The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1911-08-28
rs DEAD IN THEATRE
tcontinusd from rirst Pare,

tory and building inspection 20 ascer-
tain whether the laws of the state
have been followed. eMasurements
taken by members OF the jury showed
the stairway leading to the second
fioor OF h building. the main fioor OF
the opera house. TO be only six and
one-half feet wide. while the doorway
AZ the bottom was not more than eight
feet high.
IL is customary for the management
OF the theater to- give two or three
performances each evening. n sat
urday the moving picture macf>at OPP
orator was about TO complete the first
when a film parted. Some of the audi
ence had already commenced to leave
the building. and other persons were
on the stairway coming up.
Foreigner is Blamed.
Dubrowski's wild flight through the
thcater 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 walked over them and
fought for positions OF safety, until
overwhelmed by the weight OF the
moving mass behind they, taa. were
crushed down 10 death. When The
doorway had been filled up still other
persons walked over the bodies OF
those who had gone down. and break
ing the glass transom owe the door
crawled through and dropped into the
street
During this time manager Fergu-
son had c~ndeavored To stop the panic.
Accompanied 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. Calling loudly for the fright
ened people to follow him he led the
way 70 the rear OF the stage and fully
three hundred escaped In this way.
ReseUers Baked.
The alarm had been quickly spread.
Persons standing on the street at the
entrance 10 the opera house cndeav-
ored TO eXtricate the struggling men
and women from the rapidly rising
, pile of bruised and bleeding flesh. hut
10 no purpose. An alarm of fire a
sounded M firemen and police hur
ried 10 the scene. When they arrived
they lent their efforts To saving those
still within tho building and 10 open
INK up the doorway. In ten minutes
the opera house was empty and in half
an hour % bodies had been recovered.
Physicians came from the the town
and from nearby places until 81 were
at work. The dead were carried into
stores and residences. and the more
! seriously injured We're FASTENED To the
~Cannonsburg hospital. Many OF the
3 g1fwhffrr fnffral wan ahprHT tho gFr.aF
until taken in charge by friends.
while automobiles wore pressed into
service to hurry Others 20 their homes.
where later they received medical at
tentiou.
OF the 20 dead 70 ~ the mwere chill
dren. seven Of them pupils in tho pub.
= lie schools. Today 10 was decided by
the school authorities to postpone Tor
"a week the opening OF the schools.
Des Hero's Death.
Arthur MrP.ake. whose name IS
among t.e dead. was passing the build
Ing. when the bodies hogan Co pile up
al TIE door. The young man rushed e.
tie reeru" n was 800 tn" act ~ drasE-
CAM" hgrt!ns down tt' stairs it'
! struck N.N,4fe 300 fHe back and tie
Young mans mock was broken
sydney H.tur was 90 f.e s"rform-
/ arre with ..s ftr..-. NI4- LulI Tfs.c-
I Before entering tls l4.iIue tHst Dad
.t'rr"d 90 % -"w"lrv .tHr" u"frn' Hfi
f1t" boon used 90 t.''r Wedding I.tH
Father Finds Dead children.
Wilmer lame. ur employ ~ o. o Can
I onshurr pottery AMI % member ~ .ne
~ tIr volunteer f-H r0ura-.s -. haste
"r"d fn aHs"' f'. H'arw nrI v1a
/ e~n'ran-e when Do. o'me lfnr o." lf"-
Jess FORMS ~ DIS fHH .FL.lr.u ..fuE Poe