The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-01-04
funerals of the Victims of the
ThedterFire Numbered Two
Hundred Saturday
INVESTIGATION UNDER WAY
Many Arrests Have Been Made
of People Who May Be Held
Responsible

Chicago, Jan. 3.-Beneath a gloomy
sky, In oppressive silence, and an at
mespheFe which seems emfniously la
den with death. Chicago was yesters
day a veritable city of mourning.
Whole streets which are usually reson-
ant with the clang of eommeficialism.
whose pavements are wont to be
thronged with merrymakers, whose
lofty buildings are accustomed to the
cheers of throbbing activity. are so
silent that the rattle or the funeral
trappngs bears with 1t a sharp ana
sudden shock. Funeral after funera;
passes until the grim buildings them
selves seem as forming an alley-like
guardway to a vast gate of death
payements either deserted or habitsd
only by those who stand in an expires
sion of hopeless, oppressive, pathetic
grief. have changed the scene to one
of funeral sofemnity, OF universal woe.
No sound of ringing sleigh bells. no
shout of mirth. no glad exchange OF
holiday greeting; naught but silence
awful in desolation or broken by
means of despair.
The street gamln has forgotten ~
this environment Of gloom to call his
wares. cable cars give no tongue t.
gong and the very bells of death toll
with monotonous regularity.
Almost city of the dead, Chicago
Is Today In the bIackest and most pro-
found grief. Nor can its vital hear,
throb be more plainly tod than in the
words most frequently heard, pc. haps
from one who lost neither kin nos
friend. My God. the little children.
For In this mournful retinue, this
seemingly endless procession devoid OF
even that customary pageantry of
death, almost all those silent passen-
gers are encased in small. even diminu-
tive coffins. telling again but too plain
ly of that piteously futile struggle
made by little hands and feet for life
only life and mercy; eicy from the
fear-maddened throng that crushed
them meath cruel feet like cast-off
blossoms or dying flowers. P.obabiy
IL is this which makes the cold blood
ed business man, the officer, familiar
with scenes of violent death, the care
outeast stand bound for the nonce In
one common tie. that of giief.
Yesterdays papers contained pages
of death lists. columns of burial no.
tIces Today's tell yet of more Yes
terday the faces of pedestrians bore
the dazed look OF the unrealizing. To-
day, with comprehension vivihed by
funeral panorama without precedent,
those same faces are scored and scar
ed with sorrows brand.
obedient to Mayor Harrison's proc
lamation that this be day OF mourn
ing, even those business houses, which
bear no crepe telling of death brought
home, have closed their doors That
maelstrom of market, the board of
trade, is silent.
But short time ago Chicago stood
at the stroke of noon for two full min
utes uncovered. traffic stopped and ST.
lence reigned while loved and mar
syred president was in distant city
lowered in the grave. Today at ike
time Chicago stood In winter winds,
-hatless, immovable and bowed for five
minutes while hundreds of its own
dead We're laid away. Mayor Harri-
sons proclamation to this effect was
not necessary to brng the tragedy
home. although it was issued yester-
day morning. For. as DIR. Hirsch said
In his address last night. Through the
walls OF one thousand homes in this,
our mourning city, sobs resound and
are echoed on the merciless wind that
scatters the voice of the befeavci
Throughout the world"
Two hundred funerals in one lay.
Vet there are a few places of mo
notorious activity-the :norgues Ibo-
cessions which are by this time COM
posed OF haggard men and fearless wo-
men keep up the weary round Of seai- h
following the instinct which time nor
civilization effaces that of lolglng 10
see ones own dead. The morgue
scenes no longer bear indivld lality. 1t
Is now a unfit nity If YAM Passing
of long rows Of s'i,l f, ,ni, =, ,nten only
pv short SOD, as Il rither lnothrr
sister, friend or brother reaches out
a trembling hand presaylns the pass
Ing of that white sheet whose SYMBOL
Ism Is Identified" f'hea the visit
of Deaths wagon and ol. more frner-
~ notice announced