The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-31

the two became separated and Thomas
is among the missing.
LOOterS Were on Hand.
While scores OF men were busy car
rying out the dead, and injured, others,
fortunately few in number. searched
the aisles, and seats for valua bles.
Two men We're found, who had provid-
ed themselves with baskets, and were
hl!ing them with the property of the
dead. They were Immediately placed
under arrest. and the theater ushers
and stage hands We're given the work
of collecting all the valuables on the
floor of the theater. During the even
ing the police arrested over a dozen
men accused of being thieves, and pick
pockets.
The count Of the dead was practical
ly complete at midnight, but it is not
as Yet accurate, and the exact num-
Der viii not be known for some time
yet. Allowing for discrepancies, the
lists made by the police and newspapers
practically agree. The newspapers
claim $50 dead: the police. $50.
Coroner Treager made as complete
an inspection of the theater as is
possible in the condition in which it
is tonight. He said:
If the asbestos curtain had been
in working order 1 believe the fire
might have been prevented from
spre ading into the audience chamber
The plush on the seats in the first
balcony was charred but still visi-
BILE This does not look to me as
though everybody would have got out
of the theater alive, when you take
into account the speed with which the
flames spread.
The path of the flames was evil
dent. The stage and ceiling of the
theater 'were blistered and blackened
There was practically no damage to
the furniture on the first floor. The
boxes on the second tier were entire
ly destroyed by fire, while those on
the first floor were burned only in
spots, evidently by burning fragments
from above"
Building Thought Absolutely Safe.
The Iroquois theater was completed
less than two months ago at a cost of
100000, and was the finest play house
in Chicago. 1t was opened to the pub
lie on the night of Nov. %, with "Mr.
Bluebeard"
The records of the city building de-
oartment show that the theater was
complete in every detail, and that it
was absolutely fireproof, all require
ments of the law having been complied
with.
w. A. Merriam, western manager of
the George A. Fuller Company, the
concern, which erected the Irocuois
theater, when seen tonight made the
following statement concerning the con-
struction of the building:
The Iroquois Theater was built
with safety as the first consideration.
All the building ordinances were ad-
hered to in every detail, and more
than that. there were additional safe
guards thrown about, until 1 do not
hesitate to state that there was no
theater building in the country which
was freer from danger. The exits
were numerous, and all the work which
our company performed was absolute
ly ireproof. After making a very
careful examination of the building
since the fire find that the structure
as erected still stands intact"
Strikers Refused to Drive.
Frederick w. Job. secretary of the
Chicago Employers Association, tele-
phoned to w. D. Moone, a livery sta
BILE proprietor, asking that carriages
be sent for the relief of the sufferers.
Mr.. Moone replied that he would give
his carriages for the work. He later
told Mr.. Job that he went to the union
headquarters. where the drivers, who
are now on strike, were congregated,
and asked if they would drive to the
Iroquois Theater, and help remove the
wounded. Mr.. Moone reported to Mr..
Job that the fatty refused to do So"
John E. Farrell the stage electri-
clan, was one of the heroes of the fire.