The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1911-09-01
NARROW STAIRS
CAUSE rs DEATHS!
Those Leading from Canonsburg
Opera House Only Six and
a Half Feet Wide
MANY VICTIMS WERE SUFFOCATED
PsnIc-Stricken Crowd OF Moving
Picture Show Rush Against Those
Entering by Small Stairway and
Jam Passage-Boy shouted "Fire."

Canonsburg. Pa.-The panic In a
moving picture show in the Canons-
burg Opera House cost the lives OF
tweDty-six persons. Twenty-Five mem-
bers of the audience were seriously
injured. and thirty persons suffered
minor hurts.
According to survivors Of the cata=
strophe, the panic started when the
moving picture machine developed a
defect. There was sharp report
from the machine, followed by :. dense
cloud of smoke as the electric fuse
burned out. A small boy shouted
"Fire!" at the same time starting for
the narrow exit to the stairs. Bolus
Dubrowski, a Polish miner and
giant in size, jumped from his seat
and ran for the same door. In a
moment there was a fighting throng
from the audience on his heels. AT
the head of the narrow stairway which
led to the street the miner tripped.
AS he rolled down the stairs he swept
others from their feet, who were wait
ing their turr to enter the theatre.
and soon there was a pile of persons
at the foot of the stairs fighting like
madmen to get out. Here is list
of the dead:
Baby of Mrs. Kelley, about years,
Frances, Byrd, (colored), 13 years. !,
Mrs. Mary Ann Laird Campbell, As
years.
George Owen Cole, AZ years.
Bolus Dubrowski, a miner.
Lulu Fisher, % years, of Glen Camp
bell. Penn.
Elizabeth Gibbs, 6 years.
Elizabeth Gleditsch, 6 years.
Elizabeth Green, years.
Murray Hill, Is years.
George Kay, Is years:
Mrs. Blanche E. Kelley
Annie Laird, years, daughter of Mrs.
Campbell.
Carl Lane, 21a years.
Margaret Lane, 4 months.
Mrs Fred Marshall, 35 years.
Paul Mastic, 10 years.
Arthur McPeake, 20 years.
Mrs. Charles Miller, of McKeesport,
Penn.
Walter Neish, IA years.
Ludwig Nugy. % years.
Stella Richards, Is years.
Sydney Rittiger, 80 years; lived in
Youngstown, Ohio.
Marie Ella Robinson, II years.
Harold Shaner, 10 years.
Mrs Calls Young. 20 years.
The fight on the stairs lasted half
an hour Volunteer firemen several
policemen, and few level-headed
citizens fought hard to untang:e the
mass of men. women. and children at
the foot of the stairs. Those unhurt
and those slightly injured were pulled
from the top of the pile AS they
gained the street the rescued ones
ran screaming like -laniacs to al!
PARTS Of the small town. Next came
the more seriously hurt. and these
were sent home or taken to nearby
houses. while few We're sent un.
conscious to hospitals. Then the res.
cuers came to the silent forms of
those who had reached the fatal stair.
way first. One after another. the
victims, many of them women and
small children. were carried to the
sidewalk. All had been suffocated, and
ter faces wore expressions of terror
Of the twenty-six dead, thirteen
were children. seven of them pupils in
the public schools. Arthur McPeake,
who is among the dead. was passing
the building wn> I the bodies began,
to pile up at the door. The young
man ran to the rescue. and was in the
act CT dragging body from the pile
when man came hurting Gown the
stairs. He struck McDeake on the
back. and the young mans neck was
broken.