The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-01-08
CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
Bursting OK a Calcium Light Apt
ratus, Says the Management OF

Chicago, Dec. a1.-Wh.le the policemen
and 1remen. were carrying out the dead
and injured. Will J.. Davis, one of tie pro.
prietors OF the theater, lentfsi.s efforts
to alleviate suffering and 10 assist, TO
care FOR the dead. He said:
There was no need. SO far as know,
of a single life being lost. There were
more than forty exits to the theater.
The building is fire proof, and If some
body had not cried fire l think that all,
as far as those killed in the panic were
concerned. would have reached the street
in safety, and of these who were suffo-
Gated by the gas nearly all would havs
seen out by the time the explosion &C.
Cured IL order had been preserved in go
ing out.
AS far as we have learned everybody
on the first floor except three escaped,
although several sustained bruises and
minor insur'cs. The great loss OF life was
m the nrst and second balconies. These
combined will seat about 900 persons. The
sale Of seats had been good, but was not
up,to the capacity, and as far as I can
estimate the two balconies held between
f5e and 800 persons. The top balcony,
where the cheapest seats are situated,
was tho more crowded. and 1t was here
that the crowd found most difficulty in
struggling towards the exits"
1t was declared by the "anagene
OF the thaater that the fire was not
caused by the grounding of an electric
wire or by any defect in the equipment
or the theater. It started, they assert.
by the bursting Of a calcium light APP
paratns. The conclusion was SO great
that 1t blew out the skylight over the
stage and auditorium. This state
ment OF the theater management is
centradtcted by many who were In the
theater. and who declare that before
the explosion occurred they saw flames
IN a narrow streak creeping along the
wall near the upper part of the drop
curtain.
Statement Of the Coroner.
Coroner Traeger examined the thea
ter after the disaster and said:
IT the asbestos curtain had been in
working order ] believe that the fire
might have been prevented frsm
spreading into the audience chamber.
An iron railing which separated each
row Of seats from the adjoining tier
prevented many. ! think. from reach
stance. combined with the steep In
cline, made it difficult for SO large
an audience to escape without great
delay, and this Is q modern, hreproof
theater, furnished with all the appli-
ances and equipment that are supposed
to prevent Just such a catastrophe as
has occurred. The plush on the seats
of the first balcony was charred, but
still visible. This does not look to me
as though everybody would have got
of h theatey alive II there had
been no panic, when you take into &C.
count the speed with which the flames
spread. MY inspection showed that the
slightly burned, The balconies had v
identity shielded the seats In the par
quette. The heat Of the flames was ev-
ident. The stage and the ceiling Of
the theater were blistered and black
ened. There was almost no damage to
the furniture on h first floor. The
boxes on the second tier We're destroyed
by fire, while those on the first floor
were burned only In spots. evidently by
burning fragments from above"
First Playhouse in Chicago.
The 1roQu0is theater was completed less
than two months ago at q cost of $500, 00Q.
and was the finest playhouse in Chicago.
It was opened to the public on the night
of November % with "Mr. B~luebeard." It
had a seating capacity Of ], ia.
The records OF the city building depart
.nent show that the theater was complete
in every detail, nj that 1t was absolutely
fireproof, all the requirements of law
having been compiled with.
w. A.. Merriman, western manager Of
the George A. Fuller company, the con-
Germ which erected the 1roquois theater.
when seen last night made the following
statement concerning the construction Of
the building:
1.-The I%roquois theater was built with
safety as the first consideration. All the
building ordinances were adhered to In
every detail. and more than that, there
were additional safeguards thrown about.
until / do not hesitate to say tina there
war 10 thsater building In the country
which was freer from danger. TIL ex-
Its were numerous. and all the work
the company performed was fire proof.
After making q careful examination at
the building since the fire / find TINT the
structure as erected still stands in.=-,s =