Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-01-06
TWODECORAHIANS PERISH
IN THE GREAT CHICAGO THEATRE FIRE
Miss Belle Christopher and Wilma Porter
Lose Their Lives in the lroquois Theatre
Fire. Mrs. W. F. Coleman Severely
Injured. While Mrs. E. p. Barry Es.
capped With Little Injury.

a person in the United States who
has not by this time learned of the
awful fire in the Iroquois theatre in
Chicago last Wednesday afternoon,
which resulted in the loss of 588 lives,
and the injury of great many per-
ons. The general details of the
tragedy are too we'll known to need
repetition, save to state that there
were about 2100 persons present in
this new playhouse, supposed to be
the safest in the United States. to wit
ness the matinee performance of "Mr.
Bluebeard," a spectacular production
of great magnitude. Fire supposing
to have st arted from an electric light
wire ignited the inflammable material
on the stage, and the effort to lower
the asbestos curtain and keep the fire
confined to the stage failed, the cur
tain being lowered only part way,
when the draft sucked the flames out
over the audience, suffocating many
in their seats. Hundreds were killed
in the crowds rushing to the exits,
where the bodies were piled several
feet in height. It appears thai many
Of the exists were closed, so that it
confined the crowds to those which
were open. Macy were killed by
falling from fire escapes, etc., but pro-
badly more met their death by being
trampled to death and suffocated than
by any other means. It was a catas-
trophe such as this country has never
seen, and cast pail of sorrow over
the whole world.
DEBORAH was not without it's own
grief in this great calamity. for two of
its citizens met death and two others
barely escaped with their lives. Mrs.
E. P. Barry, (formerly Miss Nellie
Landers of this citv,) and her daugh-
ter. Miss Wilma Porter, who has spont
much of her life here, lived in Chica-
60. The formers sister MRS. W. F.
Coleman, formerly Miss Winnie Lam
ders) and Miss Belle Christopher, who
had been visiting with the Landers
family here for perhaps forty years.
were visiting them during the holt
days. On this fatal afternoon the
four went to the Iroquois theatre to
see this performance. They were un-.
able to obtain seats together. so Mrs.
Berry and Miss Christopher sat on the
main floor, while Mrs. Coleman and
her niece Miss Wilma Porter sat in
the first balcony. When the FIRE
started Mrs. Barry and Miss Christie
pher made rush for the front en-
trance. Mrs. Barry succeeded in get
ting out without serious injury but
Miss Christopher was separated from
her and trampelled to death under the
mass of people that followed. She
was identified later at a morgue by
Mrs. Barry. badly burned about the
face and head, and the remains re-
moved to the home of Mr.. Barry.
Foi time after the alarm of fire
Mrs. Coleman aud Miss Wilma Porter
thought best to remain in their seats
in the first balcony. but the smoke
soon became SO dense that Mrs. Cole
man said to her companion that she
thought they had better 60, and TAX
ing Wilma by the hand, started for a
fire escape, succeeding in getting out
onto it. Wilma was pushed or knock
ed off the fire escape and fell to the
pavement below, striking upon her
head and forehead, the conclusion I'M
doubtedly causing her death. She was
found later at st. Luke's Hospital,
where she had been taken. Mrs. Cole
man started to climb down the fire
escape and when part way down was
struck by something falling, probably
a body, and remembers nothing more
until some time afterward, when she
regained consciousness in a nearby
saloon where she had been carried by
a couple of men and given Stimulants.
She told them the number of Mr..
Barry's house and they secured cab
and took her there, since which time
she has been recovering from her in
juries, which are not thought to be
permanent.
The funeral services for Miss Belle
and Miss Wilma Porter
we're held on Saturday Afternoon from
the home of Mr.. E. p. Barry in Chica-
90, and the remains were deposited in
a vault in that city, where they will
be kept until Mrs. Coleman is able to
come to DEBORAH with them. which
will probably be the latter part of
this week, when the remains of Miss
Wilma Porter will be inferred beside
those of her father in Phelps GENE.
terry, and those Of Miss Christopher
will also be inferred here.
Miss Belle Christopher was past
sixty years of age. and for about forty
years has been living with the Landers
family. She was sister to Martin