davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-31
Ir0quois The0ter Horror Without PARALLEL.
THE VICTIMS NUMBER HUNDREDS.
Already Nearly Six Hundred Have Been Taken from the Building
Many Died from suiocson. Many Were Burned to Death
and Many Had the Life TrampIsd Out Of Them as They
We're Trying to Make Their Way to Safety

Burdette Spindler. 10 years old, Leon
Frady, 10 years old. Frady's mother
in-law died at st, Luke's an hour after
reaching the hospital. Mrs. William
Rise, sister of Frady Is still missing.
A STRANGE IDENTIFICATION.
One OF the most peculiar OF the iden-
tifcations today was that OF the head
less body of Boyer Alexander, s years
old. The lads father, DR.. w. ID.
Alexander, 475 Washington boulevard,
had sleeplessly sought his son all night
long, and today, In examining the head
less corpse of child, the physician
identified his own boy by watch, a
birthday present from the father, found
upon the remains.
A PTIFUL SCENE.
A pitiful scene attended the dentif-
cation OF Mirgery Edwards, IA years
old, of Clinton, Iowa. Her father, W.
NJ. Edwards. who has been In Chicago
on a visit, identified the daughters ter
rlbly burned body from d sample Of the
cloth in her skirt which he carried in
his pocket.
HELPING THE sEARCHERs.
Chief Of Police o'Nell today super
vised the work Of helping friends and
relatives recover their dead. Hundreds
OF persons, grief and anxiety written In
their faces, thronged about Chief
O'Neill's office, seeking information.
The pressure grow 80 great that Secy.
Markham mounting n chair. read of
the descriptions to the multitudes. Free
quently persons In the crowd recognized
the descriptions read by the secretary
and started In horror for the particular
inorgue named as the words fell from
the secretary's lips.
AT THE MORGUE,
At the morgue the inadequacy OF the
means Of inspecting bodies was evil
dent. Only a few persons at time
were allowed to pass before the bodies,
and places In the line of admission were
as eagerly sought and fought for as
means of escape were when the theater
was burning.
Messrs. Davis and Powers, managers
OF the lroquois have called meeting
at the Illinois theater OF all members
of the "Blue Beard" company and a
fun statement will be made after a
careful investigation.
Davis and Powers emphatically deny
report that there was a fire In the
Iroquois three weeks ago, and that
= the asbestos curtain then refused to
work on account OF being controlled by
ropes instead Of wires. They also state
that the curtain was controlled by the
strongest wires that II was possible TO
use. The facts are, according to them,
that the curtain swayed the moment
the 10 or ~ exits were thrown open,
owing to the rush of air.
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-31
DAY AFTER THE
GREAT CALAMITY.
Husbands Sought Their Wives and Moth
crs Their Little Ones. Too Free
quentIy All In Vain.

Chicago, Dec To-day brought with
II only the legacy OF yesterdays monu-
mental calamity and the prediction
that the list of fatalities In the Iroquois
fire will run over 600 when information
Is complete.
LATEST ESTIMATE OF DEAD,
The latest statement of dead at the
various morgues Is 564. and II Is stated
at the various hospitals and hotels to
which the injured were removed. that
of the 1b7 people who were injured, prob
ably not one-third can live. The miss
ing were estimated at 3i4. but II was
expected that flany of these would be
accounted for or probably large ma
jority Of them.
CHICAGO is STUNNED.
II Is no extravaganza of language to
say that the city Ia stunned by the over
whelming tragedy which was enacted
when the theater which housed mfr
Bluebeard" became chamber OF hor-
rors indeed. There Is the deepest woe
in hundreds OF homes today deep sor-
row In thousand others. and pity
beyond the potency Of words to con-
vey. IN all.
The first streak of daylight which
shone on the snow-covered streets
haunted center of many n searcher.
There we're husbands for their wives.
wives searching for husbands, frenzied
parents seeking their children, so many
OF whom lost their lives. and In some
Instances wide eyed children, still dazed
from the horror Of their experience,
CROPPED distressedly about In search OF
father or mother.
SYMPATHY FOR BORROWING
ONES.
Possibly nothing could better typify
the depth OF the sympathy which Is felt
for those who suffered directly by the
calamity than the action OF the strik-
ing livery drivers. BY vote which
was without dissenting voice II was
decided TO establish a truce Of 10 days.
President Albert Young OF the union.
following the meeting. issued the fol-
lowing decree which was distributed
broadcast:
Owing to the great disaster 20 the
public caused by the fire at the Iro-
quois theater, ] do hereby declare a
truce In the present strike OF UNDER
takers and livery drivers for 10 days.
and do further request that every man
now on strike report at once 10 their
respective places of employment. aud
do everything In his power 10 assist his
employer In caring for the wants OF the
public. Wages are TO have no consider
alton.
"ALRERT YOUNG"
In the return the employees issued a
call TO their striking employees TO re-
turn to work irrespective OF any pre-
vlous Affiliations with any and all or
ganizations," and promising 10 protect
them In all contingencies which may
arise In the future.
CROWDS CAME AND WENT.
All night long the crowds came and
went around the morgues where the
bodies OF the victims of the disaster
lay. There were the heads of families,
brothers, sisters, and men and women
looking for those from outside cities
who had been their guests. For hours
they passed up and down before the
long rows OF the dead searching for
the faces OF their missing.
SORROW IN MANY HOMES.
Sorrow reigned In the residence OF
DR.. Frank w. Gunsalaus, the noted d.
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-31

