The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-01-01

trampled off by the heels of those who
rushed over them and in one aisle the
body of man was found with not a
vestige of clothing, flesh or bone re-
naming above his waist line. The en-
tire upper portion of his body had
been cut into mince heat and carried
away by the feet of those who tram
pied him; a search was carefully made
with hope of finding his head, but at
late hour last night it had not been
discovered and all that will ever tell
his friends who he was is the color
and appearance of the clothing on the
lower limbs, and this is in such con-
dition as to be hardly recognizable.
The theater has been constructed
but a short time and all its equipment
was not yet in place. This was un-
fortunately the case with fire escape
in the rear of the building. The small
iron balconies to which the iron lad
der was to be attached were up but the
ladder had not yet been constructed.
When the panic was at its height a
great number of women ran for these
fire escapes only to find as they
emerged from the doorway upon the
little iron platform, that they were
thirty to fifty feet from the ground, a
fire behind and no method of escape
In front.
Those who reached the platform
first endeavored to hold their footing
and to keep back the crowd that
pressed upon them from the rear. The
effort was utterly useless and in a few
moments the iron Lodges were damned
with crowds or women who screamed,
fought and tore at each other like
maniacs. This lasted but brief in
terval and the rush from the interior
Of the building became so violent that
many Of them were crowded Off and
fell to the granite-paved alley below.
LEAP FROM THE PLATFORM
TO INSTANT DEATH BELOW.
Others leaped from the platform, frac-
turing legs and arms, and two were
picked up at this point with fractured
skulls, having been killed instantly.
George H. Elliott, secretary of the
Ogden Gas company, was in build
ing directly opposite from the theater
across this alley, and noticing smoke,
went down to ascertain it's cause.
When he reached the street the wo-
men were already dropping into the
alley and Elliott Immediately rushed
for ladder in the effort to save as
many as possible No ladder was
available and the only method of as
sistance they were able to devise was
m h.1rr 1u 1oc CHI ,o1o y,ly To h0r
and throw them across to the offright-
ed women on the platforms, with in
structions to place the end firmly or
the iron framework. Before this could
be done a fearful loss of time ensued,
the women were being pushed every
instant into the alley and by the time
the bridge was constructed but few
remained to take advantage of it.
However, about two dozen made their
way across this narrow causeway.
The members of the theatrical COM
pany, being on the first floor, had
comparatively little difficulty in reach
ing the street.
Eddie Foy, comedian in the play,
was one of the last to escape, by get
ting out through a rear door after as
sisting the women members of. the
to safety. He went into the
Sherman House in his stage costume
in order to secure surgical attendance
for some burns which he had sus-
tanned.
DRAFT SWEPT FIRE AND GAS
UP INTO THE BALCONIES.
In describing the commencement of
the fire Mr.. Foy attributed the extent
of the catastrophe to the failure of
the fireproof curtain to work properly.
Because of this, he said, the flames
readily obtained access to the main
draft carrying with it gas as well as
fire. swept up to the two balconies
where the loss Of life was greatest.
'The fire began in the middle of the
second act" said Mr.. Foy. can elec-
trio wire broke, was grounded, and
from this the flames were started in
the rear Of the stage. The stage is
unusually wide and there was so great
q draft the flames spread rapidly.
They soon had attacked all the scenery
in the rear of the house. never be-
lieyed it possible for fire to spread so
quickly. When it first started l went
to the footlight and to prevent alarm
ing the audience, said that there was
a slight blaze, and that it would be
better for all to leave quietly. Then
stepped back and called for the as
bestos curtain to be lowered. This
when about half way down, refused to
go farther, and thus an additional
draft was created. This swept the
flames out into the auditorium and l
knew that the theater was doomed.
hurried back to the stage and aided
in getting the women members of the
company into the alley.
CURTAIN FAILING TO FALL
SAVED LIVES OF PLAYERS.
"The simple fact that the curtain
did not descend entirely was what
though it caused such a horrible
catastrophe in the front of the house
After the curtain had refused to de-
scend, there came the explosion Of
the gas tanks and with the curtain
down, all the fire and gas would have
been confined between the rear wall
of the theater and the fireproof cur
tain in front Under these cfrcum-
stances, it would not have been posi-
BILE for a single member of the COM
pany to escape alive unless In front
of the door leading into the alley. AS
it was, the draft carried all the gas
and fire out beneath the curtain, and
the company was saved, although
Their salvation was the death of so
many poor people in front"