The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1903-12-31
Awful Fire in a Chicago Theatre
Yesterday Afternoon Kills
Hundreds of People.
Women and Children Numbered by Hundreds among
the Victims. Half the Audience Crushed,
SufOcated or Burned to Death.

Chicago, Dec 81 According to the
most reliable figures obtainable this
afternoon 623 persons lost their lives
in the awful catasophe at the Iroquois
theatre yesterday afternoon.
CHICAGO, Dec. 31.-Six hundred and
thirty-seven people by Coroner Trae-
gers actual count were killed in ten
minutes during the great fire and pan
ic in the IroquOis theater, the newest,
the largest and as far as human power
could make 1t the safest theater in Chi
cagO.
Chicago Is stunned by this, the worst
catastrophe in the history Of the coun-
try.
Men, women and children met death
by fire, smoke and panic during a
matinee performance Of Mr.. Blue
beard" new play, here at the beauti-
ful new Iroquois theater. Most of the
dead are women and children.
While it is difficult to get an exact re-
port, it is known tha5 more than 300
were injured by fire and in the wild
stampede for safety.
A few Of these people were burned TO
death by fire, many were suffocated 10y
gas. and scores were trampled to death
in the panic that followed the mad
plunge of the frightened audience for
the exits.
1t will be many days before all of the
bodies recovered from the ruins are
identified. There are bodies lying by
the dozen 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 or burned to cinders, and
their faces have been trampled into an
unrecognizable pulp by the crowd that
trampled them down as they fled for
safety.
The fire broke out during the second
act Of the play "Mr, Bluebeard," which
was the first dramatic production pro-
duced in the theater since its erection
The company, which was very large
escaped to the street in safety, nearly
all OF them, however, being compelled
to fee into snowy streets with no cloth
ing but their stage costumes. few
members Of the company sustained mi
nor injuries, but none was seriously
hurt. The dead and wounded were all
in the audience.
The accounts of the origin Of the fire
are conflicting and none of them GER
tain, but the best reason given is that
an electric wire near the lower part Of
a piece Of drop scenery suddenly broke
and was grounded The fire spread
rapidly toward the front of the stage,
causing the members of the chorus who
were then engaged in the performance
to Gee to the wings, with screams Of
tRrrOr
The fre in Itself up to this time was
not serious and possibly could have
bean checked had not the asbestos cur
tain failed to work AS soon as the fire
was discovered Eddie Foy, the chief
comedian of the company, shouted to
lower the curtain, and this was imme-
diately done II descended about half
way and then stuck.
The fire was thus given practically
due through which strong draft
was setting. aided by the doors which
had been throw o-,r - .',- 49, -
the theater
the flames : ..s open-
Ing over Ike people on
~ c"s' iorr and, reaching clear up
~ tEnse :. "-qt balcony, caught
'i,""i p.ii l. 10 death where
they sat. Immediately following this
rush of flames there came an explo-
sion which lifted the entire roof Of the
:.-later from its walls, shattering the
great skylight into fragments.
AS soon as the first flames appeared
beyond the curtain a man in the rear
of the hall shouted "Firel Firew and
the entire audience rose as one person
and made for the doors. 1t is believed
that the explosion was caused Dy the
nfnoa n ninO in oonfact ss-ttl, A.. -. /