River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-01-07

Chicago, Dec. 31.-Fire broke out in
the Iroquois theater, IN Randolph
street between Dearborn and State
streets, about $3.50 p. m. The theater
was packed to the doors with an audi
9nce gathered to witness matinee per-
Torrance of the extravaganza "Mr.
Bluebeard, Jr." The flames spread rapid
ly through the auditorium, and panic
and stampede ensued. The loss of life
is appalling, latest estimates placing the
number of dead at 5S2, while $50
TINS were burned to death, but the ma
iority lost their lives through suffoca-
ton or being trampled upon. Every
hospital and morgue in the city is filled
with victims. The work of Identified
ton is proceeding very slowly, and it is
impossible at this time to give any
thing like correct list of the dead, in
jured or missing! The hospitals and
norgues are besieged by hundreds of
agOnized men and women whose rela-
tives were known to have attended the
performance, but of whom nothing has
since been heard. 1t is the most APP
palling catastrophe in point Of loss of
life which has ever been visited upon
this city.
Origin of the Fire.
The fire started from sparks from the
eight electric arclights which hung in the
first entrance back Of the proscenuium
arch, behind the grand drapery on the
south side of the stage. The large arc
lamps were used to throw spot lights
On the performers in the dark scenes.
There were 100 drop scenes hung in the
flies of the theater and a spark ignited
one of the draperies hanging from the
top Of the stage near the proscenium. 1t
burned nearly a minute before it was dis
covered by one of the men in the flies,
who gave the alarm. Stage Manage
Carlson ordered the drapery lowered, but
the men in charge of the fly gallery were
excited and instead of lowering it pulled
it up, and in an instant all the hanging
drops were ablaze. A moment later
there was an explosion of several calcium
tanks which lighted the theater like a
photographers flash light powder and
the flames spread to the auditorium.
The fly men barely had time to climb
down the ladder leading to the upper
portion of the stage and escape before
the entire scenery was blazing. Yearly
all the company were in their dressing
rooms at the time, and when the alarm
was given they rushed madly into the
street through the stage exits, their
faces covered with makeup and wearing
their stage costumes.
Fire Curtain Fails to Act.
Crossed wires on spot light coming
in contact with a canvas border" at the
right of the stage are said to have caused
the fire. Ten minutes after the border
tgnited the acres of canvas scenery in
the rear of the stage were ablaze. The |
asbestos fire curtain caught in a tangle |
of ropes and could not be lowered. An |
instant later the entire theater from
foyer to stage was a sea of flame. Had |
the asbestos fire curtain acted properly |
the fire would have been shut off from
the theater proper and the persons in the
theater could have escaped with little |
difficulty.
Loss Heaviest In Balconies.
All but three persons on the main |
floor escaped with their lives. Of the 800 |
persons seated in the first and second !
balconies few if any escaped without |
serious injury. The majority of those es-
Gaping did so by jumping from the |
balconies onto the heads of the crowds |
surging from the main floor of the
theater. The fight of the men and wo-
men to get through the balcony exits
was their undoing. They damned the |
doors so tight that none of them could
get out.
Piled in the aisles of the balconies in a
solid mass, four feet high, they were |
found. They had eth er been burned to |
death or suffocated. The few taken
from the theater and resuscitated were |
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