The Butte inter mountain., 1903-12-31
DEEDS OF HEROISM
SAVE MANY

OWL WHNl
Chicago, H., Dec. 3I-W MATTERS and
| cooks from lhompson's Icstaurant, which
! adjuius The theater on the cast. rescued
people by raising ladder from the roof
Oi she'd 10 a window IN the rear Of the
building, around which a mass OF scream
ing women and children were couRregated.
/ G. f. l.ittle head cook mounted 70 the
top Of the ladder and told them to jump
| into his arms. Fifteen women and chill
/ dren did this and was passed by Little to
/ those below
/ Jumped, But Missed.
One woman ATTEMPTED to jump into his
arms before he was ready to take hold oi
! her and She fell to the alley, iracturing
! her skull dying instantly.
buc ol the marvellous escapes that was
made by the members Of a theatcr party
/ is given by Miss Charlotte Plamendon OF
i Chicago. The party was made up Of
number Of society people, Miss Elsie Fl
! more Of Ostoria. one, Miss Mary Peters
! Of Columbus, O and Miss Josephine
| Eddy of Evanston, H.
Miss Plamondon was the first OF her
! party TO uo;icc the fire. which erawlcd
'i'itE 'I'N bI'' thl taiil' flHt Ndllib lIt I'll
! tcntion OF other members OF her party to
the hlazc and they all watched it.
Foy Made Speech.
Miss Iammondon said 81 could see
| the little girls and boys in the orchestra
| chairs, pointing up to the slowly moving
| lines oi flames. one Of the stage hands
wearing overall appeared before the foot
lights aud requested the audience to keep
| their seats as there was no danger. Eddie
| foy then hurried to the front OF the stage
| and commanded the people to remain
calm saying that ii they would keep their
| seats the danger would be aycrtcd.
The curtain, however. still burned.
pieces Of the smoldcring cloth falling into
the orchestra pit An effort was made by
the stage hands to raise the curtain so the
blazing fragments would not drop into the
pit
Children Sat Interested.
Il looked over the faces of the an.
dience,' said Miss plamondon, "and re
marked how many children were present
could see their faces filled with interest
and their eyes wide open as they watched
the burning curtain.
hen the people in the balcony rose
to their feet and crowded forward TO OBJ
tain better view Of the fire. Eddie Foy
rushed TO the center OF the stage and
waved his hand in gesture meaning tor
the people to be seated.
"h that moment woman in the rear
OF the place screamed fire and the en-
tire audience OF women and children rose
to their feet, filled with uncomfortable
terror In another instant there was
roar made by thousands OF people. as they
rushed madly from the impending danger.
Chorus Girls Heroines.
"0n the stage the chorus girls, who had
aroused my admiration by their exhibition
OF presence OF mind, turned to flee, but
many OF them were overcome before they
could take q step. Several Of them fell TO
the floor and ! saw the men in the cast
and stage hands hurrying them off the
stage. Miss Elsie Elmore was the first to
leave our box.
THE upholscring on the railing was
then on fire and we were compelled to
brush fragments of the burning curtain
from our clothing to prevent them from
catching fire.
Then a Rushing Flame.
Then there came a great roar and
great draft OF air and the flames shot out
over the parquet OF the theater until it
seemed to me as though it must reach the
very front walls.
There were but few men in the au-
dience, but ! saw several Of them pulling
and pushing women and children aside as
they fought like maniacs to reach the
exits. saw number of little children
trampled under foot and none of them
arose again.
'ln the balcony the scene was beyond
my power to describe. There was a big,
| black crush OF human beings, each one
| apparently fighting everybody else. The
| balcony was so steep that many fell be-
| fore they had left the first four rows of
| seats. The exits to the fire escapes were
choked, and those in the rear rushed with
all the strength they possessed on those
| that were nearer the doors.
Man Knocked Her Down.
1T was almost Incredible, the speed with
which the flames ran through the scenery.
As ! started up the aisle a man rushed
into me and knocked me down. | was so
terror stricken that ! grew weak and sank
into one OF the orchestra chairs, and after
that ! hardly remember anything. In some
way | reached the entrance where men
were kicking in the doors and shattering
the glass panels in their attempts to afford
a larger space for the exit Of the people.
MANY fell as they reached the doors,
where few steps more would have car
red them to fresh air and safety.
| Walked on PROSTATE Bodies.
"As look at it now, | must have been
walking on PROSTATE bodies as | strug-
gled through the opening. All of our
party escaped in about the same manner as
! did; but all of them suffered so terribly
in the matter of clothing that the first
| thing they did was to rush to the stores