| Show HON IN FIHE victims were attending benefit for sunday school when flames caused wild panic in 1 add t on to the heavy loss of life three score were injured many of the Un fortinate ones be ing members of lead ng famil es of the town boyertown Boyer town pa nearly one hun dred persons in this borough were killed in a theater fire and panic mon day night and nearly three score in aured many of them fatally A ma bority of the killed were members of the leading families of the town while the scottish reformation was being reproduced in rhoades a opera house by mrs monroe of wash ington i A tank tonk used in a moving pic pie ture scene exploded and immediately there was a wild rush tor for the exits of the b aiding men of mature years endeavor ei to still the panic but their voices es could not be heard above the shrieks and screams earns of the terrified women and children who composed the greater part of the audience it seemed as though nearly the en tire andi au dince rice made a mad rush tor for the exits the moment the explosion occurred in their attempt to quiet the great crowd enose persons who were on the stage accidentally upset the coal oil lamps used at the footlights the burning oil scattered in all directions and the lamps which were used to light the opera house exploded throw ing the blazing oil over the terror stricken people who were fighting frantically to gain the exits in the mad rush a section of the floor gave way precipitating scores of persons to the basement it was scarcely five minutes from the time of the explosion of the tanks until the entire heart of the structure seemed a roaring furnace there was a mad scramble to the stairway and scores of women and children were knocked down and trampled upon many of them doubtless being crushed to death at least f fifty persons real izing that exit by the stairway meant almost certain death risked their lives by j emping from the windows limbs were broken and skulls were crushed ba b this daring method of es ape cape |
