Carl Lane

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From The Daily Notes -- August 30, 1911 17 FUNERALS HELD ON DARKEST OF DAYS

When the funerals of Carl and Elizabeth Lane was held yesterday morning, the mother, Mrs. Wilmer Lane was allowed to attend the service. Mrs. Lane had been seriously injured in the crush and for several days had been confined to the Canonsburg General hospital, and only a day or two ago was informed of the death of her babies. When the mother beheld her children, the first time since Saturday night, she collapsed, was carried from the room, but was soon revived.

The attending physician, dr. J. C. Kelso, administered restoratives and says that Mrs. Lane will now get along all right. No further shock can injure her because she has received so many already.

Mrs. Lane was removed to her home in Pitt street shortly before noon.

From The Daily Notes -- August 29, 1911 MANY FUNERAL CORTEGES WEND THEIR WAY TO THE CEMETERIES

Three services were held at 10 o’clock. The services for the two babies of Mr. and Mrs. Wilmer Lane were held at the home of the uncle, Charles Neely, in South Jefferson avenue and were conducted by the Rev W. P. Aikin, assisted by the Rev. W. B. Smiley, D. D. the caskets containing the bodies of the babies, Carl aged 2 ½ years, and Margaret aged four months, were arranged in a semi circle with the casket of Mrs. Charles Young, their aunt. No music was used on account of the nervousness of Mrs. Lane, who attended part of the service and the general trend of Rev. Aikin’s address was on the subject, “Suffer the little children to come unto Me.”

From Pittsburgh Post Gazette Times – August 27, 1911 LANE FAMILY HIT HARD BY DISASTER

The Lane family of this place suffered the most in the theater panic of Saturday night. Carl and Margaret Lane, children of Mrs. Wilmer Lane of North Pitt street, were crushed or smothered to death and their aunt, Mrs. Callie Young, a sister of their mother, also was killed. The children’s cousins, Ethel and Margaret Lane of Morganza, Pa., were in the crush but escaped with several bruises, while the children’s grandfather, Samuel Lane of Morganza, was badly bruised.

The grandfather, who is past 65 years of age, made a pluck fight to save the life of a child and was almost killed in doing so. The two children, with Mr. and Mrs. Young, entered the theater together. Later Ethel and Margaret arrived and were followed a short time later by the grandfather. Each of the three parties was ignorant of the others’ presence.

When the rush began, Mr. and Mrs. Young, with the two children who were killed, were standing near the head of the stairs, and the other two Lane girls were in their seats, while the grandfather was near the door. The aged man was suddenly thrown toward the stairway leading to the street. As he was about to regain his feet some child, which had either been thrown or knocked from the arms of some mother, fell under him.

Stooping, he caught the infant in his arms, but as he was raising up the impact of the crowd knocked him forward again with such force that the child fell from his arms. At the same moment he was thrown against the wall, halfway down the long flight of stairs, where he was pinioned and compelled to watch the child being slowly smothered to death by those who fell on top. Every one of the three parties suffered.

This afternoon at 3 o’clock Mrs. Wilmer Lane, who since being taken from the surging mass of humanity in the theater has been lying at death’s door

From The Daily Notes -- August 28, 1911 HELPER FINDS WIFE AND CHILDREN AMONG VICTIMS

A sad feature of the catastrophe was the killing of two young children of Wilmer Lane and possible fatal injuries of Mr. Lane. The husband and father is employed at the Canonsburg Pottery company's plant, and is the son of Samuel Lane of Murray Hill. Young Lane did not know that his wife and children had been killed or badly maimed until he had assisted for some hours in the work of removing the dead and injured, he being a member of one of the volunteer fire companies. Finally his attention was attracted to his wife and babes, and he almost collapsed.

Mrs. Lane and children had gone in the opera house, while Mr. Lane was attending to some matters about town. When the fire alarm sounded, he rushed to the building and helped in the work there.

From The Daily Notes -- August 28, 1911 DIED TRYING TO SAVE OTHERS

Two children of Mr. and Mrs. Wilmer Lane of East Pitt street were killed. The youngest was the first baby born in Canonsburg after the consolidation of the two boroughs last May. Mrs. Lane is injured and her recovery is still in doubt.

The Washington Observer -- August 28, 1911 LOWERING CLOUDS HOVER NEAR STRICKEN TOWN

The funeral of the two Lane children, Carl, aged 2 1/2, and Margaret, aged four years, were held at 10 o'clock this morning from the home of their uncle, Charles Young, in South Jefferson street. The Rev. W. P. Akin, of the Chartiers United Presbyterian church, conducted the funeral services, assisted by the Rev. W. B. Smiley, a former pastor of the church. Mrs. Lane, the children's mother, who was badly hurt in Saturday’s disaster, and who has been in Canonsburg hospital, saw her two dead tots for the first time since the accident when she was taken to the funeral this morning. Her condition was such that she had to be removed from the hospital in an automobile while she reclined on a couch through the services, constantly attended by Dr. J. C. Kelso. The mother in her weakened condition was almost prostrated during the services.