Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1903-12-31

nation came through the cloud Of
smoke that hung between the interior
of the theatre and the street. The two
men Immediately hurried to the floor
below, and informed Chief Musham,
of the fire department, that bodies
were piled high in the balcony, and
prompt assistance must be rendered
II any OF them were to be saved. The
chief Immediately called all his men
in the vicinity to abandon work on the
fire, and come at once to the rescue
The building was so dark and the
smoke so thick that It was found i'm.
possible to accomplish anything unit;
lights had been secured. Word was
ut once sent to the Orr g. Lockett
Hardware Company nearby, and that
firm at once placed its entire stock of
lanterns at the service of the depart.
ment
Strong Men Unneved.
Men worked at the task with tears
running down their cheeks, and the
sobs of the rescuers could be hearl
even in the hall below where the aw.
full scene was being enacted A num-
Der of men were compelled to aban.
don their tasks and give it over to
mon whose nerves had not as yet been
shaken by the awful experience. AS
one by one the bodies were dragged
out of the watersoaked, blackened
mass Of corpses, the spectacle became
more and moro heart-rending.
There were women whose clothing
was torn completely from their bodies
above,,the waist whose bosoms had
been trampIed into a pulp, and whose
faces were marred beyond all hope of
Identification
VIII J. Davis, manager Of the thea.
tire, said after the catastrophe that II
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, is contra
dicted by the ilremen, who found
numbers of people sitting In their
seats, their faces directed toward the
stage, as IL the performance was stin
going on. II is the opinion OF the fire
men that these persons had been suf-
focated at once by the flow OF gas
which came from behind the asbestos
curtain.
Pushed from the Fire Escape.
The theatre had be1n constructed
buJ short time and Its equipment
was not yet all in place This included,
unfortunately hte escape in IN
roar of the building. The small iron
balconies 10 which the iron ladders
were 10 be attached were up, but the
ladders had not yet been constructed
When the Panic was at it's height, q
great number of womea ran for these
Are escapes. only 10 find as they
emerged from the doorway upon the
little iron platform tha, they were 80
to so feet from the ground, a fire be
hind and no method OF escape in
front. Those VINO reached the plat.
form hwt endeavored to hold their
footing, and 20 keep back the crowd
that pressed upon them from the
rear
The effort was utterly useless, and
In a few moments the iron ledges
were jammod with crowds OF women,
who screamed. fought and tore at each
other like manlacs This lasted but
brief interval. and the rush from the
interior of the building became so VIC
lent that mcny OF them We're crowded
on and fen TO the granite pavement
below. Others leaPed from the plat
form, fraotUring legs and arms, and
two were picked up at this point with
fractured skulls. having been killed
instantly.
George II Elliott, secretary OF the
Ogden Gas Company. was In a build,
Ing directly across The alley from the
theatre, and, noticing smoke. went
down 10 ascertain the cause. When |
he reached the street the women were
already doping into the alley. and
NJ. Elliott Immediately rushed for a
adder in the effort 20 save as many |
Is possible. No ladder was available,