The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1911-09-01
SIXTY HURT FOLLOWING CRY OF
FIRE IN THEATRE IN
PENNSYLVANIA.
WOMEN ARE TRAMPLED
Discovered When Playhouse 10 Emp
tied That Building Is Not Abiaze.
Flames Restricted to oper.
ator's Booth.

Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.-A NOV
in picture film, exploding in the Nor
gan opera house, caused panic In the
audience and mad rush to the doors
and exits, and before the theater was
emptied 25 lives had been sacrificed
and over 60 were injured. Immediate
iy following the fash of the film. some
one shouted fire." There was a rush
for the exits, and in a moment there
was a writing. screaming mass OF
humanity, ten feet high, in the narrow
stairway leading to the entrance OF
the theater.
Most of the dead were smothered.
In the fierce rush for the exit, people
were thrown from their feet and tram
pied upon. Others were thrown upon
them, and those at the bottom of the
human pile were suffocated. The vic
tins mostly are women and children.
When two volunteer fire departments
reached the theater the sight stag.
gered them. Those of the audience
who had escaped from the building.
and other spectators drawn to the
scene, were rushing about the front
of the building. No person. 1t seemed,
was making any effort to aid the strug'
Cling mass within the theater.
The firemen pushed into the build
ing and practically threw persons into
the street. As they regained their feet
they ran wildly about, shrieking in ter
ror. AS the firemen neared the bot
tom of the pile, they began to bring
out the unconscious forms of the In
jured. and later came the dead.
The Morgan opera house is in the
center of the town and on the mair
street. II is n large structure and ha!
two galleries which, with the mali
floor, AFFORD seating capacity for LOO
persons. The house was crowded a
the time OF the explosion, but hun
dreds were standing in the rear o
the ground floor. The moving pictur
cage was located on the second gal
lery floor and 1t was there that tn
explosion occurred. II made a lou
noise and Immediately the cry of fire
went up from the audience.
The spectators on the main floor an
the first gallery heard the cry and al
rose en- masse and started for the 81
its.
: Confusion at Main Entrance.
l Other people. maddened with fea
sought the fire escapes and reache
! the street in safety. But those thi
: had made for the main entrance NJ
Q only found their own number fillin
the entrance. but they were stoppe
= in their progress by a crowd of Gag,
people trying to force their way int
the theater at the same time. tt
}. latter saw the crowd coming out an
were trying TO get in for the secor
IS performance. which was to begin in
few moments.
The film booth was fire proof and Il
II fire went no further than its interio
t John Mccullough, operator of Il
II moving picture machine. had ju
n thrown the subject of the next seri
e. of pictures on the screen. entitled
II Little Girl Shall Lead Them" VIII
I. the film exploded and the asbest
,f cabinet was filled with flames. +
st several moments the audience, nu
of bering upwards OF 500. was totally U
aware of the accident and the operat
heroically fought down the flames a
succeeded in extinguishing them.
Then. with his hands frightfu
In burned and almost suffocated,
opened the door OF the little box a
staggered out. With the opening
b. the door. dense cloud of smo
90 poured into the auditorium. The paI
al followed.
r.