The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-08-28
QUICK MOUTHEO
BOY CAUSED THE
THEATER PANIC
Yelled Fire When There Was
No Semblance of Such
Danger

DETAILS OF The HORRIBLE
DISASTER ARE COMING OUT
People Lost Their Heads and Acted
Like Maniacs-Many of the Dead
Are Children Under Fifteen Year.
Of Age-Coroner Investigating.
sssss = . . . . . . Q
Canonsburg, Pa, Aug. 2s-Aft- "
er carefully examining the Can +.
onsDurg opera house, where twen- =
. y-six persons were crushed to .
death Saturday night following .
false alarm of fire, Deputy Fac "
tory Inspector James r. Patter- .
son announced this afternoon that =
the owner Of the building and the .
manager Of the theater had not =
violated the law In any way. Pat .
terson interviewed number of =
persons and went over every part =
OF the building. The fire escapes .
were found in perfect condition =
and the stairway where the per- =
sons were killed and injured was .
VIDE enough for all the demands =
OF the law, he said. A country =
wide search is being instituted =
for the two Italians who were =
sitting in the gallery and whose .
cry of fire is alleged to have =
caused the disaster. Manager =
Ferguson has offered a reward of =
$500 for their apprehension. They =
disappeared Immediately after =
the alarm. .
. . . . ,
Canonsburg, Pa, Aug. ga re-.
vtsed list Of the dead shows total OF
twenty-six victims Of the panic in the
little Canonsburg opera house here
Saturday night. Twenty-Five others
are In a serious condition and thirty
more are suffering minor hurts. All
the fatalities resulted from suffocation
The panic was inexcusable.
During performances, movina
picture machine developed a slight de.
feet There was sharp clicking
sound heard in. the. operating room
over the rear of the auditorium: 9
small boy shouted "fire;" a brawny
miner, a foreigner, fed in terror down
the aisle-and in few moments
scores Of people-most Of them women
and little children-were piled in q
writhtng, screaming, fighting mass in
the stairway leading from the street.
When Bolus Dubrokswi, the miner
started for the exit, his eyes bulgine
and his swarthy face blanched with
fear, the crowd followed him, fighting
struggling like so many wild animals
on stampede. Women and children
were crushed and jammed as they
struggled frantically to escape from
the supposed conflagration.
At the head Of the stairs the bic
miner tripped and rolled down the
steps, sweeping others from their feet
who were standing in line, waiting fol
the second show.
In few seconds there was an in
describable tumble Of human forms
those fleeing in terror and those who
were struggling to enter the little
play house.
Half of the dead are children less
than fifteen years old Eight are
women. Five are grown men. Six
are infants or small children.
The body of Dubrowski, the huge
miner, whose fall during his fight tc
escape from the theater caused the
death Of more than a score, was found
at the bottom of the pile Of dead. Du.
browski fought like a fiend to regain
his feet after rolling to the bottom
of the stairs and upsetting a number
of people waiting to enter the place
So great was his strength that he
raised himself to his knees under the
struggling mass of humanity, but was
crushed down again as if he had beer
but so much paper. SO immense was
the weight on top Of him.
And on came the panic-mad crowd
piling higher each instant in the wild
rush to escape to the street. The
enormous Pole was crushed to death
at the bottom Of the pile.
No one seemed to have even a sem
blance Of common sense. Pande.
monium reigned. Shrieks and wailings
Of children mingled with the curses
Of some Of the men and the cries OF
the terror-stricken women, many OF
whom hugged their children to their
breasts, but to be trampled down and
smothered. One woman threw her in.
fant out of a window to save it's life
A fireman caught the baby in his arms
as 1t descended, else its brains would
have been dashed out against the
pavement.
Volunteer firemen arrived promptly
These, assisted by several police Off.
GERS and level headed citizens who
were passing. untangled the human
mass at the foot of the stairway.
The unhurt we're pulled from the
top Of the pile. As they gained the
street, they ran screaming like mani.
acs in all directions. Next came the
more seriously hurt and these were
sent home or taken to nearby houses
while few were rushed, unconscious
to hospitals.
Then the rescuers came to the silent
forms Of those who were at the bot.