Pueblo chieftain., 1922-01-30

Tho orchestra was playing ana
comic film was running" he said in mis-
bed and bandaged with his face and
hands covered with cuts. -
Suddenly there was sharp crack.
l saw a great flssure running across
the ceiling, right over my head. The
plaster began to fall all over ihe the
ater. 1t seemed to me. While l was
looking up a great piece righ! over
my head started to fall. dack"d
crouching. .involuntarily, ] suppose,
down between tho seats. rhc rssce
struck the seat where l had been SIT
ting Tho force was broken by the seat
awful. 1t was n great roar. IT was
simply indescribable. never can for
get it. In tho midst OF the roaring
were shrieks and cries OF women and
children and n few SHOUTS OF men.
There were CRIES Of help. groans ard
worst OF ALL tho means Of those in
terrible pain. 1t was awful. i can't
describe 1t. l sec 1t all the time
those poor children. and men and wom-
en- crying and groaning.
. There were only a few OF us IN the
balcony. Luckily there wercr't more.
The balcony gave way and crashed
soon after tho ceiling began to fall,
onto those on tho lower floor. They
were caught tho worst. I guess there
was a lapse Of maybe 20 seconds
Funny. but 1t kind of twisted as its
supports gavc way and 1t swung down
on those below. 1t didn't go straight
down just kind OF sideways and
slanting.
II won't know how I got out of
where I was crouchinK under that
chunk OF plaster. l really believe II
weighed 500 pounds. And I think ]
moved that plaster with my shoulders.
Anyway I crawled out between the
u.-r l.
plaster above. T forced myself up thru
that hole. Then I crawlcd out over
the snow and plaster, over the
tangled debris, over the doors on tho
Eighteenth side.
Across the aisle when the crash
came was a little felIow-I never saw
him again and wonder whether he Is
dead. who laughed and roared at every
especially funny part OF the film.
don't know what became of him or the
others in the balcony
The plaster fell first in chunks. 1t
was just like an ice pond breaking up.
The ceiling did not give in in one
crash. 1t seemed to break up every
where. That lot in the snow.
It's queer but I was conscious all
the time when / was pinned down by
the great piece OF ceiling. My mind
when l save .hc ceiling falling and
afterward was just az clear and col
some hut I didn't know how badly. 1t
seemed my time had come. ] lived n
year pinned down between the seats
"It was not until I got outside that
I noticed blood falling from my face
and hands. l got out myself No one
helped me. / crawled over tho broken
.s,at. and plaster and snow to the door.
On the way ] saw a young fellow half
curled up moaning and crying for
help. leaned over TO lift him and then
everything went black. The ncSt I re-
member l was Mt the door. wipinG the
blood from my eyes and mouth. I
don't know how I got out. / didn',
see any other injured ones as I
crawlcd. | can't remember about that
part OF It.
My only thought then was to get
home before I should die. My chest
panied me. my back seemed broken.
my face was dripping with blood. All
I wanted was TO get home and tell my
wife and little girl what had happened.
l thought l was going to die.
Representative Smithwick who lives
about a block from the theatcr said he
staggered homo without ovcrcoat or
hat thru the snow. Physicians found
hin. suffering from shock, bruises and
possibly internal injuries.
II think II was miracle that I came
out alive. but think of those poor chill
drcn and men and women not SO for
tunatc. ! don't sec how any who were
under that balcony escaped. If these
below could have seen tho ceiling
breaking away they would have time
to rush out thru the doors. Those un-
dcrncath us had no chance, ! guess. !
keep thinking OF 1t all the time. that
awful roaring aud tho crashing of the
balcony on it's way down to those pco-
pic below. 1t was all over in half \
minute, | guess, hut 1t seemed hours"