Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-01-07

lHelT HeauS, L ne TWO linuSdidtSlI
hurried to the door below and inform,
ed Fire Chief Musham that dead bodies
we're piled high in the balcony and
prompt assistance must be rendered
If any were to be saved. The work of
fighting the fire was abandoned and
the firemen went at once to the rescue,
The place was in entire darkness, but
soon 200 lanterns were carried into the
building and the work of rescue com.
AS AFTER GREAT BATTLE.
For over an hour two streams OF
men passed in and out, returning to
get more bodies. Although all the
patrol wagons and every ambulance
owned by the city was pressed into the
service they were inadequate to carry
away the dead. Corpses were piled in
a line so feet long and two and three
high on the sidewalk and scores were
placed in neighboring restaurant.
1t was found necessary to use trucks
to convey the bodies to the morgues
and the dead were hauled away like
so much cordwood, The big stores
sent wagonloads of blankets, rolls OF
linen and packages of cotton to bind
up the wounds of the injured and GOV,
err the dead. Drug stores furnished
their stock to any one asking for 1t in
the name of the injured, and scores Of
doctors and trained nurses were on the
ground giving assistance.
HEAVY TRUCK STALLED.
One truck ordinarily used for con
veying freight to the depots was so
heavily loaded with dead that the
horses were unable to start the load
and the police We're compelled to as.
sist by Juggling at the wheels.
BISHOP IN RESCUE WORK.
Bishop Samuel r. Fallows was
passing the theater at the time of the
fire and Immediately entered the the
alter and assisted in carrying out the
victims
WORSE THAN BATTLEFIELD.
Afterward he said he had been on
his experience he had never seen
anything half so gruesome as this
sight, when with the aid of lantern
he entered the balcony.
There was pile of bleeding bod.
les ten feet high, with blackened
faces and remnants of charred cloth
ing clinging to them" he said. "Some
were alive and moaning in their
agony. Others, and, oh, by far the
greater number were dead"
MiLLloNAIRE'S TERROR.
Alexander III. Reyell, who had sent
his daughter and little friend to the
theater in charge Of a maid, heard OF
the disaster while at his store. He
drove madly to the theater and by the
greatest good fortune encountered
the hysterical maid who informed
him that the children were safe. He
then entered the theater and assisted
in the work Of rescue. Recountine
q
The sigh Of those poor women
and their little children with clench
ed fists raised as though trying to
beat their way to safety, and stricken
down in the very act, Is too horrible
to attempt to describe"
FIGHT WAY TO LOVED ONES.
Sheriff Barrett, who with a score OF
deputies assisted in the rescue work
said there were heaps of mangled
and charreC humanity on all sides
and that they carried out so many
dead that they were unable to keer
count Such dreadful sight,
hope never will be called TO witness
again Crazed men fought TO get
within the building, thinking to find
their loved ones among the pile OF
corpses that filed every available
foot of space. Strong men with fear
blinded eyes stood on the sidewalk
and called loudly the names of their
loved ones as though there were a
chance Of being heard"
MAD FIGHT FOR LIFE.
Others lay with their arms stretched
out in the direction toward which
lay life and safety, holding in their
hands fragments Of garments not their
own. They were evidently torn from
the clothing Of others whom they had
endeavored to pull down and trample
under foot as they fought for their
own lives
INExTRlcABLE MASS.
AS the police removed layer after
layer of the dead In these doorways
the sight became too much even for
the police and firemen, hardened as
they are to such scenes, TO endure.
The bodies were in such an inextric.
able mass; and so tightly damned be.
tween the sides Of the door and walls
that 1t was impossible to lift them one
by one and carry them out The only
possible thing to do was to seize a
body and pull II with main strength.
AuEIu GENE nE pEcCIIE