davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1903-08-11
The HeraId's
Want Column.

Advertisement placed in this column
at cents per line, first insertion; sub
sequent insertions, cents until six
insertions and Scents per line afterward.
The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1903-08-11
The Thomas school.

Thoroughly
Madame Royal
Academy England
Art teacher from the National Academy OF Design New
Business Department teacher Graduate leading Commercial College
called in
Board Tuition, and Laundering the school 500
Write catalogue.
The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1903-08-11
DrS EIRKHAM AND HARRISON.
PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS.

Special attention to the diseases Of
the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat. Of
fee in Tilghman Building, (up stairs
Thirteenth street Brownsville Texas.
The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1903-08-11
THE MOSSER HOUSE,
ALICE, TEXAS.

The best hotel in Alice is again
open to the public. Equipped to give
frst-class accommodations to the
travelling public. Electric buttons
in all rooms and a frst-class chef
in the kitchen.
L.G. COLLINS. Proprietor.
The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1903-08-11
GEO L. CRUM,
Engineer and Land Surveyor.

make Land Boundaries Spe-
cialty, aud desire to do general
business in Cameron aud Hidalgo
counties. P. o. Box 80.
Office: s. W. Brooks residence.
BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-31
BROOKLYN THEArER FIRE.
In That Disaster, in 1875, 295 Lives
Were Lost

Chicago, Dec. 91.-The Chicago Iro-
quOiS disaster was vastly more de-
structive to human life than any other
playhouse fire in this country. The fire
next to it in point of lives lost occurred
December 5, 1876. in Conway's Brooklyn
theater, Brooklyn, N. Y, where 295 of
the audience persisted in the flames.
The day after Christmas in 1911 while
the play, 1.-The Bleeding Num- was be-
ing performed in a theater at Rich
mond, Va, a fire started that burned
70 persons to death, among them being
the governor of the state, George w.
Smith.
The most recent theater fire in Chi
cago before this was the one that de-
stroyed the Columbia theater on Mon
roe street four years ago. This fire did
its work in practically 20 minutes. This
fire occurred during a rehearsal of the
Rogers brothers and the players on
the stage were protected by the cur
tain. While there was no loss of life
more property damage was done than
will probably result from the Iroquois
fire.
Occasional panics have occurred from
time to time in Chicago theaters start
ed by false alarms in the theater or by
fires nearby, but they have caused no
loss of life.
In the great Chicago fire of 1871, the
largest confagration of modern times,
in which 2124 acres were devastated,
but 200 lives were lost so far as the
most relia BILE information shows.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-31

darkness that was intensified by the
volume of smoke that filled the audi
forum to the top gallery and assisted
in carrying out the victims.
God forbid that 1 ever again see
such a heart-rending sight" said the
bishop. Il have been in wars and upon
the bloody field of battle. but in all my
experience have never seen anything
half so gruesome as the sight that met
my eyes when with the aid of a tiny
lantern I was finally able to penetrate
the inky darkness of that balcony.
There was pile of bleeding bodies ten
feet high with blackened faces and
remnants of eharred clothing clinging
to them. Some We're alive and moaning
in their agony. Others, and oh, by far.
the greater number, were dead. I as
sisted in carrying many of the injured
down and ministered to them the best
cOuld -
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-31

mothers arms and was trampled be-
yond all recognition.
While scores of men were busy In
carrying out the dead and injured,
others-fortunately few in numbers
searched the aisles and seats for val
uables. Two women were found who
had provided themselves with baskets
and were filing them with the PROD
erty of the dead. They were placed
under arrest, and the theater ushers
and stage hands were given the work
of collecting all the valuables on the
floor of the theater. During the even
ing the police arrested over dozen
men accused of being thieves and pick
Docl1ts.
Frederick ". Job. secretary of the
Chicago Employers association, tele-
phoned to ". D. Moon. a livery stable
proprietor at 2021 Wabash avenue, ask
ing that carriages be sent for the re
lief of the sufferers. Mr.. Moon replied
he would give his carriages for the
work. He later told Mr.. Job that he
notified the union headquarters where
the drivers who are now on strike We're
congregated that he had donated the
carriages and asked if they would
drive to the Iroquois theater to help
remove the wounded. Mr.. Moon re-
ported TO Mr.. Job that they fatty re-
fused to do so.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-31
THE NEWS IN NEW YORK.
Managers Promptly Plan Benefits
for Iroouois Victims.

