New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-31
THE CHICAGO HORROR.

Not since the burning Of the Ring Theatre, OF
Vienna, in 1881, when about nine hundred peo-
pie were killed. has any disaster occurred
comparable In it's magnitude and horror with
the destruction Of the Iroquois Theatre. In Chi
cago yesterday. 1t is necessary to turn to the
great cataclysms of nature. like the eruption
OF Mont Pelee. which overwhelmed Martinique,
for anything 20 match it for sudden and whole
sale dealing of death. The Brooklyn Theatre
fire Of 1876. with fatalities numbering 295, has
hitherto been the awful example Of loss of life
by panic in the United States Now more
than twice that number have fallen in the day
time IN a new theatre, constructed, 1t was sup
posed. with the highest skill to guard against
lust such occurrences. Over half Of the audi
ence persisted, and, while apparently the greater
number were victims Of panic rather than of
the fire itself, it is also evident that great
many were killed by flames or gases while sit
ting in their seats at an early stage Of the con-
faeration. and still others were buried by the
explosion which wrecked the roof of the audi
torium.
1t is yet too early to try specifically TO fix the
blame for this awful occurrence. But 1t Is
clear that somebody blundered. Perhaps en-
tire calmness on the part Of the playgoers, the
majority of whom seem TO have been women
and children, as is customary at matinee,
would have prevented such an enormous loss OF
life though even then large number would
doubtless have been killed. But 1t is we'll
known that such a crowd is always liable to
panic, and adequate precautions should have
been taken against It. The asbestos curtain
failed TO work properly for some reason yet to
be explained. Had it done so. all might have
been well. Then the people in the galleries
equipped with ladders. Anterior to all that was
the fire itself. A defective insulation, or some
thing of the kind. the use Of known dangerous
force without adequate precautions.
There was bad work somewhere. Whether the
managers were responsible for all these short
comings. or the workmen who had just completed
the theatre scamped their work as conscience
less workmen frequently do where their faults do
not show on the surface will perhaps never be
known. But this series Of mishaps and failure
OF safety apparatus to meet the requirements
at critical moment show plainly that the
theatre was not in condition for a perform
ance when its doors were opened to the public.
The failure TO have the fire escape ladders
ready strikingly indicates this, and for that
the managers must be held responsible.
The sympathy Of the whole country and Of
the whole civilized world Will go out to Chicago
in it's terrible affection. A great number Of
families there are bereaved of their fairest and
dearest members under circumstances which
beyond measure heighten the poignancy OF
their grief Many Of them cannot, perhaps. for
days find the poor relics of their loved. ones and
for hours cannot even be sure of their fate. 1t
is not a disaster of the kind that gives oppor-
tunity for outside aid. No relief is possible
All that others can do is to stand with bowed
heads in the presence of Chicago's sorrow and
try for the future to learn the lesson Of precau-
ton against fires which is so terribly taught
from time to time and seemingly never remem-
bered.