The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-01-07
1000 KILLED OR INJURED.
The New Years Bells Were ST
lent That Night in Chicago.
Everybody in Deepest Gloom.
Investigations on Theatre Made

persisted by fire in the Iroquois Thea
tire this afternoon. The fire began to
snuff out the human lives about 3. 30 |
O'Clock, while a matinee performance
of Mr.. Bluebeard' was being
played In the midst of the soothing
strains of the Moonlight Song an
electric spark from a broken wire shot
into the flies and an explosion fol-
lowed Then panic ensued From
that time on until the flames filled
the place the death crush continued
A mass Of humanity was jammed into
the balcony stairway, surrounded by
smoke and flames. The mass soon set
tied back into death pose, and there
they were found by fremen. Trucks,
express wagons and patrol wagons
were all in use carrying away the
bodies The asbestos curtain in the
theatre would not work, and the
flames swept at once to the pit and
adjoining walls All the exits were
soon choked by frantic women and
children, and those on the inside, ter
ror stricken ct the advancing flames
and smoke, were unable to move either
way. Late in the afternoon children
were taken from the ruins. some
burned to a crisp and Others trampled
beyond recognition Women by the
score we found in tangled and
scorched mass near the stairway
The scenes around the theater was
heaItTending. Big strong men,
sphinxes III business life, ran around
among the bodies, weeping and moan
ing, seeking their kin
The people Of the Blue Beard Com
pany all escaped in safety. Eddie
Foy." the comedian, stepped to the
front Of the stage and asked the peo-
pl to go quietly out but the terrible
import of his words was uncompre-
, hepded He then shouted COM
mand to draw the asbestos curtain and
it is thought if that had not failed TO
work much of the terrible occurrence
might have been saved.
Great loss of lite was prevented and
many lives were saved by the heroic
rescue work of the Students faculty,
janitors and workmen in the North
eastern University building
Chicago, Jan. LIN silence ant
gloom the old year was allowed tt
V. take its departure into history las
night in Chicago and the spirit witt
,, which the new one was greeted wal
cast down with sadness. In an officia
proclamation Mayor Carter H. Harri
!, son made the suggestion that the usua
New Years celebration be for thi
time omitted and the idea fonud
ready response in the hearts of thu
. people saddened by the horrible dis
aster. Business was performed yes
terday with the sole view to Lecess
ity. Ordinarily, on New Years eve
the streets of the city ale filled will
merry makers, but last night the onl,
throngs to be found were those arounC
the morgues. Ordinarily numbers o
d fashionable restaurants in the heart o
a the city are filled with light hearted
: jewellers. who toast the year that pass
a es and hail the year that comes Las
night these places were comparativel,
n deserted and some of them closed en-
/. tirely with doors locked and curtain
6 drawn. Usually among these gay PEG
: pie are found many members of tn
a theatri cal profession; last night no
d single one Of them was in evidence
It For the second time in her life tn
Q city of Chicago has been stricken T.
N the heart. Not only have manv of he
g sons and daughters met death in
d variety of horrible and torturin,
forms, but the blow has fallen almos
}. as heavily upon the strangers within
k her gates. There is hardly village o
y town within a radius of 100 miles o
Chicago whose people are not dilectl
:. or indirectly interested in the piles o
dead or in the injured which fill tn
hospitals, or in the fate of those VIII
, seem to have passed from humal
- knowledge because no trace of then
% can be found. The list of dead to
!. night continues as it was given las
! night in the neighborhood of 800. l
=. is generally accepted at this time tina
the most accurate estimate is 564. Thi
number will be increased somewhat a
:, there are people in the hospitals W IA
,f cannot survive for any length of time
- 1t is believed, however, that the tota
| H., q 4
:. exceed $40. Including the missing
- is estimated that the total number O
casualties at the present time is ap
proximately 1000.
- Although the Iroquois Theatre wa
a undoubtedly the safest theatre in Chi
t cago, it became evident yesterday tina