New York, Dec. S1.-The news of the
Chicago disaster was followed in New
York by the announcement of several
benefits for the fire sufferers. S. S. Shu-
bert Immediately telegraphed his manager
in Chicago to devote the receipts of next
Wednesday matinee of The Pit" to the
sufferers and announced that the proceeds
of Wednesdays matinee of '*Winsone
Winnie" now here, would be devoted to
the same cause. The RED Feather COM
pany will also give a benefit. A number
of other managers are considering similar
liberal acts.
AL Hayman, Marcus Klaw and Abram
Erlanger, the leading members of the
theatrical syndicate, who own large inter-
ests in the IroQuois theater, sat in their
offices in New Amsterdam until after
midnight eagerly awaiting the kilograms
from their Chicago representatives They
were Mortified and bewildered by the r.u-
merous reports and had little to say as to
the causes of the fire.
Klaw and Erlanger own Mr.. Blue
Beard" Their representative said it cost
$4,000 to produce it there. About 24O PEG
pie were with the production on the tour.
At every other theater on Broadway the
Chicago disaster was the one subject of
conversation among managers, employees
and audience.
Actors crowded the wings between the
acts listening to news of the disaster
The present MIR Blue Beard company
began its tour at Pittsburg September q.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-31
ORCHESTRA PLAYED.
Story of Countryman Who Was in to
See the Sights

D. w. Dimmick. of Apple River, an
old man of &c years. with long white
beard, was standing in the upper gal
1ery when the fire broke out.
Il was with a party of four" said Mr..
Dimmick. The second act had begun
when suddenly I saw small pieces of
what looked like burning paper drop
ping down from above at the left of
the curtain. AT the same time small
puffs of smoke seemed to shoot out
| into the house. On the first floor peo-
pie began TO move about and boy in
the gallery near me called fire. but
there were plenty of people to stop
him. Keep quiet I told him. If you
don't look out you'll start a panic l
said.
The musicians came out into the or
chestra pit and began to play. Evil
| IDENTIFY they were trying to still the
alarm. Some of the players-I dom
know who-ran out onto the stage and
I told US there was no danger.
All this took but a minute or two.
Then all of q sudden the whole front of
| the stage from the orchestra pit to the
| top of the curtain seemed to burst out
| in one flame. Then it was all off Ev-
! erybody seemed to- get up and start to
go out of the place at once.
| From all over the house came
| ShriekS and cries of fire. I and the men
who were with me started at once hug
ging the wall on the outside of the
stairway as we went down. Almost at
| once the place seemed to get thick with
smoke. 1 pulled out my handkerchief
and held it over my mouth.
| when we got down to the platform
where the first balcony opens it seemed
to me that people were stacked up like
| cordwood. There were men, women and
children in the lot At the same time
| there were some people whom thought
must be actors, who came running out
from somewhere in the interior of the
house, and whose wigs and clothes
were on fire. We tried to beat out the
! flames as we went along. By crowding
out the edge of the wall, we managed
to squeeze past the mass of people who
were writhing on the floor and prac-
| tically blocking the entrance so far as
the people still in the gallery were con-
ooroad
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-31
WALKED OUT ON HEADS.
Escape of IL Year Old
Girl from the Iroquois.

