Arizona republican., 1922-01-30
Theater Seated 1000

tuVakCf oGAN0d @N00
Normally. the theater has had every
seat filled at that hour and nearly
1000 persons was its capacity. The
same unprecedented snow fall which
brought death to the venturesone
few kept the many at home. Street
car traffic had been abandoned and
streets and sidewalks We're all but
impossible. There has not been time
for official inquiry as to the cause
of the disaster. The ruins disclose.
however. that the mass of steel-held
concrete that formed the roof had
come down. The crash swept the
supports from under the balcony APP
parently. and this hinged down at an
angle OF 45 degrees, adding to the
tangled wreckage on the floor below.
The building stands In an acute
angle in the corner of Eighteenth
street and Columbia road. Northwest,
the heart of the most favored resi-
dence sections. The narrow niche of
the stage on which the screen was
hung was backed into the corner
angle. while to the left from the stage
the line of the auditorium wall runs
straight for some 200 feet down
Eighteenth street. To the right. the
Iumbia road for about the distance.
and at the far end paralleling the
stage front, the bsck wall completes
the auditorium proper. also about 200
feet in length. This space stood roof
less moment after the first kissing
sound of the breaking roof gave
warming above the music of the or
chestra. There is only one survivor
thus far who has told Of having
heard that warning and seen the first
powdery handful of snow sift down
over the head Of the orchestra leader
in time to escape. From his seat we'll
forward on the main floor. he raced
for the doors at the back. A blast
of air expelled as the roof came
down, hurled him out through the
doorway to safety.
Most Of Bodies in Pit
Most Of the bodies were recovered
from the floor of the pit beneath the
of the balcony or from the
front of the balcony. Persons on the
main floor had grouped themselves
Just below the front of the balcony.
They were back far enough to see
well and most Of the front and back
rows were empty.
At the point they had chosen the
danger proved to be double. Few of
those seated there could have escaped
Even IL the falling concrete slabs and
steel work OF the roof missed them.
the balcony front came down on the
first wreckage with crushing weight.
The cleaning brass rail OF the ball
cony front lay spread over the wreck
age of the roof when rescuers reached
the scene.
All those farther back on the main
floor probably escaped. The beams
that supported the back end of the
balcony did not let go their clutch on
the wall The wide sweep of seats
they supported tilted down until the
wreckage below supported the weight
Of the front end. then stood covering
the back rows OF the main floor like
a tent.
Balcony Twisted Mass
The front rows OF the balcony were
ground to a twisted mass. There
was no wood in the structure. 1t
was all steel and concrete. but the
weight Of the balcony was
sufficient TO wind the tortured beams
into fantastic shapes.
Here again chance played part
In reducing the number OF victims.
The front rows of the balcony, four
Or five tiers deep, were known as
reserved seats" They were priced
above the succeeding rows.
With the small attendance OF last
night. probably only a few had paid
the extra prices for these seats. And
many of those behind scrambled UP
the steep slope of the fallen balcony
10 safety although many were struck
down when the roof came in. Some |
were hurled down int the pit wreck
age when the balcony front fell and !
even some OF these escaped with |
bruises. There is no record, how |
ever. of any survivor among those in !
he foremost balcony seats.
Frantic calls for aid went out as |
soon as those in the double-walled !
structures which form the Eighteenth |
street and back wall Of the auditor |
um realized what had happened. |
These two three floor wings form the /
offices. a store along the Eighteenth |
street front, and house the stairways !
Ind the approaches and exits both /
IN that side and along the back wall. |
md they were not involved in the .
disaster which was confined to the
Later this store and cor |
'idors became the first aid stations