The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-01-05

THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Berlin.
Mayor Harrison: Wish to express
deepest sympathy on account Of ter
rible catastrophe at Iroquois Theatre.
Please let me know of missing and
IL some OF my acQuaintances among
them. What a terrible beginning Of
the new year many good citizens OF
Chicago viii have.
(Signed)
HENRY OF PRUSSIA"
From z. s. Willard. the actor,
London. was received the following:
Deepest sympathy with citizens
mourning"
/. kilograms Of coincidence were also
received from Mayor Low. of New
York: Mayor Collins. of Boston, and
from dozens Of the chief executives
of cities between st. Louis and New
York.
In addition to his proclamation Is
sued during the afternoon suggest
ing that the usual new years fes-
tivities be abandoned, Mayor Harri-
son tonight made the announcement
that all departments of the city hall
will be closed on Saturday, January
End, On account of the calamity at
the Iroquois theatre. He made the
request hat all business houses
throughout the city also close on
that day.
On every train which arrived in
Chicago during the morning came
the relatives Of persons who were
thought to have been killed or in
jured in the fire. The Hobbies OF
the down town hotels were scenes
Of many happy meetings, as we'll as
anxious inquiries on the part of faith
ers, mothers n more distant rela-
tives of people Of whom no trace
pie returned to the hotels late in
the evening after either a fruitless
search for their loved ones, or after
finding a charred n disf1gured
body lying in the morgue-all that
remained of the relatives or friends
for whom they had searched.
Strikers Declare a Truce.
Possibly nothing could better
typify the breath Of the sympathy
which is felt for those who suffered
directly by the calamity than the &C
ton Of the striking livery drivers.
By a vote which was without a
dissenting voice, it was decided to
establish a truce of ten days. Presi-
lent Albert Young, Of the union,
following the meeting, issued the
following decree which was distrib-
uted broadcast:
Owing to the great disaster to
the public caused by the fire at the
Iroquois Theatre, I do hereby de-
:, clare a truce in the p esent strike Of
undertakes and livery drivers for
ten days, and do further request that
every man now on strike report at
once to their respective places Of
employment, and do everything in
his power to assist his employer in
caring for the wants Of the public.
! Wages are to have no consideration.
! (Signed) ALBERT YOUNG"
; In their turn the employers issued
a call to their striking employees to
return to work, irrespective Of any
previous affiliations with any and all
organizations" and promising to
protect them in all contingencies
which may arise in the future.
A Virginia Girl Escapes.
One Of the most thrilling escapes
was that of Miss Mile Overlook, Of
Virginia, a young girl who was visit
ing friends in the city. Miss Over
looks companion Remington Thomas
made an heroic effort to escape with
her, but after carrying her to the
door where he placed her on her
feet, the two became separated and
Thomas is among the missing.
From early in the morning until
late at night, crowds besieged the
uIlutTldhlHS TOOInS anu hospitals
looking for the dead and injured.
Policemen were detailed at all places
where the dead and injured had
been carried to restrain the anxious
men and women who pressed in at
h doorways and inquired for their
lost friends and relatives.
In all the undertaking rooms the
bodies were placed as far as possible
upon cots and when these were ex-
hausted, stetched in long lines upon
the floors n a constant succession
Of pale faced men and fearful wo-
men passed slowly between the
bodies, lifting the covering from the
charred and bruised faces, and
searching In the clothing Of the dead
for something by which their lost
ones could be recognized. In many
instances many women tainted when
lifting the sheet from some faces in
which they recognized the features
of a dead child or a beautiful young
girl. The scenes that were enacted
round the bodies Of the little chill
dren were pathetic in the extreme.
While the crowds of anxious seek
ers for news besieged the different
morgues, the telegraph and long dis
lance telephone Offices were almost
swamped with the flood Of inquiring
messages. Messenger boys from the
leIesrdpn or1ceS or the postal n
Western Union, carrying great bum
dies of messages and tonight the
terrific rush of business was still on.
Private wires of stock exchange and
board of trade houses were likewise
loaded down with inquiries and an
SwerS.
Six bushel baskets of valuabies and
trinkets of various descriptions were
gathered by the police n fremen
lane turned over to the coroner.
Among these were fully a dozen
watches, and in every instance the
watches had stopped at $50 o'clock,
the time when the fire broke ont.
House Was Too Crowded.
There have been numerous re-
ports, unauthenticated, however, that
the aisles and Eew in the
rear Of the theatre were blocked by
y nraMd Of noanlo L.