Chicago. Dec 51.-Foremost among
the remarkable escapes was that or
Winnie Gallagher, u years of age The
girl occupied a seat in the third row
on the main floor and that she was able
TO make her way through the struggling
mass of stronger and older persons Is
considered remarkable by the police
Unassisted the girl made her way over
the heads of terror stricken persons and
escaped. When she reached the street
her clothing was torn almost TO shreds.
Among the first persons to escape
were Joseph Graham and Dorothy
Ruor. two children. They were in the
parouette, Is rows from the stage
II saw the scenery catch fire on the
lower left hand side of the stage" said
the boy. Eddie Foy came to the front
and told us to sit still, but We decided
we would get out and right away. Four
women tainted near me and nearly all
the others seemed dazed and just sat
still. We got up and kicked the door
omen. I think lot of others could have
come too if they had not been so scared.
we stood outside until they brought a
dead man out and then we went home.
A list of descriptions of unidentified
dead girls was compiled today in the
office of Chief of Police O'NeilL. The
ages of the victims ranged from 9 to 20.
The number of unidentified dead girls
on the list was 81. For several of the
girls. the sole means of Identification
given was the color of bits of shoe
laces, and that generally mentioned was
''black."
Others are scheduled as burned be-
vond description; no age" Mayor Har-
rison. who first heard of the disaster
at Kansas City, announced immedi-
ately on reaching Chicago today his
intention to issue a proclamation sug-
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-31
He SAW IT ALL.
Ken osha, Wis, Man Sat In Front Seat
of Lower Box

Milwaukee, Wis, Dec. 81. Keith
Pickerell. Of Kenosha, the last man to
leave the burning Iroquois theater by
the side exit, and who from the front
seat of the lower box on the right hand
side of the theater saw the entire trag-
edy. arrived at his home in Kenosha
late last night and early this morning
gave graphic description of the awful
tragedy in an interview to the Sentinel
by long distance telephone. He was
with a box party of II. Beside him SAT-
Miss Sanborn of Chicago and back of
him his sister, Miss Beatrice Pickrell.
All of the party lost their wraps and
Mr.. Pickrell had to put out the burning
clothes of his companions.
The first 1 saw of the fire." said Mr..
Pickrell, in describing the awful catas-
trophe, was when Miss Sanborn called
my attention to a little blaze which
was eating its way up on a curtain on
the left hand side of the stage. Then
somebody. yelled 'Firer 1t was a man
and he seemed to be down stairs. For
a second the whole crowd seemed to be
paralyzed anG before they regained their
senses some one stepped to the front of
the stage and told them to sit down
Then they sat down but it was only
for minute. There was an explosion.
That was all that was needed. The
crowd had lost its paralysis and in an
other second the whole mob was
scrambling for the exits, tearing each
other down to get out.
THE men in the audience were the
worst. They seemed to lose their
heads and they fought with every
body, trampling down the women and
children. The women seemed the calm
est but it must have been because they
were the weakest, and could not help
themselves. The men seemed to forget
that there were women there.
II saw men pick up women and chill
dren and hold them over their heads in
trying to get them out. Then they
would be pulled down with their bur-
den and trampled on.
"a man in the audience who was sit
ting in one Of the front seats with his
wife and child. got up and tried to
climb over the railing into our box,
leaving his wife and child helpless be-
hind him. An actor jumped from the
stage into our box and asked the man
what be wanted, what he meant by
leaving his wife. The man, who seemed
half crazy, shouted that he wanted to
find a way to get out. Then he crawled
back off the railing and sat down by
his wife. I don't know what became Of
him."
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-31

In describing the commencement of
the fire, Foy attributed the extent of
the catastrophe to the failure of the
fireproof curtain to work properly. Be
readily obtained access to the main
part of the theater and were drawn
by the draft, carrying gas as well as
FIRE. They swept UP to the two bal
con1as- where the loss of life was
greatest.
The fire began in the middle of the
second act,'' said Mr.. Foy. IAN electric
wire broke, was grounded, and from this
the flames were started in the rear OF
the stage. The stage is unusually wide
flames spread RAPIDLY. They soon at
tackled all the scenery in the rear of the
house. I never believed it possible for
fire to spread so quickly.
when it started I went to the foot
lights and, to prevent alarming the
audience, said that there was a slight
blaze and that it would be better for all
to leave quietly. Then l stepped back
and called for the asbestos curtain to
be lowered. This, when about half way
down, refused to work. The simple fact
that the curtain did not descend en-
tirely was what saved the lives of the
company, although it caused such a
horrible catastrophe in the front of the
house.
After the curtain had refused to de-
scend, there came the explosion of the
gas tanks. and with the curtain down
all the fire and gas would have been
confined between the rear wall of the
theater and the fireproof curtain in
front. Under these circumstances it
would not have been possible for a
single member of the company to
escape alive unless he or she had been
standing Immediately in front of the
door leading into the alley.
LAS it was the draft carried all the
gas and fire out beneath the curtain
and the company was saved, although
their salvation was the death of sc
many poor people in front"
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-31
SENT STORY OF FIRE
Not Knowing That His Wife Was
Among the Missing.