Vaningen, Is years old. OF Kenosha,
Wis, was Identified. Friends Of the
Vaningen family had spent many hours
searching at the request OF Mr.. and
Mrs Vaningen, who were injured. To-
day four OF the Vaningen children who
are believed TO have persisted 10 the
fire had not been accounted for. They
are: Grace, years old; Dotty, years
old; Mary, 10, and Edward, 20 years
old. one OF the saddest OF the many
scenes enacted In Thompson's restau-
rant. near the theater where many OF
the dead and injured were taken i'm
mediately after the fire, was the search
by body OF priests and nuns. headed
by the Rev. ]. l.. Holllnger. Of Ontona-
gon Mich, for Edith Horton and her
sister, young girls, who, in company
with one OF the convent sisters, had at
tended the performance. The body Of
Edith Horton was found In the res
taurant, many of the nuns breaking
down and weeping bitterly at the sight.
The other Horton girl and the sister
who accompanied them We're not found.
SAVED BY FoY.
Charles Dexter, OF the Boston Base
ball club, and Frank Houseman, the
old Chicago second baseman, with their
families, occupied a box. Both claim
ed that but for the presence of mind
OF Eddie Foy, the death roll would
have been doubled. When the panic
began Dexter and Houseman each
made for and manned a door, lead
ing into the alley on the north side OF
the theater. The people from the
balconies had already commenced
jumping to the ground floor when
Houseman and Dexter forced upon
their doors and they were compelled to
lift away the MANNED and the dead in
order TO permit OF exits from the
corted his party out, took a position at
his door and kept 1t from choking up
by assisting people through. Finally,
forced away by the flames, Houseman
got into the alley Just In time to hear
the agoniged voice OF woman from
the window In an upper gallery shrek
Catch me-" As the woman screamed
she jumped and Houseman, catching
her to the best of his ability, broke her
fall to the ground and she walked away
uninjured.
Clinton C. Meeker, clerk in the reg
istry division OF the postoffice. living In
the suburb OF Irving park, has prob.
| alb lost In the fire offs entire family,
I.'unalstins Of his wife, two daughters
and two sons.
A friend called Mr.. Meeker ON the
phone at o'clock in the afternoon and
asked him II any Of his family had gone
TO the theater. He answered that SO
far as he knew none OF them had left
home. When he reached the house.
however. he found only his mother-in-
law there.
PRAYED TO GOD.
Where are Mable and the chldren?'
he asked.
They have gone to the Iroquois the
ater," was the reply.
Il dropped right down on my knees"
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-31

