The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-31
ESTIMATES GROW.
Loss of Life Proves Greater Than at
First Indicated.

First Indicated.
Chicago, Dec. 31.-About $50 people
were killed in ten minutes yesterday
afternoon during a fire in the Iroquois
theater. Estimates of the dead and
injured vary. The police count of dead
is 536. The estimate of the newspapers
is 562. Besides this there are 55 people
missing at midnight. the majority of
whom are probably among the dead in
the morgue and various undertaking
establishments. Eighty-six of the
dead have been positively identified,
and 80 others are known to be injured.
As far as human power could make
IT, the Iroquois theater was the safest
in the city. It was new, having been
completed a few weeks ago, and was
believed to be absolutely fire proof.
The fire broke out during the second
act Of the play, Mr.. Bluebeard," which
was the first dramatic production in
the theater since its erection.
The company, which was large, es-
capped to the street in safety, nearly
all the actors, however, being COMPEL
ed to go into the snowy streets with
no clothing but their stage costumes
A few members of the company re-
ceived minor injuries, but none was
dangerously hurt.
Caused by Electric Wire.
The accounts of the origin of the fire
are conflicting and none certain, but
the best reason given Is that an cleo
trio wire near the lower part of piece
of drop scenery suddenly broke and
was grounded.
The fire spread rapidly toward the
front of the stage, causing the mem
bers of the chorus who were then en-
gagged in the performance TO run to the
wings with screams of terror.
The fire in itself up to this time was
not serious and possibly could have
been checked had not the asbestos
curtain failed to work.
AS soon as the fire was discovered
Eddie Foy. the chief comedian of the
company, shouted to lower the curtain.
and this was Immediately done. 1t
descended about half way and then
stuck. The fire thus was given prac-
tically a fiue through which a strong
draft was settling. aided by the doors
which had been thrown open in the
front of the theater-
Died in Their Seats.
With a roar and a bound the flames
shot through the opening over the
heads of the people on the first floor
and. reaching up to those in the frst
balcony caught them and burned them
to death where they sat
Immediately following this rush of
flames there came an explosion which
lifted the roof Of the theater from it's
walls, shattering the large skylight
into fragments.
AS soon as the flames first appeared
beyond the curtain. man in the rear
Of the hall shouted Fire! Firer' and
the entire audience arose as one per-
son and made for the doors.
Gas Reservoirs Burst
1t is believed that the explosion was
caused by the flames coming in con-
tact with the gas reservoirs of the
theater. causing them to burst.
VIII j. Davis, manager of the the
cef6 q In cot hot
II the people had remained in their
seats and had not been excited by the
cry of fire. not single life would have
been lost.
This is, however, contradicted by the
statements Of the fireInen. who found
many people sitting in their seats,
their faces directed toward the stage
as If the performance was still going
on. It is the opinion of the fremen
that these persons were suffocated at
once bv the flow of gas which came
from behind the asbestos curtain.
Audience of Thirteen Hundred
AS near as can be estimated at the
present time about 300 people were in
the theater. Three hundred of these
were on the first floor the remainder
being IN the balconies and in the hall
ways back Of them
The theater is modelled after the
Opera Comique in Paris, and from the
rear Of each balcony there are three
doors leading out to passageWavs to-
WaIu the front OF the theater. Two OF
these doorways are at the end of the
balcony, and one in the center.
The audience in its rush for the outer
air seems to have, for the greater part
chosen to run to the left entrance and
TO attempt to make its way down the
eastern stairway leading into the lobby
OF the theater. Outside of the people
burned and suffocated by gas. it was in
these two doorways on the first an6
second balconies that the greatest loss
OF life occurred
Dead In Piles
When the firemen entered the build
ing the dead were found stretched in q
pile reaching from the head of fhf
stairway, at least eight feet from the
coor, back to point about five feet
in the rear of the door.
rms mass OF dead bodies in the cen.
ter OF the door reached to within two
feet OF the top of the passagevrav Al
of the bodies at this point were TSo,7 ,a,
and children.
The fight for life which rnust bo,-,
taken place at these two points is sor,e'
thing that is simply beyond hTnnor
power to adequately describe only :
faint idea of it's horror could he 1ariy,.e
from the aspect Of the bodies as theS
lay.
Fought for Freedom.
Women on top Of these masses Of
dead had been overtaken by death as
they were crawling on their hands and
knees over the bodies of those who
had died before. Others lay with arms
stretched out in the direction iowa re