Chicago. Dec. 31.-Some of the most
remarkable incidents of the fire were
not known until today. F. L. Donald
son, a loop chief for the Western Union
Telegraph company, handled long
telegraph story of the fire and it's
harvest of death, unaware that his own
wife was among the missing. When he
went home and found that she had
gone to the tfeater. he hurriedly re-
turned and searched for her through
the morgues and hospitals. but today
had not found the least trace of the
missing woman.
Adobe Phillipson, 8 years old, was one
of the children struck down and
trampled TO death. Her body was re-
moved by the fremen and taken to
drug store. There the child was seen
by her mother, who had escaped unin-
jured The mother became hysterical,
but was not permitted to go near the
child's body. Bystanders tried to make
the woman believe the little girl had
escaped death. Mrs. Phillipson was led
away and did not learn the truth for
two hours.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-31

not see the fire from where I stood and
I thought that it was not as bad as it
really was. When the first Of the fren-
zied audience reached the outside door,
I tried to calm them, but in less than a
minute I saw 1t was of no use and [
burst open the doors. Then I ran for
the fire alarm box. Coming back, I as
sisted in the rescue as much as I could,
but was overrun by the terrified people
who pushed and showed each other out
of the doorway. I was caught in the
mass Of struggling humanity and car
ried out to the street"
Walters and cooks from Thompson's
restaurant, which adioins the theater
ION the east. rescued Is people by rails
.1g a ladder from the roof of a shed to
around which a mass Of screaming Wo-
men and children were congregated.
c. Little, the head cook mounted to
the top Of the ladder and told them
to jump into his arms. Fifteen women
and children did this and were passed
by Little down to the other men on the
ladder below him One woman at
tempted to jump into his arms before
ne was ready to take hold of her and
she fell to the alley. fracturing her
skull. She died almost instantly.
D. A. Stratton of Alpha, Mich, was
daughter Matte and his niece, Louise
Bushway of Chicago. In the rush for
the door he became separated from
both girls and attempted to fight his
way back in order to find them, but
was buffeted aside by the rush of mad
dened people. He was knocked down,
trampled on and his head cut in a doz-
en- places. Not for an hour after being
carried out did he learn that the two
children had also escaped, both Of them
being burned badly. His daughter in
hailed flame and was unable to speak.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-31

He bemoans the use of wood in a the
alter, however, declaring that he will
never allow another bit of wood to be
used in a theater. The Iroquois was
provided with 81 double fire exits, but
wood was used and stairways were en-
ployed
Without the announcement that one
jury of representative citizens would
listen to all the evidence regarding the
fire and return a single verdict for all
the victims, Coroner Traeger today
promptly empanelled a jury. National
Republican Committeeman Graeme
Stewart, member of the firm of WILL
lam Hoyt e. Co., wholesale grocers, was
told by the coroner that the death of
Mr.. Hoyt's daughter, Mrs. Fox and
three children would be taken as a
basis for the investigation.
IF any persons are responsible for
this fire. said Coroner Treager, they
will be prosecuted to the fullest extent
of the law.
1.-THE investigation of the fire will be
thorough. We will leave no stone I'M
turned in our efforts to fix the respon-
sibility.''
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-31
vIEwIN G THE DEAD.
People Fight for Places in the Line at
the Morgue.

