New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-27
IWENTY-E|GHT DIE
IN THEATRE PANIC
MANY More Injured in Rush for
Exits When False Cry of
"Fire!" Is Raised.
MACHINE FUSE BLEW OUT
Picture Show House, in Canons-
burg, Penn, Scene of Mad Bat
tie When Large Audience
Is Terror Stricken.
rRy telegraph 20 The Tribune 7

1Ry telegraph 20 The Tribune
Cancnsburg. Penn. Aug. 26-Twenty-
eight PERSONS are known TO be dead and
a. many more may die as the result OF
panic in the Morgan opera House. in
Pike street. this town. this evening.
when some one cried out false alarm
Of Fire" after the fuse in the moving
picture machine had blown out.
There was a momentary flash and hiss.
but that was all. It was enough. how
ever. TO start the panic when some one
in the gallery cried out. and there was
mad rush for the only exit Of the
theatre 10y the thousand persons in the
playhouse.
As the first man out neared the foot
OF the stairs he tripped and fell Those
Immediately following fell on top Of him,
and in a few moments the comparatively
narrow stairway was jammed with dead.
dying and madly fighting men. women
and children.
Inside the theatre the rest OF the audi
fNle ct4fG4AltA anu ADAsl4A ~ N.At-4 Al4h4
effort TO reach the exit Those who
could not reach the stairway were the
tmore fortunate for there was no vestige
Of the fire after the fash following the
blowing out Of the. fuse, and they who
remained inside were saved
Hour Before Rescue Begins.
The accident occurred about S:15
O'clock and it was an hour later before
any progress had been made 10 clear the
stairway Of the dead and injured. The
fremen We're summoned soon after the
accident by an alarm of fire. but they
found no flames and turned to rescue
work. aided by the policemen and cii-
zens attracted by the panic.
Nearby stores we're turned into tempo
rary hospitals. and as soon rs the dead
could be separated from the injured the
bodies we're removed % the morguc Of
Hopper Brothers and William McNary.
while the more severely hurt were re
moved to the Canonsburg General Hos
ptal
Two hours after the accident there
were eleven dead al one Of the morgues
and fourteen al the other, and the in
dicauons are that many of those hurt
cannot recover The list Of injured. il Is
believed. is double that Of the dead.
The accident. the worst in the history
Of Washington County. soon drew every
one within several miles OF the place.
and there were many willing hands 20
lend a.d 10 the unfortunate, although
the crowd at times was SO great that
the work Of rescue was impeded.
One Thousand Were in Peril.
The Morgan opera House has been
turned over to moving picture shows
during the summer months. Saturday
night always draws a houseful To-
night there were almost a thousand per
sons in the audience. The theatre is s.
uated on the second floor Of business
block, and the only entrance and exit is
by a stairway about eight feet vide
opening on Pike street. 4 little way UP
this stairway is landing and turn
and here many Of the persons caught in
the panic we're jammed in their mad
effort 70 escape.
The show had been under way only A
few minutes when there was sputter-
ing IN the box Of the moving picture
machine followed by little fash. Few
noticed il, but some one IN the gallery
a. once cried out Fire"
Immediately there were screams from
women and children. followed by mad
rush from every section Of the house
toward the door.
Panic seemingly caught the big audi
ence Immediately. and there was not
cool head 10 attempt to Quell the rush' or
II there was such an attempt II was
overcome by the frantic crowd. Ihere
was litle danger at the start, for the
doors were open and it seemed as If the
rushing crowd would reach the street IN
safety. with few, If any. being Injured
The crush within the theatre some VINO
escaped SAY. was frightfuL but even so
at the beginning the mass moved stead
ily Il slowly. No one in the audience
appeared 10 have turned back 10 see II
the fears were groundless, but all kept
nadly pushing for the only exit
Fall Starts Jam on Stairs.
When four steps from the bottom OF
the flight OF thirty steps or more the
FIST man out fell. and Immediately those
behind him tumbled over him. In al
most moment the stairway. was
blocked. The first persons down the
stairs were prone, and in short time
we're either dead or dying. Those VINO
came behind climbed madly over them,
needing not whether men, women or
children were the stepping stones TO
safety. But even this did not avah
them. for those coming behind crushed
forward so fast and SO furiously that
none had time TO reach the street Dut
all were trampled like so much straw.
Meanwhile the screaming, pushing
tearing mob on the upper stairs kept up
the fight. and it was not long before the
space above the stairs was one solid
mass OF humanity. while those behind
were blocked beyond all hope Of prog
ress
when the iremen and the police and
citizens began their work OF rescue they
found the stairway literally ,1mmed 10
the ceiling with men. women and chill
dren screaming or moaning. The res
cuers were compelled 10 break the uah-
.,-,.. o..o- - aoors of the O. trance 10