The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1904-01-06
THE CLEARINGHOUSE.
Graphic Account Of the Origin and
Result Of the Fire.

Chicago, Dec. 3O.-The accounts of
the origin of the fire Ire conflicting
and none of them certain, but the
best reason given is that an electric
wire lear the lower part of q piece of
scenery suddenly broke and was
grounded. The fire spread rapidly
toward the front of the stage, causing
the members of the chorus, who were
then engaged in the performance, to
fee to the wings with screams of terror.
The fire in itself up to this time was
not serious, and possibly could have
been checked had not the asbestos
curtain failed to work. AS soon as
the fire was discovered, Eddie Foy,
the chief comedian of the company,
shouted to lower the curtain, and this
was Immediately done. 1t descended
about halfway and then stuck. The
fire was thus given practically y flue
through which . strong draft was
setting, aided by the doors, which had
been thrown open in the front of the
theatre. With . roar and q bound
the flames shot through the opening
over the heads of the people on the
first floor, and reaching clear up to
those in the first balcony, caught them.
and
BURNED THEM TO DEATH,
WHERE THEY SAT.
immediately following the rush of
the flames there came an explosion
which lifted the tntue roof of the
theatre from It's walls, ~shattering the
great skyliEht into fragments. As
soon - the flames first appeared by
the curtain . man in the rear of the
hail shouted ''Fire!"' ''Fire!:" and the
entire audience rose Is one person
and made for the doors. It il believed
that the explosion was caused by the
flames coming IN contact with the gas
reservoirs Of the theatre, causing
them 70 burst. Will Davis, Manager
of the theatre, said, after the catas-
trophe, that II the people had remained
In their seats and had not been. ex.
cited by the cries of fire, moi . single
life would have been lost. This is,
however contrsdicted by the state
ments Of the Aremen, who found
numbers Of people sitting in their
seats, their faces directed toward the
stage - It the performance was still
0Oin0 on. ft,.s t:t., -,
Il was the opinion Of the iremen
that these people had been suff0csted
ct once by the dow Of gas which came
e~O~~ hAkSAsA AhM oAo~Non~~<>
AS near - can. be. estimated 1t the
present time, shout
!. 1850 PEOPLE WERE IN THE
~ THEATRE.
|, ! Three hundred Of these were on the
first floor, the balance being in the
upper balconies and In the Railways
back Of them.
A lev. Of these people were burned
to death by fire, many we're sulYOcated
by 'k1s, and scores were trampled to
death In the panic that followed the
mad plunge OF the frightened audience
for the exits. It will be several days
before ill Of the. dead are known and
identified. There are bodies lying by
rooms, In the police stations, and in
saH0 A.HoEtAsossS . ArOA1 WHICH, .uoCSIy
everything thst could reveal their
identity to those who knew them best
IL gone ! Thesr sclQthingt Is torn TO
rags or burned 10 cinders, and. their
faces have .sbaen trsmpled into IN
unrec0Hpisable pulp by the heels Of
ths sr8H3 TIT tseppled them DOWN -
THE FIRE BRoKE our
during III .seoond 81 Of The play