Chicago, Dec. 31-Chief of Police
ONein today supervised the work of
helping friends and relatives recover
their dead. Hundreds of persons, grief
thronged about Chief O'Neill's Office
seeking information. The pressure grew
so strong that Secretary Markham,
mounting a chair read off descriptions
to the multitude. which listened with
straining ears Frequently persons in
the crowd recognized the descriptions
read by the secretary and started in
horror for the particular morgue named
as the words fell from the secretary's
lips.
At the morgue the inadequacy of the
means of inspecting the bodies was evil
dent Only a few persons at a 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 the
alter was burning. Messrs. Davis and
Powers. managers of the IroQuois, have
called meeting at the Illinois theater
of all members of the BLUE Beard
company and a full statement will be
made after careful investigation.
Messrs. Davis and Powers emphaticaI-
~ deny a 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
sible to use. The facts are, according
to them, that the curtain swayed the
| moment the ten or twelve exits were
thrown open, owing to the rush of air.
THE CORONER'S JURY.
The coroner'S jury is as follows:
L. H. Myer, secretary of the Kennedy
Furniture company.
DR.. Peter Byrnes, salesman for Lyon
& Healy.
Walter Clingman, salesman for the
Tobey Furniture company.
Joseph A. Cummings manager OF
Browning, King & Co.
George W. Atkins, credit man for
Marshall Field & Co.
John w. Fine, salesman for A. H.
Revelle & Co.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-31

costing the closing down of all busi-
ness on Saturday, which will probab bly,
be the general burial day. and asking
for the cessation of all unnecessary
noise on that day.
He said he would also issue a proc
lamation asking for the observance Of
perfect quiet on New Years eve: that
the people forego the usual New Years
celebration. which is usually attended
by the footing of horns, ringing of bells
and great din.
Asked as to his opinion regarding the
cause of the fire. the mayor gave it as
his opinion that the Iroquois was the
safest theater in Chicago, and that If
the asbestos curtain had not failed to
work the disaster would not have oc-
CURED. He lays the cause entirely to
that one fact.
With reference to placing the blame,
the mayor said that he could not make
any statement until after the coroner
has made his report
Sometime ago. said the mayor, Il
recommended to the council that an in
vestigation should be made looking to
the fire protection of theaters. That
is tc say, to see whether theaters were
complying with the ordinance with re-
spect to the sprinkler system and 9TH
er means for fire protection. That rec
concentration was submitted to the jill
dietary committee who has it in hand
at the present time. The committee
has not yet made a report and 1 can
do nothing until receive their report
in the matlter.''
To Chief Musham, of the fire depart
rnent, the mayor has given instructions
to have placed in each theater in the
city two city firemen, at the expense
of the theater to guard against any
repetition of the Iroquois disaster. AS
an expression of sympathy for the be
reaved in Chicago, the board of trade
today adjourned an hour before the
usual time. Similar action was taken
by the exchanges at Duluth and Mil
waukee.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-31
HAD 81 EXITS.
Architect of the Iroquois Discusses
the Disaster.

Pittsburg, Dec. 31.-Benj. H. Marshall,
the Chicago architect who designed the
Iroquois theater, left for his home last
night, taking advantage of the first op-
portunity to view the scene of horror.
Mr.. Marshall was overwhelmed by the
news of the disaster.
I'll never allow another theater to be
built with a stick of wood in it, he de-
clared, reading bulletins which were hand
ed him. THE IroquoiS was built along
the very latest lines and was provided
with 81 fire exits, but wood was used and
stairways were employed A fire proof
building will not be erected as long as
wood is used In a theater there are so
MANY articles of infiammab1e material
that when a blaze once gets Roadway it
spreads in the most alarming manner
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-31
F1REMAN's STORY.
It Was Impossible to Make the Fire
Curtain Work

W. A. c. Sellers, the house fireman,
who was severely burned in trying to
lower the asbestos curtain, describes the
scene upon the stage and the cause as
follows: -syJte
Il was standing in the wings when I
" went forward a cry of fire from the
stage and all over the theater. Looking
up, l saw that the curtain was abla5e
and at once I rang for the fire curtain.
We got it half way down when the wind
rushing in from the broken skylights,
could not bulge it. With the stage hands
climbed to where it was suspended, and
together we tried to push it down. Our
human power could move that fire cur
tain and that the stage was a mass of