Twenty-six is the official number of the dead in last night's catastrophe at the Canonsburg Opera House, caused by a panic when a film in the moving projector machine burned out.
During the confusion of Saturday night, following the panic and its attendant fatalities, the number was given as twenty-seven or twenty-eight. After the first wild excitement had subsided and the undertakers had time to make a revised list the number was found to be twenty-six.
It is not expected this afternoon that there will be any other deaths among the injured, according to the physicians in attendance.
It is almost impossible to ascertain a complete list of the injured. So many were taken to their homes suffering from shock or more or less severe crushing, that only a house to house canvas of the entire community would give the number hurt in one way or another.
All the physicians of town were kept busy last night and today, but this afternoon the doctors generally expressed the opinion that all their patients would recover.
Elmer, son of W. K. Thompson of West College street, is able to go about today. He was caught in the crush and this morning a street rumor had it that his injuries were of a most serious nature.
Many who were believed to be severely injured suffered chiefly from shock. What was believed to be blood on them later proved to be only red kalsomine from the walls of the building.