The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1904-01-08
BLAZE STARTS AMONG SCENERY.
Morgues Filled to Overlooking
With Bodies of Victims.
ALL EFFORTS AT RESCUE VAIN.
Doorways and Aisles Clicked With
Dead, Preventing Entrance.

FIRE CURTAIN FAILS TO WORK.
Frenzied Victims Imprisoned In the
observation-disclosures and Children
TranpIed to Observation-Disclosures
Occurs at Performance of "Mr.
BIuebeard."
Chicago, Dec. 31.-About $50 people
were killed in ten minutes yesterday
afternoon in a fire in the Irouuois
theater, the newest, the largest, and,
as far as human power could make it,
the safest theater in Chicago. Esti-
mates Of the dead and injured vary.
The police count of dead is 536. The
estimates of the newspapers is $50.
Besides this, there are ffty-fve people
Uissing, the majority of whom are
probably among the dead in the
morgue and various undertaking estab-
hiBhments. Eighty-six of the dead
have been positively identified and
n~inety-two others are known to be
injured.
A few Of the people were burned to
death by fire, many were suffocated by
gas and scores were trampled to death
In the panic that followed the mad
plunge of the frightened audience for
the exits.
It will be many days before all Of
the dead will be identified. There are
bodies lying by the dozens in the I'M
dertaking rooms, in the police station
and in the hospitals from which
nearly everything that could reveal
their identity to those who knew them
best is gone. Their clothing is torn
to rags or burned to cinders and their
faces have been mashed into an un-
recognizable pulp by the heels Of the
crowd that trampled them down as
they fed for safety.
Partial List of Dead.
The following is a partial list of
the dead: .
Hortence Lang, Miss Abbie Ray
mer, 3. A. Wilson. Mrs. W. T. Marsh,
Miss Gladys Streiton, Louise Bushnell,
Mrs. A. Lake, Miss A. Donaldson, Will
lam Ratley, ]. G. Johnson, w. M. Reed,
Thomas Flanagan, Mrs. H. A. Henry
Rose Kreigers, H. P. Moore, G.. l..
Croper, May Curran, H. A. Williams,
b. Regenberg, Ella Linden, Mrs. Cav
anaugh, Louise Buchanan, Marie
Walsh, Mrs. James D. Maloney, Miss
Spencer, Ethel Jones, Mrs. King, Lii
Ian Phillipson, Mrs. Foreman, Walter
B. Eisler, Mrs. Emma Brinckly, Hoyt
Fox, Richard and Allen Hoist, Harold
Martin, John Holland, Lulu Shabbard,
Charles H. Kohl, Mrs. Dawson, Rob-
ert Martin, John Van Ingen, Walter
Besinger, Margaret Buerman, Mrs.
Leo Wolff, Alice Kausman, Helen
Howard, Helen Cooper, B. E. Gould,
Fred Sawyer, ]. Graham, Will McGary,
Leander Deffendorfer, Paul Windes,
Mrs. Morton Fox, Annie Moak, Walter
Phacker, James McClelland, Annie
McChrystie, Mortimer Eldridge, Hell
en- Beyersloth, Rev. Henry L. Richard
son, Louis Kisner and wife, Lester
Daty. Walter D. Walter D. Austrian.
Gertrude ~Falkenstein, Mrs. w. T.
Boise, Mrs. William Dawson, William
Dawson, William Buertel, Mary D.
Gartz, Louise Buschwah, Leigh Hol-
land, Pauline Geary, G. Sidney Fox,
Mrs. G. D. Bartlett, Mrs. John A.
Danek, Hannah Wemfeld, Miss Bolte,
Hoyt Fox, Mrs. L. r. Butler, S. Word
man, E. w. Morton, ]. A. Kokems, ].
G. Stern, H. S. Donelson, Rev. J.. How
ard Studley, Miss j.. H. Dodd.
eiorrifying Details Of Awful Disaster.
The fire broke out during the sec
ond act Of the play "Mr. Blue Beard, .
which was the first dramatic produc-
ton produced in the theater since its
erection. The company, which was a
very largo one, escaped to the street
In safety, nearly all Of them, however,
being compelled to fee with no cloth.
ing but their stage costumes.
The accounts of the origin Of the
IRE are conflicting, and none of them
certain, but the best reason given is
that an electric wire near the lower
part OF a piece Of drop, scenery sud
denly broke and was grounded. The
Are spread rapidly toward the front
OF the stage. causing the members OF
Shs chorus. who were then engaged in
The performance, to fee to the wings
with cream of terror. The fire in
1tself up to this time was not serious.
and possibly could have been checked
had not the asbestos curtain failed tc
Ygagk. AS oon as the fire -Waa-discor.