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Show ROASTED ALIVE j IN THEATRE EIRE Scene of Horror Beyond Description Occurs When Play House in Mexican City is Burned. Fire Started from Moving Picture Machine, Ma-chine, Audience Became Panic Stricken, the Narrow Exits Being Crowded With Bodies of Weaker Ones. City of Mexico. Between 250 and 200 persons were burned to death and many were injured in a fire which destroyed de-stroyed the Flores theater in the city of Acapulco Sunday night. The news of the disaster reached here Monday, telegraphic communication with Acapulco Aca-pulco having been destroyed, owing to the fact that the telegraph office adjoining ad-joining the theater was burned and all wires put out of commission. The Flores theater was a wooden structure, and over 1,000 people crowded into it to witness a special performance given in honor of Gov ernor Damian Flores, of the state of Guerro, who was visiting the host at the time. One of the numbers on the program consisted of a series of moving mov-ing pictures. While the operator was exhibiting these a film caught fire and a blaze was quickly communicated to some bunting which had been used for decorative purposes. In an incredibly short time the flames spread to all parts of the structure. There were but three narrow nar-row exits and the panic-stricken audience au-dience rushed to them, many persons falling, to be crushed to death, their bodies choking the way to escape for others. The screams of those imprisoned impris-oned were horrifying. Owing to the rapidity with which the fire spread and its intense heat it was impossible to attempt rescue work, and those imprisoned im-prisoned were literally roasted alive, as the fire burned with little smoke, and few were suffocated. The efforts of the fire department were confined to attempting to save-the save-the adjoining buildings, and the firemen fire-men succeeded so well that the property prop-erty loss was small. Many of the dead are from the first families of the state, the affair at the theater being a social event of considerable consid-erable importance and calling out the wealthiest and oldest families for miles around. In some instances whole families were wiped out. The municipal authorities caused large trenches to be dug, and into these the bodies were laid. Identification has been impossible, most of the bodies having been burned to a crisp. |
