The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1904-01-08
Hundreds o. lives Lost in a
Fire at the Iroquois
in Chicago.
kany Suffocated by Gas and
Scores Trampled to Death
by the Frenzied Crowd.

Chicago, Dec. 31.-About $50 peO-
pie were killed in ten minutes yes
terday afternoon during a fire in the
lroquois theater, the newest, the larg-
est and, as far as human power could
make it, the safest theater in Chicago.
Estimates of the dead and injured
vary. The police count of dead is 536.
The estimate of the newspapers is $50.
Besides this there were SIS people miss
ing at midnight, the majority of whom
are probably among the dead in the
morgue and various undertaking es-
Establishments. Eighty-six of the dead
have been positively identified and
% others are known to be injured.
A few Of those people were burned to
death by fire, many were suffocated
death in the panic that followed the
mad plunge of the frightened audience
for the exits. 1t will be many days
before all of them will be identified.
There were bodies lying by the dozens
last night in the undertaking rooms,
in the police station and in the hospi-
tails, from which nearly everything
that could reveal their identity to those
who knew them best was gone. Their
clothing was torn to rags or burned
to cinders and their faces mashed into
an unacceptable pulp by the heels
Of the crowd that trampled them down
as they fled for safety.
How the Fire Originated.
The fire broke out during the Sec
ond act Of the play, "Mr. Bluebeard,"
which was the first dramatic produc-
ton produced in the theater since its
erection The company, which was
very large. escaped to the street in
safety, nearly all Of them, however,
being compelled to flee into the snowy
streets with no clothing but their stage
costumes. A few members of the COM
pany sustained minor injuries, but
none was seriously hurt.
The accounts of the origin Of the fire
are conflicting and none of them GER
tain, but the best reason given is that
an electric wire near the lower part
Of piece Of drop 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 flee 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 Ed
die Foy, the chief comedian of the
company. shouted to lower the cur
tain and this was Immediately done.
1t descended about half way and then
stuck. The fire thus was given prac-
tically f1ue through which a strong
draft was settling, aided by the doors
which had been thrown open in the
front Of the theater. With roar and
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 this
rush of flames there came an explosion
which lifted the entire roof of the
theater from its walls, shattering the
great skylight into fragments. AS
soon as the flames first appeared be-
yond the curtain a man in the rear Of
tu0 Qdll SuOutSu, dS tu0
entire audience rose as one person and
made for the doors. 1t is believed that
the explosion was caused by the flames
coming into contact with the gas reser-
voirs of the theater. causing them to
burst. Will ]. Davis, manager Of the
theater, said after the catastrophe that
II the people had remained in their
seats and had not been excited by the
cry of fire not single life would have
been lost This Is. however, contra
dicted by the statements of the fire.
men, who found numbers of people sit
ting in their seats. their faces direct
ed toward the stage as If the perform
ance was still going on. 1t is the opin-
lon G. the firemen that these persons
had been suffocated at once by the
flow of gas which came from behind
the asbestos curtain.
A sickenins Sight Inside the Building.
When the firemen entered the build
ing the dead were found stretched in q
pile reaching from the head Of the
stairway at least eight feet from the
door back to a point about five feet
in the rear of the door. This mass Of
dead bodies in the center of the door
reached to within two feet Of the
passage way. All Of the corpses at
this point were women and children
The fight for life. which must have
taken place at these two points Is
something that Is simply beyond hui
man power to adequately describe.
Only q faint idea Of its horror could