Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-08-29
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At Film SHOW
Factory Inspector and Coro-
ner Investigating Canons-
burg, Pa, Tragedy Which
Cost Lives Of Twenty-six.

Canonsburg, Pa, Aug. 28.-Emblems
of mourning fluttered from more than
score of houses in this thriving
village today, indicating where the
full force Of the blow following Satur'
day nights panic in the Canonsburg
opera house had been felt. For the
most part they were white ribbons,
showing that children made up IN
large proportion the victims of the
terrible happening. All the bodies had
been taken from the tmproyised NOR.
tuaries to their former homes and
preparations were made for the fun
erals, many Of which will be held to-
day and tomorrow Little white
hearses were called into commission
and twenty-six caskets arrived from
Pittsburg. It was rumored early in the
day that an arrest would be made by
Coroner James T. Hefferan, but the
name of the person under suspicion
as the cause of the panic was not
made public.
Deputy Factory Inspector James h.
Patterson today began the tnvesttga-
tion ordered by the state department.
After carefully examining the can
onsburg opera house where twenty-six
persons were crushed to death Satur-
day, following false alarm OF fire,
Deputy Factory Inspector JAS r. Pat
terson announced this afternoon that
the owner of the building and the
manager. of the theater had not
violated the law in any way. The fire
escapes were found In perfect condi-
ton, and the stairway where the un-
fortunate victims met their fate, was
wide enough for all demands Of the
law, he said.
The inspectors report this after
noon was sent to Factory Inspector
Jas. P. Delaney at Beaver Falls.
A countrywide search ts being In
.stituted for two italians who were sit.
ting IN the gallery and whose cry OF
fire is alleged to have caused the dis
aster. They disappeared Immediately
after the alarm.
The breaking of a film instantly
followed by the glaring flash Of the
unimpeded light from the machine
direct upon the screen. Is now as
signed as the start of the panic In
the Canonsburg opera house.
An exciteable boy, frightened by
the flood Of light yelled "Fire!" and
the rush to death was begun by a
giant foreign miner. The film did not
catch fire and at no time was there
any danger from flames.
According to the stories of those
present, a clicking noise was heard,
the screen instantly flashed white
with the binding glare Of spotlight,
and a small boy yelled "Fire!" Then
a foreign miner, giant in proper
tions, Bolus Dubrowski by name, pre-
cipitated the death struggling jam on
the stairway by jumping from his seat
and running wildly for the narrow
exit. Followed by fighting, strug-
Cling mass, the burly foreigner
tripped at the head Of the stairs and
plunged down toward the street. AS
he rolled down he swept from their
feet many who were awaiting their
turn to enter With the massing of
the people struggling to get out and
The piling up Of the people waiting to
get in the panic assumed double pro-
portions.
Most of the dead were smothered.
A majority of the audience was COM
posed of women and children. In the
fierce rush for the exit they were
thrown from their feet and trampled
upon. Others were thrown upon them
and those at the bottom of the hu-
man pile were suffOcated.