The Butte inter mountain., 1903-12-31
THIS HERO'S NERVE
SAVED SCORES !
BY ASSOCIATED rREss.

BY ASSOCIATED rRESs.
Chicago. Dee 5i.--Flags were placed at
hall-mast all over the city today, Mayor
Harrison setting the example at the city
hall.
One OF the heroes of the fire was Peter
Quinn. chief special agent OF the Santa Fc
railway system who assisted i'll saving the
lives OF 100 or more OF the performers
from a fate as horrible as the victims of
the thcatcr proper.
Wedged so tightly i'll crowd at the
door of the stage entrance that they could
not move, the women. men and children
composing the company OF performers.
were standing hclplessly and with agonized
looks upon their faces. The stage door
was closed.
The massive stage door Of the lro-
quois" said Mr. Quinn today, lis like many
others OF its kind. The two main swing
ing doors are used when scenery is taken
to or from the theater, and built III the
swinging structure itself is a small trap
door used by the players in leaving or en-
tering the stage. This trap door opened in
Mardly. As | passed it heard a commo-
ton and saw the door was slightly open,
and pcerng into the opening | euriously
asked what was the trouble. Then for the
first time, ! and others who had arrived
outside about the same time learned that
the theater was on FIRE. The players who
| had rushed TO the trap door. got caught i'll
| a solid mass and were so firmly wedged to-
| gether that they could not move. They
| were banked soidly against the little door
| ard it could not be opened Nearly all
| the players were in their stage costumes
| and Tie women had not even time 10 wash
the paint from their faces. We tried to
| force the door open, but the crowd banked
up TOO tightly against it.
| The Man for the Hour.
Then came a volume Of smoke aud far
| in the rear OF the crowd We could see
! the illumination from the flames. ! had
| a number Of small tools in my pocket and
| Immediately proceeded to remove the
metal attachments which held the door in
| place. This was accomplished with some
difficulty and then we managed 10 force
| the crowd back probably an inch, the
door then dropping from its place anl one
by one the imprisoned players were as
| sisted into the alley. | walked in upon
the stage and found il a seething FUR
mace. The players had been rescued just
in time"
Blame Fire on Curtain
Employees OF the thcatcr place the ter
rble loss OF life to the 'jammng" OF
the asbestos curtain Al every, perform
ance OF the show the asbestos curtain has
been raised and lowered
1t has always run smoothly according 10
the employees. 1t was SO arranged that
should one OF the cables holding il break
the curtain would descend by its own
weight The asbestos curtain was held
by four steel cables. 1t slid up and down
and was guided by two others, one OF
each side. These four cables extended
above the gridiron, the framework whicl
supported the tackle by which the seen
cry is raised and lowered TO the side wall
There they were attached TO a large stec
plate To the steel plate was attached
manila rope. This rope led down Il
the stage and around block. II thcl
led aloft and run through five other block
and pulcys.
On the side going up the counter
weights were attached, on which ther
were enough to make less than an abso
Lutte balance for the curtain. The as
bestos curtain was so heavy that il re
leased it would come down of its owl
accord. All of the employees deny ther
has been any previous fire in the house
The employees also deny that any Of th
doors to exits were locked.