New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-01

and long distance telephone offices were almost
swamped with the food OF inquring messages
Messenger boys from the telegraph Offices car
RED great bundles OF messages, and tonight the
terrific rush of business was still Private
wires Of stock exchange and Board Of Trade
houses were likewise loaded down with inqui-
ries and answers.
Chicag COS telepnone service has never before
been put 10 such a test as from o'clock yes
terday afternoon until O'clock this afternoon.
Every available operator pressed into SER
vice. and for hours it was impossible to obtain
connections on some OF the outlying exchanges.
Coroner Traeger and his assistants did all IN
their power to supply information concerning
the dead and wounded but five times the num-
Der OF available men in his Office could not have
accomplished the task. Crowds of people be-
sesed the office throughout the day. and begged
that arrangements might be made so that they
could view TIE bodies without delay. The ap-
plicants promptly received permits. which they
showed to the police and which admitted them
TO any hospital norgue
WHEN THE FIRE BROKE OUT.
Six busheI baskets Of valuabes ard trinkets
CT various descriptions were gathered by the
police ard fremen and turned over to the Coro-
ner. Among these fully q dozen watches.
and in every case the watch had stopped at 800
O'Clock. the time when the fire broke out.
INQUIRY BEGUN.
Coroner Traeger tonight conducted an in
formal inquiry into The cause of the fire. His
first witness was William c. Sellers, the fireman
employed at the theatre Sellers did not know
Just how the fire began. but said he saw it short
ly after it broke out He threw eXtingulshefs on
the blaze but without effect He tried 10 pull
down the drop curtain to tear loose that por-
ton of It which was blazing. but without sue
cess The hre then spread with such great ra-
pidity that he was unable 10 do more.
Other witnesses were examined and after they
had been heard a. 4. Heer. assistant states
attorney. who present. said:
It seems agreed that the asbestos curtain was
dropped bat that il went only 10 within ten or
fifteen feet of the stage floor. People on the
stage opAaed the door leading from the stage
into the street on the west side of the theatre,
and this created a strong drauEht. The draugEt
blew the curtain out toward the audience. ms
held tie curtain so tightly that all attempts TO
lower il further were frutless Attempts we're
made by numerous persons 10 pull the curtain
dow by hand but without success. From all
the information have been able 10 gather
thus far il seems 10 me as though the fault IN
creating the draught which threw the audience
into a panic by forcing the flames out Over their
heads due far more 10 the action Of the
theatrical people in opening the door at the rear
of the theatre than by the audience opening the
doors in front The mana cement OF the theatre.
7 believe. claims that II was the action of the
audience that made the draught which was the
primary cause OF the disaster. 1 may be wrong.
but from the evidence now az hand I think II
will be shown that il was the action Of the stage
anything done by the audience in its attempt to
escape.