The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-01-07
NEGLIGENCE is
NOW ADMITTED
Conditions in troqaois Thsa,rs
Worse Than Thought Pos sibIe.
EXITS LOCKED AND BolTED
PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF HEAVY
LOSS oF LIFE.

Chicago, Jan. 6.-By their own evil
denee given today before Monroe Fui-
kerson, who IS conducting the fire de-
nartment Investigation into the Iro-
quois theatre horror, the proprietors
Of the theatre showed that worse
condition of affairs existed than had
heretofore been thought possible
{ VIII J. Davis, Harry J. Powers and
Thomas J. N0onan, active managers
Of the Iroquois theatre. were examined
BY Mr.. FulkeTson today. All Of them
pleaded ignorance of any precautions
taken 10 prevent loss of life by fire az
their theatre. They admitted failure
to instruct employees in nghting fire.
and failure even to provide suitable
appliances for the use against fiamess
Their statements were eorroborated by
the testimony of twenty employees OF
the theatre, none Of whom had ever
been told what to do in case Of fire.
Exits Were Bolted.
NOOnan, who is the working manager
Of the theatre under direction of Davis
and Powers, admitted today that eleven
OF the theatre exits were locked and
bOlted. Two Of these exits, leading to
the front of the theatre on the ground
floor, were locked. three additional ex-
its on the north side Of the ground
floor were bolted, three exits on the
north side of the theatre from the first
balcony were bolted, and three exits
on the north side of the second balcony
were bolted.
The greatest loss of life from the fire
was in the first and second balconies,
where hundreds Of people were suffo-
Gated through their inability to get out
or were trampled to death while trying
TO do so. Had these three exits in each
balcony been available, according 70
Mr.. Fulkerson. the loss of life must
have been greatly diminished.
No instructions.
Noonan declared that no person had
been named by the theatre manage
ment to superintend the operation Of
the yentilatOrs in case Of fire, and in
consequence the flames had been per-
mitted to sweep the place instead of
seeking a natural outlet through the
stage door. It was said by Noonan
that George NJ. Dusenbery, the head
usher; Archibald Bernard, chief cleo
trician, and the theatre engineer, knew
haw to operate the ventilators. It was
proven by the evidence of these men,
however, that two Of them never went
upon the stage, and that the other
had never been told to assume charge
Of the ventilators in case of fire. DU-
senbeTy declared that his duty as usher
kept him in the front of the house.
The engineer was also below the stage
attending TO his engine, and Bernard.
the only one Of the three knowing how
TO operate the ventilators who was ever
upon the stage during a performance,
testified that he had never been told TO
assume charge of them.
One Out of Three.
From figures obtained by NoOnan to-
day it became evident that almost one
in three Of the people who attended the
matinee lost their lives, the percentage
being a trifie over 81 per cent. The
theatre seated 1906 people, and IN addi-
ton to these 236 had been admitted
after all the seats were sold, making a
total Of 1,s42 people in the theatre, Of
whom 591 were killed