The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-01-01
Awful Death
scs.sa..ea freH First Pasd
wn to rush 10 h stores 20 euyywraH
- ssver them"

-
Fsssvssrs. December A-BeAjaDin
4. MarshaiI the young Chicago arces-
test VITO designed the Iroouts theatre
efs for his nome touight. He was
0verwheined by the news % tie a.
aster. IN never allow another unea-
tire 30 be built with a stick q woe1 &c
it, he declared. reading oaIht1D
which were handed him
The IroQutS was built along he
very latest lines and was pr0v16sd
with ~ double IRE exits. but wood was
used - stairways were EMPLOYEE A
fire proof building viii not be erected
n long az wood Is used In q cAeat1a
shsre are % ma1y articles Of fnfan0a-
bic material that when q bia.e eets .
heaAway IL breads In - most ALARM
tng
While scores OF men were busy ear
ry1ng o9t the dead and injured, Sshers.
fortunately few in number. scarshed
the aisles and seats for valuables- Two
nsn were found who had provtded
themselves with baskets and were u
Ing them with the property OF the dead
They were Immediately placed unoer
arrest and the theatre usaers and stass
hands were given the work OF collecting
all the valuabies on the hoor ~ the
theatre During the evening the po.ice
arrested owe a dozen men accused OF
being thieves and pick pockets
The count OF the dead was practically
complete at midnight, but IL 81 not az
yet accurate and the exact number VII
not be known before on time tommy
row.. Allowing for discrepancies
lists made by the police aud the news
papers practically agree. The newspa~
pers claim that s62 dead: the police ss
Corner Treager made as completes an
inspection OF the theatre as Is po- sl5ie
in the condition in which IL Is tonight
He said: II the asbestos curtain had
been in working order 1 believe tsat
the FIRE might have been preventee
from spreading into the audience cham
Der. The plush on the seats OF the arsf
balcony was charred, but stin visible
This does not loo TO me as thoug
everybody would have gotten out OF the
theatre alive when YOU take into ac-
count the speed with which the names
spread. The path Of the flames was
evident. The stage and cenlng Oh
the theatre was blistered and olaok-
eaed. There was practically no damaK
to the furniture or the first floor. the
boxes on the second tier were entirely
destroyed by fire. while those on 100
first floor were burned only in Spots
evidently by burning fragraRts From
above"
The Iroquous was completed te4 thAia
two months ago at a cost of nam .
million dollars and was he best eiay
house In Chicago. II was spened 10
the pubic on the night OF Novemoee
a3rd, with Mr. B~luebeard."
The records OF the city building DE-
partmeat show that the theatre WAS
| completed in every detail ano maj ~
was absolutely fire proof, all reauire-
ments having been compiled WITH.
Frederick w. Job. secretary OF chi
| cago EMPLOYERS Association
to w d. Mooney a liverpool stask
| PROPRIETOR asking that carriages Dc
| sent fog the relief OF the sufferers M.
| Mooney replied that he would gave ms
| carriages Tor the work. He later tetd
MI Job that X went ase e. ari ,ss a. ~so
| are on strike, were congregated and
asked II they would drive to e lro-
| auios theatre to help remove ths
wounded. Mr.. Mooney reported 20 kY.
Job that N fatty refused TO do 10.
John E.. Farrell. the stage electrician.
was enc OF the heroes or the nrs; ns
was the Arst to discover the
when II waa a little tongue q nasna
running up the canvas border OF tbH
curtain. He climbed a ladder . feef
above the stage and sought To exin-
guish Il with his hand. He beat hello
Iessly until his hands wore badly
burned and the fire had ruu up b
| canvas border into the fiieA Seiz1ng p
hand grande he dashed 1t at Ire aGo
the falling fluid nearly blinded him.
With a cry OF save yourselves IN
fell to the floor and then running 70
the rear door OF the theatre he thfep
1t open. calling to the members 81 To
ompan to rush into the alley.