The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-01-06

tain and the company was saved, al
though their salvation was the death
of so many poor people In 'front.'
Thrilling Account OF The Disaster by One
Who Escaped.
Chicago, Dec. 31.-For the first time
since Chicago has possessed bells to
peal, whistles to shrek and horns to
/ blow, the Old Year was allowed silent
ly to take it's place in history and the
| New Year permitted to come with no
evidence of Joy at its birth.
In an official proclamation issued
this afternoon by Mayor Carter 81.
| Harrison be made the suggestion that
the usual New Years Eve celebration
be for this time omitted. The idea
found ready response in the hearts
of the people, and the mayors words
| in fact only gave utterance to the
unexpressed thoughts that had filled
them all.
Ordinarily, on New Years Eve the
streets of the city are filed with
merrymakers, but tonight the only
throngs to be found were those around
the morgues; ordinarily, numbers of
fashionable restaurants in the heart
of the city are filed with light heart
ed jewellers, who toast the year that
passes and hail the year that comes.
Tonight these places were compare
lively deserted, and some of them
closed entirely, with doors locked and
curtains drawn. Usually, among these
gay people, are found many members
| of the theatrical profession. Tonight
not a single one of them was in evil
| dence.
THE NUMBER OF DEAD.
The list of dead continues as it was
given out last night, in the neighbor-
hood of $50. 1t is generally accepted
at this time that the most accurate
estimate is 564. This number will be
increased somewhat as there are peo-
pie in the hospitals who cannot sur
vive for any length of time. It is be-
lieved, however. that the total num-
/ ber of dead will not in any event
exceed SIS. Including the missing, it
is estimated that the total number of
casualties at the present time is ap-
proximately 1000.
There are among the missing the
names of many who are at their homes,
and some of whom we're not at the
theatre at all In the first excitement
following the calamity these people
were reported by their relatives as
among the missing, and numbers of
them have since returned to their
homes and no report of this fact has
been made to police headquarters.
Their names, however, still swell the
list of the missing. When the names
of the dead who are still to be identi-
fed have been subtracted from the
list of missing, it is probable that
the extent of the catastrophe will be
fully revealed.
THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
There was animated discussion to-
day among fremen, employees of the
theatre and architects as to the cause
of the fire. Accounts differ today as
widely as they varied last night. The
theatrical people are practically a
unit in declaring that the fire started
with an explosion, and in this they
are fatty contradicted by scores of
people in the audience, who declare
that they saw fire creeping along the
edge of the curtain for several minutes
before the explosion took place. These
statements are substantiated by the
stories of number of people who left
their seats after seeing the blaze, and
were we'll on their way to the street
when overtaken by the frightened rush
of those they had left behind them.
The best evidence obtainable is to
the effect that the fire was caused by
the sparks from an arc light striking
the edge of the drop curtain, but the
actual fact, however. will not be
known until after the conclusion of
the coroner's inquest. There are so
many statements at present and they
differ so widely that it is impossible
to ascertain the exact truth of the
matter.
Although the Iroquois Theatre was
undoubtedly the safest theatre in Chi
cago, it became evident today that the
city building department had not
strictly enforced one or two sections
of the building ordinances.
ONE OF THE MARVELLOUS
ESCAPES
was that made by the members of a