The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-31
PLAYHOUSE in RUINS
COLUMBIA THEATER AT CHICAGO
DESTROYED BY FIRE.
Several Persons Injured-Loss, $780,
OOO-klaw & Erlanger Among
the Sufferers.

CHICAGO, March 30.-The Columbia
Theater. one of the oldest and most popu-
lar playhouses in the city. was destroyed
by fire this afternoon, entailing total loss
of $4,000. The fire was discovered in the
laundry of the Iroquois Club. which occu-
pied apartments on the sixth floor of the
building 1t is supposed that some hot
Goals dropped from the stove to the floor.
The flames spread with great rapidity. and
within ten minutes after the discovery of
the fire the theater beyond saving.
Occupants of the building and employ
of the theater and the club were driv>
to the street i'm such haste that i'm the ex-
element three women were overcome. Be-
fore the fire was extinguished the follow
ing were injured:
FRANCES MILLER, overcome by smoke
and her face cut: taken from the sixth
floor by John Crilly porter of the
JOHN BURNS. fireman. hit by falling
glass and cut about the face and head.
JOHN COURTNEY, policeman. struck by
falling cornice and glass, head cut and
shoulder bruised. tliC
MARIA ELLIS. fell down stairs, wrist
MRS. MARY ROBINSON. hurt about the
face and head.
The losses are distributed as follows:
Columbia Theater Amusement Company, of
Chicago. owner of the building $4,000;
Klaw Erlanger, proprietors of the Rog-
ers Brothers company. $4,000: Iroquois
Club. $4,000: ID. NJ. Bernstein. jeweler.
5000; Rowland block, $1,000; Hannah &
Hogg, saloon, $1,000; Chicago National
Bank $1,000; Bellevue Medical Institute.
| $1,000; miscellaneous losses. 5000; total,
$4,000.
A company owned by Klaw & Erlanger.
of New York. and headed by Rogers broth
ers, presenting Rogers Brothers in Wall
Street" was playing an engagement at the
theater. The fire interrupted the progress
of rehearsal and twenty men and women
in costume were driven to the street in
haste. They were not notified of the fire
before the department had arrived and was
sending streams of water into the upper
floors where the fire had originated When
an excited stage hand rushed into the thea
ter and shouted that the theater was on
fire there was a wild rush on the part of
the players for the street. and a frightened
crowd of performers shivered in neigh
boring saloon while friends went in search
of suitable clothing for them.
The early part OF the fire was marked
with gallant rescues of girls employed in
the laundry of the Iroquois Club, where the
fire escape to the sixth floor and carried the
women, who had grown hysterical, to a
place of safety. The rescuers were urged
on by the cheers of thousands massed in
the street below. The two girls who made
the perilous journey under the guidance
of the firemen were Frances Miller and
Marie Ellis. The others were escorted down
the stairway through the binding smoke.
few minutes after the discovery of the
fire the roof of the building fell with a
crash and to many il sounded like great
explosion. The collapse caused general
stampede among the spectators. and in the
rush several were slightly bruised. Later
when the cornice of the front of the build
ing fell several firemen had narrow es-
capes
The heaviest losers outside OF the owners
of the building were Rogers Brothers, who
have been playing an engagement at the
theater. They had valuable scenery and
costumes TO the amount of $4,000 stored
on the stage. and all this was eaten up
by the flames. The insurance upon the
theater amounts to 100000, and all other
losses are also protected. l.. Werba. the
business manager of the Rogers company.
representing the owners klaw e. Erlanger,
stated that the insurance carried on the
scenery and effects was $4,000.
The Columbia Theater was built by j. III.
Haverly a short time after the Chicago
fire, and after ii passed from his hands
in 1884 1t was rechristened the Columbia by
Ellen Terry at the time of her first appear
ance in Chicago with Sir Henry Irving.
The lease of the Columbia Amusement
Company expires May /. 1900. and would
not have been renewed. as the company is
now building a theater OF its own. The
Iroquos Club, whose home was destroyed.
is the largest Democratic club In Illinois
and has among its members many of the
prominent Democrats OF Chicago