Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-31


iery shrek. Catch me-"
AS the woman screamed she jumped. aAd
Houseman catching her to the best OF his
ability. broke her fall to the ground ana
she walked away unin3ured-
Lost Entire Family.
Clinton G. Meeker, q clerk In the registry
division Of the post ONCE. living In tina
suburb OF Irving Park. has probably lost
In the fire his entire family. consisting OF
his wife, two daughters and two sons
A friend called Mr.. Meeker up on the
telephone at 4 o'clock In the afternoon and
asked him II any of his family had gone
to the theater. He answered that SO far as
ne knew none of them had left home. When
he reached the house, however. he found
only his mother-in-law there. Where are
Mabel and the children" he asked.
They have gone to the Iroquois Thea
ter was the reply.
Il dropped right down on my knees"
said Mr. Meeker. land prayed that God
might spare them
Today Mr. Meaker had partially identi-
fed the bodies CT his wife and two daugh-
tiers. He failed to find any trace of his
two sons.
Trying to Place Responsibility.
Among many of the theatrical men en-
ployed in the other Chicago theaters, the
responsibility for the fire was ascribed to-
day to the careless placing of electric arc
light apparatus too close to the hanging bor-
ders of the scenery. The electrician of
leading Chicago theater expressed great
surprise on hearing that this was considered
a possible cause Of the fire.
There never would have been any fire."
he said, IF proper care had been exercised
in handling the lights. The electric plant
Of the theater was installed, as happen
to know from personal observation, In ac-
cordance with every modern requirement
for safety. The plant was not to blame. II
thr,f a.f- La DIV INV ont In
whole blame rests on the person who
placed or was operating a light so closely
to the curtain.
Trouble With Asbestos Curtain.
The failure of the expected fire protec-
ton is attributed by insurance men to
trouble with the asbestos curtain. The
stage always is recognized as the danger
point IN a theater, and the desire is to have
it cut off from the auditorium as thoroughly
as possible. The insurance men declare
that the curtain at the Iroquois never had
worked perfectly, and that the mechanism
had not been repaired.
E. r Wetmore of the insurance firm
which placed the insurance on the Iroquois
Theater declared today that the loss would
not exceed $4,000 He also asserted that
the spread of the flames to the auditorium
was due to the failure of the asbestos eur
tain to work properly.
4uSdI6I 11du 0ScA Sllt1C1SCu.
Early last summer prominent trade
journal of Chicago criticised the construc-
ton of the Iroquois Theater because 1t
lacked shaft or fiue at the back of the
stage for carrying the flames and smoke
upward and away from the auditorium In
case of fire. Such shafts were built in
Madison Square Garden and the MetropOli-
tan Opera House in New York, and Simis
lar provision is made at the Chicago AuM-
forum.
The method of fireproofing the balcony
and the gallery also declared by this
magazine to be defective because metal
lath was used in what is known as ex-
posed construction, where heat would easily
affect it. In modern fireproof buildings this
lath is buried in concrete.
1t was the buckling out of this metal
lath and iron rods. giving the impression
that the galleries themselves were falling,
that is believed by some contractors to
have been partly responsible for the panic.
There was no criticism of the strength of
the gallery and balcony arches, which were
built in the usual manner.
Chief Musham Talks
Chief Musham of the fire department.
when asked today what would best pre-
vent repetition Of the horror. said:
II don't know as can answer that ques-
ton until an investigation has been made
as to the causes of the fire. On the whole
suppose it would be good thing for the
department to have active uniformed men
prepared to act stationed in every theater
through every performance. l understand
that New York has them and that they are
paid by the arrangements of the theaters.
"They had man in the Iroquois who was
an ex-member of the Chicago fire depart
ment. He was old, but he should have
known what to do. 1t seems to me that
there is nothing in the world. at least
nothing that 1 can think of at the present
moment, that can save lives when thou
sand persons try to pass through one door
way at one time. 1t was the rushing, the
crowding and the trampling that was re-
sponsible for the majority Of the deaths
that have occurred Anybody who views
the dead In the morgues can tell that at a
glance
Cause of Wonder to Many.
1t was cause of wonder to many people
around the theater building how so many
physicians and many trained nurses
could arrive on the spot within so short
time.
DR.. Herman Spalding, senior official in
the city health department, at the time
the fire broke out made all the arrange
mentS for medical attendance
Il telephoned to all the physicians in the
downtown district he said, land then to
hospitals. nurse asocia lions and schools for
persons to assist in the care of the injured.
office buildings and told the operators at
the switchboards to notify every physician
in the building. while others telephoned to
the nurses There were over 100 physicians
whom I personally knew at the fire and
probably $50 nurses
Never Before Such Call.
'"rhere has never been, as far as I have
been aware, a call for so many physicians
in Chicago at one time since the great fire.
Within a few minutes physicians three and
five miles from the downtown district were
Offering their services"
Mayor Harrison was on his way to the
south for hunting trip and Controller
Mccain was acting mayor. 1t happened
that the finance committee of the city coun-
Gil was in session when the extent of the
disaster became known at the city hall.
Mr.. McGann at once walked into the COM
mittee room and was told by Chairman
Maybor of the committee to direct the fire
marshal, the chief of police and the COM
missioner of public works to proceed in the
emergency without any restriction of any
kind to expense.
Expense Not Thought OF.
He was told to do everything needful.
spend all the money necessary and look to
the council for his warrant.
s'We wi ba for