The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-03-07
MOVING PICTURE FIRE; 100 Die
OF LETS OF SHACK ~ RUSSIAN
VILLAGE ALL NAILED CP.

Panic and Rush for safety When Can Of
Petrol Exploded Victims Nearly All
(Nildreu-One Railroad Magnato
Among the Dead Parents sad Quest.
Special Cable Despatch 10 THE Sun.
ST. PETERsRURo. March 6.-One hun
dred and twenty lives are believed TO
have been lost in fire which destroyed
yesterday q moving picture theatre at
Bologoe
Most OF the victims were children. but
IL is believed that Baron Traube. q noted
railway engineer. Is among the dead. with
two Of his children.
Many OF those who were killed we're
from the farming districts owing to the
fact that to-day was the last day OF the
carnival which precedes the Russian Lent.
and many visitors had fiocked into town
on that account.
Bologoe is small place on the Nikolai
railroad in the southern part OF the prov
ince Of Novgorod. The news OF the dis
aster only reached this city to-day.
The building where the catastrophe
occurred was fiimsy one story wooden
clubhouse with no protection against fire
except that provided by the volunteer
fire brigade Of the town. The windows
Of the building had been boarded up in
order to insure darkness for the exhibition
Of the moving pictures.
Two Of the three doors which might
have furnished exits had been boarded
,k< ~; ;,lI, ha rrnd
30 as to allow the ticket taker to control
the admissions to the place.
II IL now said that can OF petrol be-
came ignited in some way and exploded
with great violence. In less than one
minute the entire interior OF the place
was ablaze. and there followed u panic
which it is impossible to describe.
When the explosion occurred the entire
audience with one impulse rushed for
the single exit There were about 14O
persons in the house. as nearly as can
be ascsrtained. and the greater portion
OF them were children.
Nearly all the little ones perished
II was only owing to their ability to fight
their way out that some score Of men
managed to escape II is said that all of
the victims became entangled in their
terrific struggles to reach the doorway and
many Of them had their clothing almost
torn from their bodies.
The struggle was not protracted one.
however. as the flames swept with such
appalling rapidity through the little hall
that the victims were soon suffocated.
| A majority OF them no doubt were un-
conscious when they were caught by the
flames and burned to death.
Owing to the fiimsy character OF the
structure the interior was soon consumed
and the roof crashed in, completing the
tragedy. The moving picture operators
were among the victims. None OF them
had the slightest chance TO escape.
II is reported that seve eral men who
| were not included in the audience were
killed while trying to rescue the children
The fire brigade was 40 long in arriving
after the alarm was given that it could
, do nothing toward saving the building
or it's occupants
The men were compelled to content
themselves with throwing water on the
smouldering embers under which were
buried the charred victims.
! Tonight the parents Of the little ones
who lost their lives were still cropping
amid the smoking ruins for any traces
| OF their missing children. Nearly all the
/ bodies are burned beyond recognition