The St. Louis Republic., 1903-12-31

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
| Chicago, ILL.,, Dec. 3O.-Eyewitnesses de-
clare that no words can begin to describe
| tho pandemonium and the panic that oc-
CURED. or the frenzy Of the men and
women.
While the fire was still raging on the
stage and great sheets OF flame werc
| shooting across the theater to the upper
balconies, firemen and volunteer rescuers
| running up the stairs were confronted
with pile of dead and wounded. most of
| them women and children, who either
had been trampled on or thrown over the
| railinss OF the stairways and balconies
| by the mad rush of frantic people in their
rear.
| Men who were at the various exits aid
| ing in the rescue declare that not moro
| than fifty persons were taken out from
| the gallery uninjured, while from the Sec
ond balcony only about twice that num-
Der escaped. There was an explosion
first, caused by the bursting Of the cal
cium-lisht apparatus. The concussion was
so great that 1t blew out the skylights
{; over the stage and auditorium.
| The cry Of fire rang out from all over
| the house almost Immediately.
| HOUSE FIREMAN TELLS WHY
CURTAIN DID NOT WORK.
william C. Sallcrs. tho house fireman,
| who was severely burned in trying tc
| lower the asbestos curtain. described the
scene upon the stage as followsi
ST was standing In the wing when
heard the explosion, and, Immediately fol-
| lowing tho c1y Of fire from both the front
| and stage. looking up I saw that the
| curtain was ablaze, and at once ran foi
the fire curtain. We got It half way down.
when the wind, rushing in from the
broken skyiight above, bellied it out sc
that It caught and We could not bulge It
With two Of tho stage hands, climbed
to where it was suspended and, together
Y
we tried to pull it down.
"I saw that It Was uselcss-that &c
mower could have budged that fire curtain
and the stage was by that time mass
| of flames. I turned my attention to waIn'
,nr the actors and trying to save those
who were in trouble.
| "1-he women were frantic and the men
not much better. stood at the stairway
leading to the dressing-rooms. where the
choru, people were located, and kept
some from going up to get their street
clothes. and others who came down
forced to go Immediately out Of the build
ing. don't know how they ever got out
ror the stage entrance was blocked by a
mass of flame
BASEBALL PLAYER HoUsEMAN
TELLS OF HIS ESCAPE.
This is the story told by Frank House
man, a baseball player, who was In ar
upper box when the fire started:
CHARLES Dexter and were in the front
upper box on the right-hand side. We had
Just been talking about the double row oi
little boys and girls that filed the from
balcony seats. Maybe q dozen Of the
chorus were on the stage when noticed
little tongue Of fame back in the files
on the other side Of the stage, which
looked just like SOMEBODY shaking blaz
ins handkerchief.
Charley said. Tn going to find al
exit. This may not be anything, but 30,
know the dark little hall we had to com,
through.
so We quietly got out before anybod,
in the audience knew anything wa
wrong. We hadn't any moro than got Il
the next floor, when the stage began t
get smoky.
Just then Eddie Foy came out to tn
front Of the stage and, with the littl
blazing bits Of scenery dropping back o
him, kept saying, Don't get frightened
Git still; It's only little stage fire.
by this time. the whole theater was Il
an uproar. Big chunks Of blazing scener.
began to fall. and Dexter and rushed {
, | a couple Of exits on the east side.
Open the DOORS I said to an usher
"'wait till the drop curtain come
down. he said.
.By this time the crowd was gettin
Wild and pushing against the doors. Tn
stage was blazing and tho smoke rollin
} out into the body of the theater.
"For Gods sake. open the doors!
shouted.
"rhe usher did not move, Well. /!
grabbed the fellow and threw him as "a
as could and burst open the door.
eat that minute big sheet Of blaz
, came out from the stage with pun tina
drove the crowd mad. In a lash say
Foy apparently buried in flames and be
fore / could catch my breath the croH