Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-31

advantage OF It. However, about two
| dozen, II II believed by Mr.. Elliott,
made their way across this narrow
| causeway.
MEMBERS OF COMPANY ESCAPE.
The members Of the theatrical conn
| pany, being ON the first floor, had CONF
| paratively little difficulty In reaching
| the street, although their situation was
| Tor moment highly critical because OF
| the speed with which the flames swept
| through the mass OF scenery in the
nies and ON the stage.
Eddie Foy, principal comedian In the
play, was one of the last to escape by
| getting out through rear door, after
assisting the women members OF IN
| company TO safety. He went into the
| sherman house I'm his stage costume
and with his face covered with grease
paint In order to secure surgical atten-
ton for some burns he had sustained.
| BEGINNING OF FIRE.
In describing the commencement of
the fire Foy attributed the cause of the
| catastrophe 10 the failure of the fire.
| proof curtain to work properly. Because
| Of this, he said, the flames readily OBJ
FAMED access to the main part of the
theater. and were by the draught, car
| rying with II gas as well as Are, swept
up TO the two balconies, where the loss
| or life was greatest.
BEGAN IN SECOND ACT.
"The fire began In the middle OF the
second act said Mr.. Foy. IAN cleo
tfic Wire broke, was grounded, and
from this the flames We're started I'm
| tha nf fha
usually wide, and there was so great a
draugbt that the flames spread rapid
~. They soon attacked all the scenery
| In the rear OF the house. never be-
lieved II possible for fire to spread
so quickly.
When 1t started I went TO the foot
lights, aud thought Il would be better
for all to leave quietly Then | stepped
back and called for the asbestos cur
tain TO be lowered,
CURTAIN LODGED.
This curtain, when about halfway
down, refused to 20 further. and thus
| an additional draft was created m
swept the flames out into the auditor
| ium, and | knew that the theater was
doomed. i hurried back TO the stage
ana aided In getting the women menu
| bers OF the company into the alley.
some or them were In dressingrooms
ana We're almost overcome by smoke
when they got down to the stage and
10 the doors The simple fact that the
curtain did not descend entirely was
| what saved the lives of the Company.
although It caused such horrib
| catastrophe In the front of the house.
| GAS TANKS EXPLODE.
After the curtain had refused TO de-
scend. there came am 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 freproof curtain in
'front.' Under these circumstances IL
would not have been possible for a sim
gle member of the company to escape
| awe unless he or she had been stand
! Ing Immediately In front of the door
| leading into the alley AS il was the
draught carried all the gas and Are out
beneath the curtain and the company
was saved, although their salvation
was the death OF so many poor people
| In front"
SPREADING or THE NEWS.
Raiely in the history OF Chicago has
It's people been so stirred az by the
calamity OF today. II Is. next to the
| Chicago fire. the greatest catastrophe
that has ever occurred here and the
speed with which II came and went
! seemed for brief period to appall the
business section OF the city. The news
| spread with great rRpidity, and in n
short time hundreds of men women
and children were rushing toward the
| theater.
LOCATION OF THEATER
The building In which the calamity
occurred stands midway between State
and Dearborn streets, on the north side
OF Randolph street Although every
| available policeman within call OF the
department was Immediately hurried TO
the spot and men placed In lines from
| the ends OF the block. allowing nobody
| to- enter Randolph street from either
| Dearborn or State, II was found almost
impossible for time to hold back the
frenzied crowd that pressed forward
many of them having friends or rela-
| tives in the theater and being anxious
to learn something of them.
SPLENDID POLICE WORK.
The conduct of the police was beyond
all praise. The officers held their
ground firmly, and gently pushed back
all who sought TO gain an entrance to
l NNt NnNdAtlf dllHNutD III kNiilt lilNllllNtH
| frantic men, anxious TO look for their
loved ones actually beat the officers
with their fists In their rage at being
| prevented
The building was so full OF smoke
when the iiremen first arrived that the
full extent Of the catastrophe was not
| Immediately grasped until a fireman
and newspaper man crawled up the
stairway leading to the balcony, holding
handkerchief over their mouths 10
avoid suffocatlon.
DOOR TANNED WITH DEAD.
As they reached the doorway the fire.
man, whose vision was better trained In
such emergencies, seized his companion
by Tn arm, eSclaming Good God
! mani don't walk on their faces The
two men tried valnly Go get through
the door, which WAS TANNED with dead
women, piled higher than either OF their
heads.
FIRE CHIEF INFORMED.
All the lights In the theater were nee
essafily out, and the only illumination
came through the cloud of smoke that
hung between the interior OF the theater
and the street The two men imme-
dia,ely hurried to the floor below and
informed Chief Musham OF the fire de-
partment that dead bodies were piled
high In the balcony and prompt assist
ance must be rendered IL any OF them
were to be saved.
CALLED TO THE RESCUE,
The chief Immediately called upon all
his men In the vicinity To abandon work
on the FIRE and come at once TO the res
cue. The building was so dark and the
| tkl.E bot Nrau In,
possible 10 accomplish anything until
lights had been secured
Word was at once sent to the Orr &
I,ookett Hardware company, two doors
east OF the theater and that firm at
once placed It's entire stock OF lanterns
at the service OF the department, Over