The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-01-21
LROQUOIS THEA TIRE
DISASTER.
Personal Tale Of Thrilling Expert
Genes and Hair Breadth Escapes.

"All of which l saw and part of
which | was" said the Moor of his
tales of battle, and this circumstance
gave to Othello's story the quality
that captivated and thrilled. So, in
any great affair, the narrative OF a
participant, competent to observe and
graphically narrate, must oei weigh
the accounts of whole theatre full
OF general description by nom partici.
pating scribes OF such kind is the sub
joined story of the beginning, the prog
ress and awful elimination of the
Iroquis Theaore fire. with it's hec-
atombs of victims The author is a
member of the Chicago Glee Club
He was at home for the holidays.
The club is now in New England and
will sing at Wells River tonight. The
member in question was the guest of a
friend in Montpelier today, In re-
spouse to anxious inquiries for the de-
tails OF his experiences on that Hateful
afternoon he wrote out the story of
the Journal has been kindly furnished
with "A copy, part of W ich, most
interestig to the general public, is
here reproduced;
On two different occasions previous
to che fire | stood in line to get bal
cony tickets for Mr.. Bluebeard" I'M
til was tired OF waiting my turn at
the ticket window. Both times | left
to return and try again. The third
time paid double price Tor seats on
the floor, and it is owing to this fact,
am convinced, for was determined
that my sister and | should see the
play that afternoon) that L am alive
to tell of it.
1t was the afternoon Of December
30, Wednesday matinee. We had
thoroughly enjoyed the first act of a
very spectacular performance. With
hundreds Of people on the stage, in
striking costumes of every conceivable
color and form, stage setting that
made one think he was surely in fairy
land brilliant lights of every hue
constantly changing and shifting over
it all, it was enough to make one for
gee time and place and everything but
the old time tragedy that was being
pictured and played before him.
20 to
act, went out into the main entrance
and down the stairs into the hand
some, comfortable smoking rooms. 1
noticed as I went out what fine look
ing audience of Chicago's best filled
the beautiful theatre. Standing room
was at premium. During my walk
through the outer corridor-the long
passage way that connects the main
body of the theatre with the main
entrance-I saw that the two balco
MES and gallery were reached by two
winding stairways that rose from
either side and intercepted the main
corridor at a point about half way be-
tween the street entrance and the in
ner door which opens into the orches-
ira circle in which we were located.
had cause afterward to remember
those same beautiful winding stairs
A few feet beyond the stairway and
farther in, was rise of three steps
which we traversed in going in and
out the main entrance.
returned to my seat in time to
look over my program before the cur
tain rose on the second act, and re-
call how on every page in bold type
appeared these words; THIS THE
ATRE is ABSOLUTELY FIRE
PROOF. l didn't doubt it then,
but do now. The curtain rose on
the beautiful Moonlight Scene. -
The effect produced by the gorgeous
setting, with the soft green light over
all, the big full moon slowly rising
in the background, and the exquisite
music, is indescribable. 1t was fairy
land with real live fairies floating
through the air. Eight of Bluebeard's
soldiers had just formed on the right
and front of the stage and were sing
ing their war songs of long ago. Can
you imagine how little that happy
crowded house full of people was
prepared for what happened right
then?
l noticed directly above the head of
the soldiers who stood nearest the
edge of the stage that there seemed to
be all unnatural light, 1t was not
the kind of light for moonlight eff
fects. / spoke to my sister and told
her 1 was satisfied there was some.
thing on fire, but that we would sit
still, Then few sparks fell where
the audience could see them. 1t seems
that the heat from the calcium light
set fire to the fiimsy drsperies over
head, and that is what caused the
light first noticed. The chorus be-
gan to falter and look up toward the
light. The audience had not moved
yet, for the sparks were so small and