The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-08-28


were crushed and damned as they
struggled to escape from the supposed
conhagration.
At the head Of the stairs the big
miner tripped and rolled down the
steps, sweeping others from their feet
who were standing in line, waiting for
the second show"
In a few seconds there was an in
scribable tumble of human forms
those fleeing in terror and those who
were struggling to enter the little
playhouse.
No one seemed to have even q SEM
blanee Of common sense. Pandemon-
ium reigned. Shrieks and waiIings OF
children mingled with the curses OF
some of the men and the cries of the
terror stricken women, many OF whom
Rugged their children to their breasts
but to be trampIed and smothered. one
woman threw her infant out of the
window to save it's life. A fireman
caught the baby in his arms as 1t de-
scended, 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 were pulled from the
top Of the pile. AS they gained the
street, they ran screaming like man
iacs in ali directions. Next came the
more seriously hurt, and these were
sent home or taken to nearby houses
while a few were rushed, unconscious
to hospitals.
Then the rescuers came to the silent
forms OF those who had reached the
fatal stairway first. one after another
Of the victims, many of them women
and small children, were carried to the
sidewalk. All had been suffocated
Their eyes stared wide in terror.
Coroner James T.. Heffran arrived
on the scene early and within short
time had selected a jury. He was
shown through the operahouse by Mgr
@. f. Ferguson and John G. Morgan
owner of the building, and announced
that he would investigate the matter
thoroughly, holding the inquest here
next Thursday or Friday. Measure
ments taken by members of the Jury
showed the stairway leading to the
second floor Of the building, the main
way at the bottom was not more than
floor of the operahouse, to be an1y six
and one-half feet wide, while the door
eight feet high.
1t Is customary for the management
Of the theatre to give two or three
performances each evening, and Satur-
day the moving picture machine oper-
ator was about to complete the first
when a film parted Some of the au
dience had already commenced to
leave the building, and other persons
were on the stairway coming up.
Dubrowskfs wild flight through the
theatre and his subsequent stumble
down the stairs into those entering
the building, was the beginning Of the
death struggling jam at the foot of the
stairs. The bodies clogged the door
way. Men and women walked ovel
them and fought for positions of safety
until, overwhelmed by the height 81
the moving mass behind. they, too
were crushed down to death.
When the doorway had been filled
up still other persons walked over the
bodies of those who had gone down
and breaking the glass transom over
the door, crawled through and dropped
into the street.
During this time Manager Ferguson
endeavored to stop the panic. Accom-
panied by his wife he started for the
stairs when the first alarm was given
but, seeing there was no escape there
made his way to the stage. CaIIini
loudly to the frightened people to fol
low him. He led the way to the real
Of the stage, and fully 800 escaped ii
this way.
The alarm had been quickly spread