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


he recognized ring he had given his wife as
a CHRISTMAS present Il know the ring" he
said between his sobs. My wife is dead. and I
prayed to God on the way downtown that she
might be spared"
The body OF Mrs. o'Donnen was removed
from the pile Of dead and taken TO her home
One OF the narrow escapes in the first rush for
the open air was that of Winnie Gallagher.
girl eleven years old. The child. who was with
her mother. in the third row from the stage. was
separated in the mad rush for safety She
climbed to the top of the seat in which she had
been sitting. and from one chair to another
finally reached the door There she was nearly
crushed in the crowd. and all her clothing was
stripped from her She was carried to the police
station in an overcoat, where she found her
mother. who had also escaped uninjured
ONE OF THE HEROES.
John E. Farrell. the stage electrician was one
Of the heroes Of the FIRE He was the first to
discover the blaze when it was little tongue
Of flame running up the canvas border of the
curtain He climbed ladder twenty feet above
the stage and sought to extinguish it with his
hand. He beat the curtain until his hands
were badly burned and the fire had run UP
the canvas border into the flies Selling hand
grenade he dashed it at the fire. and the fall
ing fluid nearly blinded him. With the cry of
Save yourselves he fell to the floor and
ming TO the rear door of the theatre, he threw
it open. calling to the members of the company
to rush into the alley. In the work Of assist
ing the women he was aided by Mr. Cummings,
the stage manager AS the frigh e,nea actors
and actresses rushed in a body of the stage,
some of them attemp- d TO leap into the orches-
ira pit. which would in all probability have led
to their death. Cummings in front of them
IN Kill the first one that tries to pass met
he shouted and the members of the company
shank back With the aid of Eddie Foy and
Farrell. the members OF the company were
hustled from the rear of the theatre into the
alley.
ESCAPE OF FIFTY EMPLOYEES
Penned below the stage running about crazed
by the panic overhead. were fifty supernuner-
aries and members of the ballet. They were cut
off from exit by the crowds wedged in the stage
stairway They were saved by James J. Ham
iIton. trunk handler attached 10 the theatre,
who led the way TO coal hole in the rear of
the building. broke off the cover with his bare
fists and stood guard until all had left the
basement Through this narrow hole he lifted
men and women clad in their stage costumes,
wearing helmets and tights. and one "supe."
who insisted on carrying his spear with him
until Hamilton threatened to brain him with
it unless he dropped it
Frederick w Job. secretary Of the Chicago
EMPLOYERS Association. teIephoned to W. D.
Moone. a livery stable proprietor, at No. 2o2l
wabash-ave.. asking that carriages be sent for
the relief Of the sufferers. Mr.. Moone repIeo
that he would give his carriages for the work
Be. later told Mr. JOB that he went TO the union
Headquarters. where the drivers who are now on
strike. were congregated. told them he had given
the use of the carriages and asked If they would
drive TO the Iroquois Theatre to help remove the
wounded. Mr.. Moone reported to Mr. JOB that
they fatty refused to do so.
Two Of the downtown theatres closed their
doors to patrons tonight as a result of the fire
These were the Illinois and Powers theatres
which are owned by the proprietors Of the i'll
fated theatre. Ali other theatres remained open
as usual. and there was perceptible falling off
in the attendance.
MR.. DAVIS COLLAPSED.
VIII ]. Davis, one of the proprietors OF the
Iroguois. collapsed tonight under the worry and
ha q
the fire he and Mr.. Powers made their head
quarters in the women's dressing room, where
they were constantly besieged by people who
were franticalIy seeking for information Of their
relatives The climax came with Mr.. Davis
when he was approached by George c. sanborn,
a prominent business man. who said: Il had
twelve children in two boxes in there and they
are missing Are they in there now?"
MY God! this is what kills man. said Mr..
Davis, as he turned away and the next instant
would have fallen 70 the floor. He was assisted
n 2 carriage and driven To his home. Later it
was ascertained that Mr. sanborn's son Harold,
nineteen years old, had taken the entire party
in safety from the theatre
TRAGIC SCENES AT MANAGERS OFFICE
The scene around the office of the managers
was pathetic in the extreme. It was con-
slant succession Of tragic episodes. One woman
with hair flying and streaming eyes fought des-
perateIy with the police officers who would
have prevented her from seeing the managers,
and slipped past them Failing at the feet OF
the first man in the room, she said:
.er,7oaa rlaase +aU me 81 nv son Harold IS IN