said Mr.. Meelser, land prayed that
God might spare them"
Today Mr.. Meeker had partially
identified the bodies OF his wife and
two daughters. He failed to find any
trace Of his two sons.
RESPONSIBILITY OF FIRE
Among many of the theatrical men
employed In the other Chicago theaters,
the responsibility for the fire was as
cribed today to the careless placing OF
electric arc light apparatus too close 10
one of the hanging borders OF the
scenery. The electrician of leading
Chicago theater expressed great SUR
prise on hearing that this was consid-
cred possible cause Of the fire.
NO NEED FOR FIRE.
There never would have been any
are, he said, III proper care had been
exercised In handling the lights. The
electric plant of the theater was in
stalled. as | happen to know from per-
sonal observation, In accordance with
every modern requirements for safety.
Inc plant was not to blame. IL the
facts have given are correct, the
whole blame rests on the person who
placed, or who was operating, light
The failure of the expected fire pro-
lection is attributed by insurance men
TO trouble with the asbestos curtain.
STAGE IN DANGER POINT,
The stage Is always recognized as the
danger point In the theater, and the de-
sire to have II cut off from the audi
forum as thoroughly ae possible. The
insurance men declare that the curtain
az the lroquois never had worked per-
fectly and that the mechanicism had
not been repaired.
II. X. Wetmore, OF the insurance firm
which placed the Iroquois theater, de-
clared today that the loss would not ex
coed $4,000. He also asserted that the
spread Of the flames to the auditorium
was due to the failure of the asbestos
curtain to work properly.
THE IROQUOIs CRITICISED.
Early last summer prominent
trade journal Of Chicago criticised the
construction of the Iroquois theater
because 1t lacked shaft or flue at the
back OF the stage for CARRYING the
flames and smoke upward and away
from the auditorium in the event OF
fire, Such shafts were built In Madi-
son Square Garden and the Metopoll g.
tan opera mouse In New York and SIM
liar provision Is made at the Chicago
auditorium.
The methods Of flre-proofing the bal
cony and gallery was also declared by
this magazine to be defective because
metal lath was used In what IA known
as exposed construction where heat
would easily affect II. In modern fire.
proof buildings this lath Is buried in
concrete. 1t was the buoklng out of
this metal lath and iron rods giving
the impression that the galleries them
selves were falling that is beiived by
some contractors to have been partly
responsible for the panic There was
no criticism of he strength OF the gall
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-31

said Mr.. MeelSer. land prayed that
God might spare them"
Today Mr.. Meeker had partially
identified the bodies OF his wife and
two daughters. He failed TO find any
trace OF his two sons
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-31
FOUND HIS DEAD.

hor-" y. Frady, president Of the stroh-
c" rlaho company. today after I'M
Using search. found Ave dead OF a
TTes,er party of six. headed BY his wife.
s naoh one was found at different NOR.
s ,,n One IL still missing. Those iden-
\ s'HTg were Mrs. William NJ. Frady, Mrs.
" d. spindler. Mr.. Fradys sister;
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-31
lery and balcony arches which were
built in the usual manner.
FIRE CHJEE TALKS


FIRE CHIEF TALKS.
cb,af Nrusham oe the fro denart-
ment, when asked today what would
soid.
II don't know as l can answer that
question until Investigation has been
made ms 10 the causes of this Are. on
the whole | think II would be a good
thing for the department TO have active
uniformed men prepared toaot stationed
In every theater. through every per-
Torrance. understand that New
York has them and that they are paid
by the MANAGEMENT of the theaters.
"They had a man in the Iroquois who
was an ex-member of the Chicago fire
department. He should have known
what 10 do. II seems to me that there
~ nothing In the world at least moth
ing .nat can ,ninh nm, VI i,, a.. w, rhan 600
persons try TO pass through one door
way at one time. IL was the rushing
the crowding and the trampling that
was responsible for the majority of the
deaths that have occurred. Anybody
who views the dead in the mogues can
tell that at a glance"
c,,ox,,, on, n,,yorc,AS,e
NASS ~
II was a cause of wonder to many
people around the theater building how
so many physicians and so many train
ed nurses could arrive on the spot
within 40 short time. DR.. Herman
Spalding senior official In the city
health department at the time the fire
broke out. made all the arrangements
for medical attendance.
II telephoned to all the physicians In
the downtown district" he said, "and
then TO hospitals. nurse associations
and schools for persons TO assist in the
care OF the injured. Employees tele-
phoned to all the principal office build
ings ana told the oi,e,, a' a, she
clan In the building while others tele-
phoned to the nurses. There were over
100 physicians whom | personally knew
at the FIRE and probably $50 nurses"
o,nrp,,r, ro cr1,r Arr Am
oiNl'isN'D :" Va - ''''
Mayor Harrison was on his way to
the south for hunting trip and Comp
troller McGann was acting mayor. The
finance oommitte OF the city council
was in session when the extent Of the
disaster became known at the city hall.
Mr. Mccain was authorized by Chair
man Mavor OF the committee, to direct
the fire marshal the chief OF police and
the commissioner of public works to
proceed in the emergency without any
restriction of any Kind as to expenses.
MAYOR HARRISON INFORMED
A telegram was sent TO Mayor mar
rlsoi informing MN OF ,he nre anu ~
Is expected that ne WIN return iro'h
oMahon'a on .ne nrst Slain' % ,,o
When the icy. r. obrlen, OF ,he
Holy Name cathedrai, learned Oh .ne
IRE ne hurried 70 ,ne gu i,slnV ,
,iouse, low vor.Ity'eu ,'i'o tne Hoi ,n ua
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-31
MESSAGE FROM
THE PRESIDENT.
In Common With American PEG.
pie he Expresses Sorrow.

