New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-31
DETAILS OF THE HORROR.

"DETAILS CF III II HOhhOh.
A few of the victims were burned to death,
many were suffocated by gas. and scores were
tramped to death in the panic that followed
the mad plunge of the frightened audience for
the exits. 1t will be many hours before the
number of dead is accurately known, and many
days before all of them will be identified. There
are bodies lying by the dozens tonight in the
undertaking rooms, in the police stations and in
the hospitals. from which nearly everything that
could reveal their identity to those who knew
them best is gone Their clothing is torn to
rags burned tc cinders, and their faces have
been trodden into an unrecognizable pulp by
the crowd that trampled them down as they
fed for safety.
The fire broke out in the second act of the
play of Mr. Blue Beard" which was the first
dramatic production given in the theatre since
its erection. The comp ~, which was large.
escaped 20 the street in safety, nearly all of
them, no 5ever. being compelled to fee into the
snowy streets with clothing but their stage
costumes. few members Of the company
tained minor injuries but none were seriously
hurt.
PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
The accounts of the origin of the fire are
conflicting and none of them certain. but the
best reason given is that an electric wire near
the lower part of piece OF drop scenery sud-
denly broke and was grounded. The fire spread
rapidly toward the front of the stage, causing
the members of the chorus who vvara them en-
gagged in the performance, to rush to the wings
with screams of terror. The fire in itself up to
this time not serious, and possibly could
have been checked had not the asbestos curtain
failed to work. AS soon as the fire was dis
covered Eddie Foy. the chief comedian OF the
company, shouted to lower the curtain and
this was Immediately done. It descended about
halfway and then stuck The fire thus prao-
tically had fue through which strong
draught setting. aided by the doors, which
had been thrown open In front of the theatre
With and a bound the flames shot out
through the opening over the heads of the
people on the first floor, and, reaching clear up
to those in the first balcony. caught them and
burned them TO death where they sat.
A TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
Immediately following this rush of flames
there came an explosion which lifted the entire
roof OF the theatre from its walls shattering the
great skylght into fragments AS soon as the
flames first appeared beyond the curtain a man
in the rear of the hall shouted Fire! firer' and
the entire audience rose as one person and made
for the doors. 1t is believed that the explosion
was caused by the flames coming in contact
with the gas reservoirs OF the theatre. causing
them to burst w ]. Davis, manager of the
theatre, said after the catastrophe that II the
people had remained In their seats. and had not
been excited by the cry of fire, not single life
would have been lost This. however is contra
dicted by the statements OF the firemen. who
found numbers of persons sitting in their seats.
their faces directed toward the stage. as If the
performance was still going 1t was the
opinion of the fremen that these people had
been suffocated at once by the flow OF gas which
came from behind the asbestos curtain.
AS nearly as can be estimated at the present
time about thirteen hundred people were in the
theatre Three hundred OF these were on the
first floor. the remainder being in the two upper
balconies and in the Railways back of them.
AUDIENCE CAUGHT IN A TRAP
The theatre is modelled after the Opera
comique in Paris. and from the rear of each
balcony there are three doors leading out to