The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-12-31
Six HUNDRED DEAL! I!


manned and the dead, I'm order TO permit
| OF exits from the ground fioor:
Houseman. having escorted his party
out: took position at his door and Kept
II from choking up by assisting people
| through. Finally forced away by the
flames. Houseman got into the alley just
woman from the window In an upper gal
lery shriekng. Catch me-" As the wo-
man screamed she jumped and House
man. catching her 10 the best OF hts abil-
ity, broke her fall 10 the ground and she
| walked away uninjured.
Clifton g. Meeker. clerk In the reg
isiry division. Of the postofrice. living IN
| lost in the fire his entire family. consist
ing of his wife. two daughters and two
| sons
A friend called Mr.. Meeker up on the
| telephone at O'Clock in the afternoon
| and asked him II any OF his family had
| gone 20 the theatre. He answered that
| so far as he knew none OF them had left
home. When he reached the house. how
ever. he found. only his mother-in-law
there. Where are Mabel and the chill
| dren?" ne asked.
"They have gone to the Iroauois thea
| tre." was the reply.
II dropped right down on my knees"
said MT Meeker," and prayed that God
might spare them
| Today. Mr.. Meeker had partially iAenti-
fed the bodies OF his wife and two
daughters He failed TO And any trace OF
| his two SONS
| SAY CARsLESSNEss EVIDENT.
Among many OF the theatrical men en-
ployed I'm the other Chicago theatres, the
responsibility for the fire was ascribed to-
day 10 the careless placing OF electric
| arc-light apparatus too close TO one OF the
| hanging borders OF the scenery. The cleo
| trician OF n leading Chicago theatre ex-
pressed great surprise on hearing that this
was considered a possible cause OF the
| fire.
There would never have been any
| fire." he said. "if proper care had been ex-
| ercised in handling the lights The cleo
| trio plant OF the theatre was installed as
happen 10 know from personal observa-
| tion. In accordance with every modern re-
quirement for safety. The plant was not
| to blame. II the facts have been given
are correct, the whole blame rests on the
person who placed or was operating
| light 80 closely to the curtain.
| The failure OF the expected fire protec-
| ton In attributed by insurance men 10
| trouble with the asbestos curtain. The
stage always Is recognized as the danger
| point In theatre and the desire TO have
| IL cut or from the auditorium as thor
oughly as possible. The insurance men de-
clare that the curtain at the IroQuois
never had worked perfectly and that the
mechanism had not been repaired.
FINANCIAL LOSS SMALL.
r. r. Wetmore of the insurance firm
which placed the insurance on the Iro-
quois theatre declared the loss will not
exceed $4,000. He also asserts that the
spread Of the flames 20 the auditorium
was due TO the failure OF the asbestos
curtain TO work properly.
The financial loss Is sustained almost
entirely upon the interior decorations and
the destruction OF glass and seats. made
by the crowd In their rush for the doors
Many decorations not burned were ruined
by smoke and water To build and fur
nish the theatre cost $450. 600 and the pro-
prietors believed IL TO be so entirely safe
from damage by fire that they carried
upon II insurance amounting only TO
$4,000
The employers have issued call 10
their striking drivers to return TO work
irrespective OF any previous affiliations
with any and all organizations, and
promising TO protect them in all contin-
gencies which may arise I'm the future
Early last summer a prominent trade
Journal OF Chicago criticised the construc-
tion OF the Iroquois theatre because II
lacked n shaft or fue at the back of the
stage for carrying the flames and smoke
upward from the auditorium in the event
OF fire
The method OF fire proofing the balcony
and the gallery was also declared by this
lath was used and what Is known as ex-
posed construction, where heat would
easily affect it- In modern fire proof
buildings this lath is buried In concrete
CAN HORROR BE REPEATED?
Chief Musham OF the fire department
when asked today what would best pre-
vent a repetition OF the horror said:
81 don't know as I can answer that
question unth an investigation has been
made as to .he causes OF this fre on
the whole. / suppose IL would be good
thing for the department 10 have active
uniformed men prepared TO act. stationed
In every theatre through every perfor-
nance. understand that New York
has them. and that they are paid by the
managements OF the theatres.
They had n man in the 1roquis who
was an ex-member Of tho Chicago fire
department He was old but he could
have known what TO do. 1t seems 10 me
that there is nothing in the world at
lenrt nothing that can think OF at the
present moment. that can save lives
when thousand persons try TO pass
through one doorway at one time"
II was cause OF wonder TO many
people around the theatre building how
so many persons and 30 many trained
nurses could arrive on the spot within
so short n time. DIR. Herman Spaldng.
senior member OF the city health depart
ment at the time the fire broke out made
all arrangements for medical attendance.
II telephoned TO all the physicians In
the down town district" he said. "and
then 10 hospitals. nurse associations and
schools for persons 70 assist IN the aid ol
the injured. Employees telephoned TO all
the principal office buildings and told tho
operators at the switchboards to notify
every physician in the building, while
others telephoned TO the nurses. There
were over 100 physicians whom ] person
ally knew az the fire and probably 80
nurses. There has never been. far
a. ! have been aware. n cell for so many
physicians in Chicago at one time since
the great fire. Within few minutes
physicians three and FIVE miles from the
down town district were Offering their
services"
MAYOR HARRISON TO RETURN.
Mayor Harrison was on his way TO the
Southwest for hunting trip and Comp
troller McGann was acting mayor. It
happened that tho finance committee OF
the common council was I'm session when
the extent OF the disaster became known
at city hall. Mr.. McGann at once walk
ed into the committee room and was told