Chicago, Dec. sl,-The follow
ing message was received this
morning:
Washington. Dec. Sl.--Hon.
Carter II, Harrison. Mayor. Chi
cago; In common with all our
people throughout this land ex-
tend through you to the people
OF Chicago my deepest sympa-
thy In the terrible catastrophe
which has befallen them.
"(Signed.)
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-31
PRAYED TO GOD.

Where are Mable and the children"
he asked.
They have gone to the Iroquois the
ater,' was the reply.
Il dropped right down on my knees"
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-31
A PATHETIC SCENE,

There was a pathetic secene at Roll
stons morgue when the body OF John
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-31

Chicago, Dec. To-day brought with
Il only the legacy of yesterdays monu-
mental calamity. and the prediction
that the list of fatalities In the Iroquois
fire will run over 600 when information
IA complptp.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-08-21
NEGRO DAVIS ALL RIGHT.
Choke Damp Did Not Kill Him
Something About How to Tell
If Damp Exists.

John Davis, the negro who was struck
by choke damp in a well Thursday af-
ternoon at Miss Rosa Barnett's was
all right Friday.
In a talk Friday with DIR. Porter, who
attended the negro Davis, DR.. Porter
said that he thought it would be of in
terest to the public to note in connec-
ton with this accident that the negro, in
endeayormg to "burn out" the choke
damp which he suspected might be in
the we'll, manufactured it by the whole
sale.
Choke damp, or the bad air. that
NAV accumulate in wells or other low
places, protected from air currents, is
carbonic acid gas, said Dr. Porter, and
is given out in considerable volumn
from any fire in exchange for the oxygen
consumed. The negro Davis, before de-
scending into the we'll. built brisk fire
in an iron kettle and let it down to the
bottom of the we'll. At first it blazed
freely and continued to burn until all
the oxygen about it was used up and
enough "choke damp" had been pro-
duced to smother the fire.
The kettle was then hauled up and
coal oil DO ured on the smouldering fire
which, when started afresh, was again
lowered into the well. The fire ceased
to burn actively when the bottom was
reached. So the kettle was drawn up
lust above the 'choke damp already
formed and again lit up. AS the "choke
damp was formed and threatened to
extnguish the fire the kettle was haul
ed higher. After five hours spent in
"burnmg up the choke damp, Davis
decided that the well was safe as the
fire had burnt out all the "bad air."
Had Davis at once withdrawn the fire
on finding that it burned freely, no dan
ger from '.choke damp could have ex-
listed. AS it was. he nearly paid the
death penalty for his ignorance.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-08-21
IMPUDENT SOLDIERS.
Leaving Franklin They Stop Over at
Columbia and Try to Take
the Town.

