Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-01-06

Chicago, Dec. 31.-Fire broke out in
the lroquois theater, on Randolph
street between Dearborn and State
streets, about $3.50 p. m. The theater
was packed to the doors with an audi
ence gathered to witness matinee per-
Torrance of the extravaganza mr..
Bluebeard, Jr." The flames spread rapid
ly through the auditorium, and panic
and stampede ensued. The loss of life
is appalling, latest estimates placing the
number of dead at 81, while $50
others were injured. Many of the vic
tins were burned to death, but the ma
jority lost their lives through suffoca-
ton or being trampled upon. Every
hospital and morgue in the city is filled
with victims. The work of Identified
ton is proceeding very slowly, and it is
impossible at this time to give any
thing like correct list of the dead, in
jured or missing. The hospitals and
morgues are besieged by hundreds OF
| agonized men and women whose rela-
tlves were known to have attended the
performance, but of whom nothing has
since been heard. 1t is the most ap-
palling catastrophe in point of loss OF
life which has ever been visited upon
this city.
May Never BE Identified.
Scores of the dead will never be iden-
| titled. Hundreds of bodies were taken
from the building. their clothing gone,
their faces charred beyond recognition.
Under pretense of serving as rescuers
ghouls gained entrance to the theater
and robbed dead and dying in the midst
Of the fire.
Origin Of the Fire.
The fire started from sparks from the
eight electric arc lights which hung in the
first entrance back of the proscenuium
arch, behind the grand drapery on the
south side of the stage. The large arc
lamps we're used to throw spot lights
on the performers in the dark scenes
There were 100 drop scenes hung in the
flies Of the theater and a spark ignited
one OF the draperies hanging from the
top OF the stage near the proscenium, 1t
burned nearly minute before it was dis
covered by one of the men in the flies
who gave the alarm. Stage Manager
Carlson ordered the drapery lowered. but
the men in charge of the fly gallery were
excited and instead of lowering it pulled
II up, and in an instant all the hanging
drops were ablaze. A moment later
there was an explosion of several calcium
tanks which lighted the theater like q
photographers flash light powder and
the flames spread to the auditorium
The fly men barely had time to climb
down the ladder leading to the upper
portion of the stage and escape before
the entire scenery was blazing. Nearly
all the company were in their DRESSING
rooms at the time, and when the alarm
was given they rushed madly into the
street through the stage exits, their
faces covered with makeup and wearing
their stage costumes.
Fire Curtain Fails to Act.
Crossed wires on ''spot light" coming
in contact with canvas "border"At the
right of the stage are said to have caused
the fire. Ten minutes after the border
! lgnited the acres Of canvas scenery in
the rear of the stage were ablaze. The
asbestos fire curtain caught in tangle
Of ropes and could not be lowered. An
instant later the entire theater from
foyer to stage was sea of flame. Had
the asbestos fire curtain acted properly
the fire would have been shut off from
the theater proper and the persons in the
theater could have escaped with little
difficulty.
Loss Heaviest In Balconies,
All but three persons on the main
floor escaped with their lives. OF the 9OC
persons seated in the first and second
balconies few if any escaped without
serious injury. The majority of those es.
Gaping did so by jumping from the
balconies onto the heads of the crowds
surging from the main floor of the
theater. The fight of the men and wo-
men to get through the balcony exits
was their undoing. They damned the
doors so tight that none of them could
get out.
Piled In Solid Mass.
Piled in the aisles of the balconies in q
solid mass, four feet high, they were
found. They had either been burtned to
death or suffocated. The few taken
from the theater and resuscitated were
on the bottom of the piles where fire
and smoke could not reach them.
Awful Scenes.
So f1ercely the fire burned during the
short time which hundreds of lives
were sacrificed that the velvet cushions
OF the balcony seats were burned bare
The crowds fought so in their efforts
to escape that they tore away the iron
ratings OF the balconies, leaping upon
the people below.
From $3.50 o'clock, when the alarm
was sent in, to 1880 o'clock, when the
doors of the Quilted theater were closed
the charred, torn and blistered bodies
were carried from the building at the
rate Of four minute. Many blankets