Pittsburgh Gazette Times -- August 27, 1911 No Cause for Panic; Broken Film Shown
Operator of Moving Picture Machine Remained in Cage During Excitement
[SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO GAZETTE TIMES]
CANONSBURG, Pa., Aug. 27 - In strong testimony to the fact that there not the slightest cause for the blind terror that swept over the audience in the Opera House Saturday night was the exhibition today, by the moving picture machine operator, John McCullough, of the broken film which caused the flash.
To prove the film did not burn, the operator said that when the film broke he opened the door of his cage to get another film to replace the broken oneuntil he could repair it.
While death and panic were reigning below him, the operator stayed at his post operating his machine and throwing on the screen for half an hour. He did not leave his cabinet until the house was emptied by all but the dead.