Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-31


Boyer Alexander. eight years old. T1e lads
father. DIR. W. D. Alexander, 475 Washing
ton boulevard had sleeplessly sought his
son all night long. and today. in examining
the headiess corpse OF child. the physician
identified hts own by q watch q birthday
present from the father, found upon the
remains.
Father Identifies Daughter.
A pitifui scene attended the Identification
OF Marjorie Edwards. fourteen years Old
of Clinton. Iowa Her father. w. M. Ed
wards who has been In Chicago on q Walt.
identified the daughters terribly burned
body from sample OF the cloth in her
skirt which he carried in his pocket.
|. While the dead were being examined by
Ing department were also being closely
scrutinixed.
Ordinance Complied With.
According to the record the building ordi-
nance with regard to theaters was COM
piled with In every particular in the con-
struction Of the Iroquois.
The report Of the inspector Edward
Laughlin. Is that no one of the provisions
Of the ordinance was violated. 1t was ger-
orally considered to be an absolutely fire.
proof structure.
According to BENJAMIN H. Marshall,
architect Of the building, and who is now
exists were more ample than usually planned
for such buildings. He bemoans the use Of
wood In theater however. and declared
that he will never allow another bit of
wood to be used in theater. The Iro-
qEois was provided with twenty seven dou-
BILE fire exits. but wood was used and stair
ways were employed.
Helping to Recover the Dead.
Chief of Police O'NeiI today supervised
the work Of helping friends and relatives
to recover their dead. Hundreds of per-
sons. grief and anxiety written in their
faces. thronged about Chief ONeiis office
seeking information
The pressure grew so strong that Secre
tary Markham, mounting a chair read off
descriptions to the multitude, who listened
with straining ears.
Frequently persons in the crowd recog-
Mzed the descriptions read by the secre-
tary. and started in horror for the par
tfcular morgue named the words fell
from the secretary's lips.
At the morgues the inadequacy of the
means of inspecting the bodies was evident
Only few persons at time were allowed
to pass before the bodies and places in the
line Of admission were as eagerly sought
and fought for means of escape were
when the theater was burning.
Meeting of Actors Called.
Messrs. Davis and Powers. managers Of
Illinois Theater of all members Of THE
Blue Beard" Company. and full statement
will be made. after a careful investigation.
AS to the report that there was a fire in
the Iroquois three weeks ago and that the
asbestos curtain refused to work ON account
of being controlled by ropes instead of
wires. Messrs Davis and Powers emphati-
cally deny it.
They state. also. that the curtain was
controlled by the strongest wires that It
was possible to use. The facts are, accord
ing to them. that the curtain swayed the
moment the ten or twelve exits were thrown
open, owing to the rush of air.
Coroner Will Act Firmly.
With the announcement that one jury of
representative citizens would listen to all
the evidence regarding the fire and return a
single verdict for all the victims. Coroner
TRIGGER today promptly impaneled jury.
National Republican Committeeman
Graeme Stewart. member of the firm of
William M. Hoyt & Co., wholesale grocers,
was told by the coroner that the death of
Mr.. Hoyts daughter, Mrs. F. Morton Fox.
and her three children, would be taken as
a basis for the investigation.
II any persons are responsible for this
fire. said Coroner Treger. they will be
prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law
Investigation Will Be Thorough.
.The investigation Of the fire will be
thorough. We will leave no stone unturned
In our efforts to fix the responsibility"
The coroners Jury is as follows:
L. H. Meyer. secretary Of the Kennedy
Furniture Company.
DIR. Peter Byrnes. salesman for Lyon &
Healy
Walter clingman. salesman for the Tobey
Furniture Company
Joseph A. Cummings. manager of Brown
George W. Atkins. credit man for Mar
shall Field & Co.
John w. Fine, salesman for A. H. Reveu
& Co.
Identified by Shoe Laces.
A list OF descriptions of unidentified dead
girls was compiled today in the Office of
Chief of Police ONeill. The ages of the
victims ranged from nine to twenty years.
The number of unidentified dead girls in
the list was fifty-seven. For several of
the girls the sole means of Identification
given was the color of bits of shoe laces
and that generally mentioned as black"
Others are scheduled as burned beyond
description; no age"
Mayor Harrison, who first heard of the
theater disaster at Kansas City, announced
Immediately on reaching Chicago today
his intention to issue a PROCLAMATION sug-
costing the closing down of all business on
Saturday. which probably will be the gen
eral burial day, and asking for the cessa
ton of all unnecessary noises on that day.
Mayor Will Issue Proclamation.
He said he would also issue a proclama-
ton asking for the observance Of perfect
quiet on New Years eve; that the people
forego the usual New Years celebration
which is usually attended by the footing OF
horns, ringing of bells and great din.
Asked as to his opinion regarding the
cause Of the fire. the mayor gave 1t as his
opinion that the Iroquois was the safest
theater in Chicago. and that if the asbestos
curtain had not failed to work the disaster
would not have occurred. He lays the
cause entirely to that one fact.
With reference to placing the blame the
mayor said that he could not make any
statement until after the coroner has made
his report.
Recommended Investigation.
"Some time ago." said the mayor, 81
recommended to the council that an investi-
cation should be made looking to the fire
protection of the theaters. That Is to say,
to see whether the theaters were complying
with the ordinance with respect to the
sprinkler system and other means for fire
prevention That recommendation was
submitted to the judiciary committee, who
lov