The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-07
EXITS WERE ALL
LOCKED UP TIGHT
investigation of IroquoiS Fire
Continues
NO PRECAUTIONS TAKEN
of the s9e Persons Who Were In the
Balcony, 5ss Were Killed
In the Holo-
caust.

Chicago, January 6-By their own evil
dence given today before Munroe Fulker-
son, attorney for the fire department, who
is conducting the investigation into the
Iroquois theatre horror, the proprietors
of the theatre showed that a worse con-
dition of affairs existed than had hereto
fore been thought possible.
VIII K. Davis Harry j. Powers and
Thomas ]. Noonan, active managers of
the Iroquois theatre, were examined by
Mr.. Fulkerson today. All OF them plead
ed ignorance of any precautions taken
to prevent loss of life by fire at their the
atre. They admitted failure to instruct
employees in fighting fire and failure even
to provide suitable appliances for use
against flames. Their statements were
corroborated by the testimony of twenty
employees of the theatre, none of whom
had ever been told his duty in case of fire.
Noonan, who is working manager of the
theatre, under direction of Davis and
Powers, admitted today that eleven Of
the theatre exits were locked and bolted.
Two of these exits leading to the front
of the theatre on the ground floor were
locked, three additional exits on the north
side of the ground floor were bolted, three
exits on the north side of the theatre on
the balcony were bolted and three exits
on the north side of the second balcony
were poileu- lne ETedleSI loss Oh lie
from the fire was in the first and second
balconies. where hundreds of people were
suffocated through inability to get ont,
or were trampled to death while trying
to do so. Had these three exits In the
balcony been available, according to In
spector Fulkerson, the loss of life must
have been greatly diminished.
No Superintendent Named.
Noonan declared that no person had
been named by the theater manager to
superintend the operation of the ventila-
tors Of the theater, in case of fire, and
that In consequence the flames had been
permitted to sweep the place instead OF
seeking a natural outlet through the stage
roof. 1t was said by Noonan that George
Dusenberry. the head usher, Archibald
Bernard, chief electrician, and the the
alter engineer knew how to operate the
ventilators. 1t was proved by the evil
dence of these men, however, that two
of them never went upon the stage. and
that the other never had been told to as
sumo control of the ventilators in case of
fire.
From figures obtained by noon today, II
became evident that almost one In three
of the persons who attended the matinee
lost their lives, the percentage being a
trihe short of 81 per cent. The theater
these, 236 had been admitted after all
seats were sold, making total of 1912 peo-
pie In the theater, of whom 5s1 were killed.
Manager Noonan declared that the two
balconies, including seats and people
standing held $50 people. The total num-
Der of fatalities In the fire to date Is 591,.
of whom three were killed on the first
floor. This would, according to Manager
Noonan's statement, make $50 deaths out
of S99 people.
No Orders for Fire Alarm Boxes.
VIII X. Davis testified that he had given
no orders to place fire alarm box In the
theatre; that he had given no direction to
place a pump on the station beyond the
fact that any apparatus the firemen
wanted should be provided as soon a s pos
sible. He declared that he could not say
as to whether the building had been fin
ally accepted from the Fuller company
or not. He admitted that he never gave
any instructions to anybody as to what
should be done In case of IRE.
Mr.. Powers gave evidence substantially
the same as that Mr.. Davis.
Fifteen other witnesses who had worked
on the stage, declared that they never re-
ceived any orders from the management
as to what they should do in case of fire.
That the employees In the front of the
house were thrown into panic by the
fire was shown by the testimony of all the
stage hands examined today. Two ushers,
each Is years old. declared that they ran
on the first alarm of fire, and did not re-
turn to the theatre until the next day.
The stage hands said they all sought
safety on hearing that the place was on
fire.
The formal inquest into the fire will be-
gin tomorrow morning.
Four bodies of the Iroquois fire victims
Sill ram q In 11nidentifiad