Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-02
Complainant Hulls Statement.

prosecute the case. His entire family was
wiped out in the fire.
Complainant Hulps Statement.
The complainant Mr.. Hull. said
My wife and my children. all ever had
to live for. gone. All that remains Is
for me TO try to make some one pay for this
csrelessness.
"A few carpenters and stage hands have
been arrested. Men who sang in the
chorus are in Jail. Such an investigation is
cruel mockery. The men who are respon-
sible are allowed to walk the streets I'M
touched while a few laborers are punished
This has been the greatest calamity In
the cttys history, and the authorities must
understand that those who have suffered
will not wait for them to daily along. There
must be no politics or favoritism in this
investigation"
Warrants Served Over Telephone.
The lateness of the hour at which the
warrants were completed. nearly midnight,
caused the compliments attorney and Jus
tice Underwood to decide that 1t would be
sufficient for detectives to serve the war
rants over the telephone.
Mrs. Powers answered to the telephone
cab al her husbands home in Grand boule-
ward Detective James w. Cody requested
her to tell Mr. Powers to hurry to Justice
Underwood's residence. Mrs. Powers i'm
mediately became hysterical.
oh he couldn't help that terrible acci-
dent, Sne walled over ln0 t6lepnOne. Our
own little boy was there. and he wouldn' t
have been there II We had not thought the
theater SAT- e..
She was queted and promised to inform
both Mr.. Powers and Mr.. Davis. who were
at the Powers Theater, of the summary &C.
tlon which had been taken against them.
Detective Cody assured her that If they
came to the house the confusion of arrest
ing them at their homes would be avoided.
Building Inspector to Face Charges.
city Building Inspector Williams was
reached at his home in Rhodes avenue.
It's no surprise to me, but don't worry
about me leaving town to dodge the conse-
quences," he announced briskly. Cant 1
arrange to appear and give bonds some
time tomorrow"
To bring Inspector Williams to the resi-
dence South Park boulevard would have
compelled the Justice to remain up until
early morning A continuation was there
fore agreed to.
Thirty Bodies Yet Unidentified.
The total number OF corpses recovered
from the Iroquois Theater fire stands today
at SO. compared with $50 yesterday.
OF these twenty-five remain unidentified.
1t developed today that a mistake in the
figures at Ralston's morgue had been made.
and the corrected total added nine to the
list of unidentified dead.
Clarence J. Thompson, Miss Gertrude
Fitzpatrick Harry Ludwig. Mrs. Lula
Gruenwald and Nancy Hanson the last
today. Nancy Hanson was identified by
her uncle. J. II. Ellis of Grand Rapids,
Mich,
Will Close Theater for Examination.
The proprietors of the Grand Opera
House have notified Mayor Harrison that
they will close their theater after to-night's
performance pending a thorough examina-
ton on the part of the city hall officials
They take the ground that while their play
house is practically without defect, yet the
public mind Is so wrought up that nothing
will reassure theater patrons except a conf
ete official inquiry.
II has been the custom at the Grand
they say. for trusted employe to make
lie rounds of the various exits once during
every performance in order to see that every
exit is unlocked and easily opened. A
second man is sent around ten minutes later
to check-up on the first mans work.
In their letter to the mayor they say they
place themselves unreservedly in the
h"nds of the city government"
More Than 1000 in Audience.
The theater has a sworn capacity, ac
cording to it's treasurer, Edward Noonan,
of 1.6o2 seats. 1t had an admitted actual
oapacity-everywhere except at the city
hall-of upward of Zoo seats. Wednesday
afternoon more than 1900 spectators were
inside the house
The custodian of the upper gallery re-
ported that about 440 persons were in the
gallery. This number meant that between
as and loo persons were standing up. APP
parently the proportion held for other
parts of the theater.
The culpabilfty of the city appears be-
cause all these violations were permitted
by deputy building inspectors assigned to
see that the ordinances were obeyeG. Here
are the ordinances:
No person shall be permitted to stand in
aisles or passageways during any perform
Emergency exits shall be kept free from
distractions of all kinds, including snow.
The main curtain opening shall have an
iron or asbestos curtain.
There shall be above the stage flue pipe
area in diameter.
Automatic sprinklers shall be maintained
above and below the stage and in dressing
and paint rooms.
Fire apparatus of specified kind shall be
kept at certain points above the stage.
Fire-alarm Geographic calls shall be
maintained in the building at such places
AS the fire marshal shall direct.
The license for each building of this
character shall state the number OF per-
sons il has accommodations for.
No more than the number stated In the
license shall be allowed in the building
during performance at any one time
All buildings must face on three open
spaces: one at least must be a public street
Alderman William Mayer one of the prac-
teal builders accompanying the mayor.
found that the law had been violated In
that the top gallery had no stairway of its
own leading directly TO the street. He as
serted that the theater never should have
been allowed TO open in the face of this
viola tion OF the law.
Robert Craig Mclean. editor of the Inland
Architect. also inspected the ruins. He
said.
After careful investigation ] am con-
WINGED that the theater was not equipped
with curtain such is demanded by the
city ordinances
No Sign of ASBESTOS.
81 visited the damaged theater but there
was no sign of an asbestos curtain. Fire
will not destroy asbestos. and if there was
curtain there when the holocaust occurred
II had been removed, and an investigation
should he made to learn what became of 1t.
II no curtain had been removed. as is
claimed | cannot understand how the claim
can be set up that the theater had fire
curtain. No one denies chat there was a
curtain there. but had 1t been made of as
bestos. as required by the ordinance. IL
would not have been destroyed by the
draught OF air, as Is claimed by the man.