Three or four soldiers of the State
militia who were returning from the
Franklin encampment got off the tram
here this morning and proceeded to take
in the town and do as they pleased.
They were not boisterous or drunk, but
in passing fruit stands about town they
would hep themselves and not say any
thing at all about paying for what they
took
While passing Mr.. Miles Cooks gro
Gerry store ON South Main and Eighth
streets, one of the men, who seemed to
have an abnormal appetite for grapes,
stopped and began helping himself.
Mr.. Cook went out and suggested to the
young fellow that he pay a nickel and
get another bunch of the grapes. The
young fellow gave him curt reply,
which angered Mr.. Cook, and he sum
moned Policeman Ed. Chaffin, who was
standing across the street, for the pur-
pose of making the soldier pay for what
be had taken. The soldier ran when
he saw the policeman after him but he
was caught, taken back to Mr.. Cooks
and made to LAY for the fruits.
MOI of the young mems names could
be learned, but it is thought that they
belonged to the Lawrenceburg company
of State troops They evidently thought
because they had on uniforms they
could do as they pleased, but. fonnd out
d fferently.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-08-21
5OLUMBIA REDS. A"
FAMOUS BALL TEAM AND
SOMETHING OF IT'S PER-
SONNEL AND ACHIEVE
MENTS.
Also the "Kangaroos," When DR.. Bob
Pillow Was Catcher. Chris Loon
ey Third Baseman, and
F. d. Lander, Short
Stop.

Jndee Sam Holding came into the
Herald office Friday and with few
friends fell to discussing current topics
~ the day. Politics was talked, and
finally after that was exhausted base ball
was taken I'D. Columbia's chance for
the pennans was bought up and after
that was decided to be good, the early
DAYS of the great national game we're
discussed. Finally, the first authenti-
Gated bali team ever in Columbia was
called over. 1t was known as the Kan
garoos," and was partly composed OF
the following gentlemen whose names
could be called: Chris Looney, third
base, Walter Mitchell, pitcher, Robt.
Pillow, catcher, F. ID. Lander, short
stop and Captain, Ed Wilson,right field,
and Wave Ogilvie, who is now state
Commissioner of Agriculture, second
base, 1t was in the good old summer
time of 1874 that these kings OF the dia.
mond cayorted on the ball field, and
though their heads are now frosty with
age, they can still tell clean base hit,
and ball from strike when they see
it. Ed Wilson was the heavy hitter OF
the team, and a greater swatsman never
ambled up to the plate, it is said, than
he. Home runs were common with him
and whenever he walked to the bat there
was always something doing. And as
catcher they say DIR. Pillow bluffed more
umpires into calling balls strikes than
any man that ever stepped behind the
bat. Chris Looney also was famous
third has eman. and many stories are told
of the miraculous stops he made around
third.
The next team Columbia had was
what will long be remembered as the
Columbia "Reds." That was one of
the greatest aggregations of ball tossers
that ever walked on ball field, and few
were the games they lost. There were
two teams known as the "Reds," but
both of them we're corkers. The origi-
nal team was composed Of Judge Sam
Holding, catcher, Bob Williams and
John Holman, pitchers, Cal Morgan,
first base, Ed Carpenter, second base,
- Cassidy. third base, Lee Young,
short stop, Ed Young, left field, jim
Fender. center, and Bob billiard, right,
F. d. Lander, manager. This illustrlous
tribe won many game, and lost but
few. 1t is said that nobody ever tried
to steal second on Judge Holding but
once. The sluggers of this team were
the Young boys, Bob billiard and Jim
Fender. Rare were the games in which
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-08-21
NV Dear Sisters

My Dear Sisters
| cannot resist the temptation to write
you another short letter concerning our
gross negligence in keeping the Sabbath
day. Let's unite in an effort to make it
easier for the ice man and the meat man,
and to give them an opportunity to en-
Joy the day, by giving our orders and
having them delivered on Saturday.
Let's begin with tomorrow, and see
what we can accomplish along this line.
This little forethought on our part
would mean so much pleasure to them;
it is trial that can certainly do no
harm to anyone, and would surely result
in good; perhaps very great deal OF
good.
1t is just as wrong for us TO HAVE
unnecessary work done on Sunday as it
is to do it, the commandment surely
holds me responsible for my servants
Sunday labor. Why should We compel
our servants to do unnecessary labor on
Sunday and then be ready to throw
them into jail for stealing? Is one com
mandment to be ignored and the other
to be obeyed? Is an otfense against
God of less importance than an otfense
against man?