Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-01-07
WALTERS SAVE LIVES,

WATERS SAVE LIVES,
Walters and cooks from Thomp.
sons restaurant adjoining the theater,
rescued Is people by raising a ladder
from the roof of shed to a window
in the rear of the building, around
which a mass OF screaming women
and children were eongregated,
STORY OF HORROR,
Miss Charlotte Il, Plamondon, who
was present with a party OF guests,
tells a graphic story of the scene fol-
lowing \ We breaking out OF the fire,
She noti& the fire creeping along the
top of the drop curtain and called the
attention Of her party to It. They all
watched It. Miss Plamondon said
she could see children in the orches.
ira circle pointing upwards toward
the slowly moving flames. A stage
hand appeared and advised the audi,
ence that there was no danger, Eddie
Eoy did the same,
The curtain however st!n burned"
said Miss Plamondon. pieces OF
smouldering cloth fell into the orches,
ira pit An effort was made by the
stage hands to arrange the curtain so
that the blazing fragments would not
drop into the pit, looked over tho
faces Of the audience and remarked
how many children were present, |
could see their faces filed with inter.
est and their eyes wide open as they
watched the burning curtain"
People In tho balcony rose to OBJ
tain q better view Of the fire. A wo.
man in the rear of the place screamed
fire and the entire audience rose TO
their feet filled with terror, In an.
other instant there was confusion by a
thousand people, as they rushed mad.
| iy from the impending danger. The
chorus girls on the stage, who hal OK
hibited admirable presence of mind,
turned to flee. but several were over.
come and fell to the stage and were
carried OF by tho stage hands. The
upholstering on the box occupied by n
party was then ON fire, fragments
falling ON the clothing of the ladies'.
Then there came great roar,
and a great draft of air,
flames shot out over the
parquette of the theater until Il
seemed to me as though they must
reach the very front walls of the build.
ing, There were but few men In
the audience but saw several OF them
pulling and pushing women and chill
dren aside as they fought like maniacs
to reach the exits, ! saw number
of little children trampled under foot
and none OF them rose again. In the
balcony the scene was beyond my
power to describe"
Miss Plamondon says many about
her fell as they reached the doors
where few steps more would have
carried them to fresh air and safety.
AS look at It now" abe said. q
must have been walking on PROSTATE
bodies as struggled through the open
ing" All her party escaped without
injury.
Many other stories of the terrifying
scenes are told by survivors A littl,
boy escaping with his mother wal
seized by the head by man who at
tempted to throw the child from hi
path, The boys scalp was practical
ly torn from his head,
ON THE STAGE.
Jonn IL. Farrell, the stage electric
IAN saw the Are when II was tin,
tongue of fame running up the can
vas border Of the curtain. He climb
ed ladder and attempted to extln
gulsh the blaze with his hand, bu
was badly burned He dashed hi
. hand at the Are, the falling fluid near
! ly binding him. Some actors AM
actresses attempted to leap into Thu
orchestra pit where they probabl!
J would have met death. They wer'
7 driven back by Stage Manager Cum
7 Minis, who stood in front and threat
, ened to kill any one who attempted &
pass him, They shrank back and al
escaped by the rear door.
/, Fifty supornumerarles were pen
: ned between the stage and cut oil
!, from all exits. They were rescued b.
! being hauled through coal mole.
. VIII J. Davis, one OF the proprietor
4 of the Iroquois collapsed last nigh
/. under the worry and distress occt
stoned by the catastrophe.
!. pEAp-RoeeERs ARRESTED.
Two men we're arrested In Tn
3 theater while the dead and inJure
) we're being carried out. They ha
=. baskets and were filling them with th
! property of the dead. Over n doze
men. accused Of being thieves 0
pickpockets, we're arrested las
night.
STRIKERS REFUSE AID.
, w. d. Moore, a liverystable propr
etor. responding to request that car
riages be sent for the relief Of tn
sufferers, agreed to give his carriage
for the work. He later stated tina
he had telephcned TO the headquarter