The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-31
MEN g. BOYS oUTFIrTERs.

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MEN & BOYS oUTFTTERs
were compelled to abandon their task
| and give it over to others whose nelVes
| had not as yet been shaken by the awful
experience AS ono by ono the bodies
were dragged out of the wnter-soaked
| blackqned mass of corpses, the spectacle
became more and more heart-rendlng,
| There were wonlel, whose clothing was
| torn completely from their bodies above
| tie waist, whose bosoms had been tram
pied into pulp and whose faces were
marred beyond all power OF identiiication.
Bodies lay in the first and second
balconies il. great numbers. In somo
Places they were piled up in tho aisles
| three and four deep, where one mad
| faleE and others tripped over the pros
!, tratc forms, and all had died where they
| lay evidently suffocated by the gas.
| Others wcrG bent over backs of seats
where they had been thrown by the
rush OF the people for the doors and
| killed with hardly a chance to rise from
their seats. One man was found with
his back bent nearly double his spinal
column having been fractured as he was
| thrown backward. a woman was found
| cut nearly Ii. half by the back Of tho
seat, having been forced over 1t face
| downward. In the alsles nearest to tho
doors tile scenes were narrowing In the
| extreme, Bodies lay in every conceivable
| attitude half naked, the look on tneir.
! faces revealing some portion uf the agony
| with must have preceded their death.
| There were scores and scores OF people
| whose entire face had been tramplcd
completely off by the heels OF those
who rushed over them, and In one aisle
| tho body OF man was found with not
a vestige Of clothing, flesh or bone re-
| naming above his waist coat. The en-
| tire upper portion OF his body had been
| cut into naince meat and carried away
| by the feet OF those who trampied MN;
| u search WAS carefully made with q hope
OF finding his head, but ut q late hour
ia. night it had not been discovered, and
alI that will tell his friends who he was
lis the color and appearance OF the cloth
| ins or the lower limbs, and this Is IN
| such condition as to be hardly re-
| cognizable.
LADDER MISSING.
rhe theatre had been constructed but
short time and all its equipment was not
| vet n place This was unfortunately the
case with a fire escape In the roar OF the
| building The small iron balconies, TO
which the iron ladder was to be attach
| cd. were up, but the ladder had not yet
| sccn constructed
v ren the panic was at It's height Il
great number of women ran Tor these
| fIre escapes. only to find as they emerged
| from the doorway upon the little iron
platform that they woro thirty to fifty
iuet iron, the ground. Il fire behind and
no method of escape III front. Those
| who reached tho platform first endeaX-
ored to hold their footing and 10 keep
back the crowd that pressed upon them
/ from the rear. The effort was utterly
use less, ana In few moments the iron
lodges were jammed with crowds of Wo-
| men. who screamed, fought ana toie ~
l cacr other like maniacs.
4 trfIs lasted but a brief interval for the
rush from the interior OF the building
became 50 violent that many OF them
were crowded off. and fell TO the gram
itr paved alley below. Others leaped
from the platform fracturlng legs ana
! c,,ns, and two were picked up ut thls
poir.t with fractured Skulls. having pee"
Killed Instantly.
l FEW ESCAPED.
George H. Elliott. secretary Of the
Ogden Gas Company was IN building
directly opposite from tho theatre across
! ills alley, and noticing smoke. went down
10 ascertain its cause. When he reached
. the street the women were already drop
ring into the alley, and Elliott rushed Tor
d ladder In the effort to save as many
as possible. No ladder was available and
the only method of assistance they were
able to devise WAS to Eulrledly lash sonl'
blanks together and throw them across
to the affrighted women OF the platforms,
With instructions to place the end OF on.
firmly on the iron frame work.
Before this could be done fearful loss
of time cnsued, the women were being
rushed over cvorv instant to the allev and
by the timo the bridge was constructed
. f.,l.ft FFNt
However. about two dozen It Is believed.
made their way ACROSS this mario" cause
way.
The members OF the theatrical company
being on the first floor had comparatively
little difficulty in reaching the street. al
though their situation was for moment
l:tgnly critical, because OF the speed with
/. which the flames swept through tho mass
of scenery IN the flies and on the stage.
FOY'S ACCOUNT,
Eddy Foy principal comedian In the
play was one Of the last to escape BY
sstting out through rear door after as
sistinE the women members az The COM
. p4ny TO safety. lie went into tho Sher-
man House In his stage costume, and WITH
, his face covered With grease and paint
in order to secure surgical attendance fol
; some burns lie had sustained, In de-
J | scribng tho commencement OF the fire
lroy attributed the extent OF the catas'
, trophe to the failure Of the fire proof cur
tain to work properly.
because OF this, he said, tho flamr;
readily obtained access to the main par
OF the theatre and We're by tne draft
, CARRYING with ii gas as well as fire, sweep
up TO the two balconies. where the loss Of
!, life vas greatest.
"The fire began In the middle Of the
second act SAID Foy. "!.n electric wiit
, broke, wss grounded and from this the
. flames started In tho rear NJ the stage
ne stage is unusually vide, and there
vas SO great draft the flames sprcac
rapidly. They soon had attacked al tn.
scenery In the hear Of The house.
~ never believed 1t possible for fire tc