Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-31
FIRE SWEEPS OVER
ThEATER AUDIENCE.
The Iroquols in Chicago the Scene OF
One Of the Worst noIocausts
In History,

chicago, Dec. 30.--Nearly 900 people
were killed in ten minutes this after
noon during fire in the Iroquois thea
ter, the newest, the largest and as far
as human power could make IL the
safest theater In Chicago.
Estimates of the dead and injured
vary. The police count OF dead is b36.
The estimate OF the newspapers Is 562.
There are SO people missing at mid
night, the majority OF whom are prob
ably among tho dead In the morgue
and various undertaking establish
ments. Eighty-six of the dead have
been positively identified. and 90 per-
sons are known to be injured.
NUMBER OF DEAD UNKNOWN.
II will be many hours before the num-
Der OF dead is accurately known. and
many days before all OF them will be
Identified. There are bodies lying by
dozens tonight In the undertaking
rooms. In the police station and in the
hospitals. from which nearly everything
that could reveal their identity 20 those
who knew them best is gone.
Their clothing Is torn to rags or
burned TO cinders and their faces have
been mashed into an unrecognzable
trampled them down as they fled for
safety.
The fire broke out during the second
act of the play, Mr.. Bluebeard," which
was the first dramatic production pro-
duced IN the theater since Its erection.
The company, which was very large,
escaped to the street In safety.
CAUSE OF FIRE UNKNOWN.
The accounts OF the origin OF the fire
are conflicting, and none are certain,
but the best reason given Ia that an
electric wire on 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 members
of the chorus who were then engaged
In the performance to flee to the wings
with screams of terror
ASBESTOS CURTAIN STUCK.
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 come
dian of the company shouted to lower
the curtain, and this was Immediately
done II descended about half way and
then suck.
The fire thus was given practically a
flue through which a strong draft was
setting, aided by the doors, which had
been thrown open in the front OF the
theater. With roar and a bound the
flames shot through the opening over
the heads of the people on the first
floor, and reaching clear up TO those In
the first balcony, caught them and
burned them TO death where they sat.
A TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
Immediately following this rush Of
flames there came AN explosion. pre-
lifted the entire roof OF the theater
from It's walls, SCATTERING the great
skylight into fragments.
AS soon as the flames first appeared
beyond the curtain O man In the rear
OF the hall shouted, Fire, frel" and
the entire audience rose as one person
and made for the doors.
WHAT MANAGER DAVIS SAYS.
VIII j, Davis, manager OF the thea
ter, snid after the catastrophe that IL
the people had remained In their seats
and had not been excited by the cry
OF fire not a single life would have been
lost.
This. however, s contradicted by the
statements of the firemen, who found
numbers OF people sitting In their seats,
their faces directed toward the stage,
as IL the performance were still going
on. IL Is the opinion of the firemen that
these persons had been suffocated at
once by the flow of gas which came
from behind the asbestos curtain.
THIRTEEN HUNDRED PRESENT.
AS near as can be estimated about