-.PIs Of WrithInu Bodies
The L.ttls Ones Are Trsmp-
leo on and sufseeated.

Canonsburg, Pa.-Twenty-fve per-
SONS were killed and more than so
injured Saturday night when a NOV
ing picture flm exploded in the Cam
onsburg Opera House.
Immediately following the flash Of
the Aim some persons shouted
Firel" There was rush for the
exit and in a moment there was .
writhtng, screaming mass Of human
ity, 10 feet high, In the narrow stair
way leading to the entrance of the
theatre.
Most Of the dead were smothered.
A majority Of the audience was COM
posed of women and children. In
the fierce rush for the exit they were
thrown from their feet and trampled
by men fighting their way to the
streets. 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 audi
elIce who had escaped from the build
ing and other spectators drawn to
the scene were rushing about the
front of the building. No person, it
seemed, was making any effort to aid
the struggling mass within the thea
tire.
The fremen pushed into the build
ing and practically threw persons
into the street.
AS they regained their feet they
ran shrieking into the streets in ter.
ror.
The fireman neared the bottom of
the pile and began to bring out the
unconscious forms of the injured and
later came the dead.
The dead were laid tenderly In a
row along the sidewalk. Relatives
struggled to break past the guards
and reach the victims.
Within few moments after the
film flashed and the panic started the
fire whistles were blown. Practical
" the entire population OF the town
responded and packed in narrow Pike
street, from which the fatal theatre
entrance led. All Of them were APP
parently terror7stricken and could
give little aid. The only cool per-
sons wers the firemen and the several
members OF the police force.
John Mccullough, operator of the
moving picture machine, had Just
thrown the subject Of the next series
of pictures on the screen entitled "A
Little Girl Shall Lead Them, = when
the film exploded and the asbestos
cabinet was filled with flames. For
several moments the audience num-
bering upwards Of 1900 persons, was
totally unaware of the accident, and
the operator heroically fought down
the flames and succeeded in ex-
tinguishing them.
Then, his hands burned and almost
snffocated, 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!" The spectators turned
in their seats, saw the smoke, Jump
ed to their feet and then started the
awful rush for the lone doorway
leading to- the narrow, eight-foot
stairway.
At the stairway they collided and
damned into probably 200 other per-
sans who were awaiting Sc end of
the performance to take the places
of those who had seen the show.
Immediately the narrow stairway
was packed and jammed 10 feet high
with the dead and dying, the Shrek
ing injured and the screaming un
hurt, while the crowds of townspeo-
pie rushed to the scene and added
confusion to the din.
The list of dead probably would
have been greater but for the hero
ism of Miss Mary Craig, pianist at
the theatre, When the cries Of IRE"
sounded and the rush to safety start
ed Miss Craig began playing a slow
march Over and over she played
the selection, never faltering, and
many In the crowd caught the swing
OF the music and assisted IN holding
back the crowd When the audience
had swept from the building Miss
49, .xfA s-aS. 5+