Coroner Hefferan acted wisely in reconsidering his decision to hold the inquest in over the victims of the Canonsburg opera house horror in Washington. He never should have thought of holding it anywhere else than in Canonsburg. This is a case where the second thought was much better and clearer than the first. Canonsburg is the place for the inquest. Here is where the tragedy took place. Here is where the victims lived. Here is where the witnesses live. It certainly was a peculiar that of holding the inquest in Washington. It has been abandoned. That is well. Public sentiment caused the change, and for this it is to be thanked.
The Pittsburg Chronicle telegraph in and editorial on “The Canonsburg opera house horror,” says:
“As far as can be learned fro the preliminary inquiries, this disaster cannot be ascribed to any positive violation of the state law regulating moving picture shows and requiring safeguards against fire. However the circumstances that the show at Canonsburg was given on the second floor of the theater building and that the corridors of exit led to a single stairway, not wide enough to be serviceable in such an emergency such as that of Saturday night, indicates that only the letter of the law was observed and that, in actual fact, the safeguards provided were insufficient. A fire escape was available, but, as usual in such moments of mob dementia, nobody thought of this recourse.
If Chief Factory Inspector Delaney’s recommendation to the legislature that the law with regard to theaters be so amended as to prohibit theaters on second floors had been favorably received and acted upon the 26 persons killed in the panic at the Canonsburg Opera House Saturday night would be alive today. But while the legislature, out of regard for “property rights,” refused to adopt the recommendation the people can give it the force of law if they are so minded by refusing to patronize theaters which are above the first floor.
Expressions of sorrow for Canonsburg in the face of the greatest calamity that ever visited her during her more than one and a quarter centuries of her existence are being uttered by the press and people of all sections of the country. For these expressions of sorrow and sympathy, the Notes, as the mouthpiece of the people of the community expresses heartfelt appreciation and thanks.