Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-01
PLAN MASS BURIAL
FOR z PANIC DEAD
Council of Scottish Town
to Provide Single Grave
for Victims.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PAISLEY, Scotland, January AR
rangements proceeded today for mass
funeral for the "a youthful victims of
the blind panic which followed small
fire yesterday afternoon in the Glen
Motion Picture Theater here.
There was hardly home in this
small Scottish mill town but suffered
loss of kin in the catastrophe. The city
council. recognizing that most II not all
represented either impoverished or
humble circumstances, expected to pro-
vide for interment in a single grave.
Meanwhile beneath murky smoke
ridden skies weeping parents continued
Identification of the bodies Of their
children, most Of whom were between
the ages of and IA. Infinitely pathetic
scenes were enacted as the victims were
recognized and tags with names pinned
to their clothes.
Town Stunned by Tragedy.
Several parents removed the bodies
Of their children to their homes. There
were few who left the morgue with dry
eyes and firm Step-the vastneSS of the
tragedy was inconceivable to most;
their aspect was less of hysteria than
Of persons stunned.
Parents entered the death chamber
conducted by nurses who led them be-
tween the long rows of little corpscs.
One woman found three of her children
lying side by Side-it was her entire
family. Fathers in some cases baked
at the door and refused to go inside,
oelegat1ng Identification to the mother.
There were some cases In which the
seekers failed to identify the death
changed faces and left declaring, my
child Is not there" Others made mis-
taken identifications, and in at least
three cases where identification was
thought to have been made the sorrow
ful parents returned home to find their
youngsters waiting them there, safe
and well.
Deaths Blamed to Panic.
Doctors who spent hours inspecting
the theater and tending the 80 or more
who were injured in the panic be-
lieved that If the children had stayed
quietly in their places when the FIRE
alarm was given not single life would
have been lost. They said none Of the
deaths were due to gas poisoning.
virtually all the deaths were due to
sudocation from being buried beneath
the struggling mass of their fellows,
who pressed In hundreds over those
who fell first, until there was q bar
rier OF little bodies at the portals as
much as six deep.
others did not share this view. These
included some firemen, one of whom
said he had been affected seriously by
the fumes which escaped from illumi-
mating gas fixtures with which the
building was equipped for emergency
lighting. Several gas fixtures were torn
away as II the children had clutched
them in their struggles. An inquiry
probably will shed light on the point.
1t was certain that the fire itself was
a relatively small matter. The cinema
operator rushed the roll Of burning Aim,
which caught In an unexplained man
ner, to the open, probably thus prevent
ing holocaust. But the sight Of the
flames licking the air from the operat-
ing room chilled the hearts OF the
youngsters watching the holiday film,
and started the panic, which ended IA
tally for so many.
Most of the 80 injured were said to
be suffering only from shock and were
expected to go to their homes today.
Many left the hospitals last night.