The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1904-01-06

est, the largest, and, as far as human
mower could make it, the SAFEST the
atre in Chicago. Estimates OF the
dead and injured vary. The police
count of dead Is 536. The estimate
of the newspapers is 562. Eighty-siS
OF the dead have been positively iden'
tilted, and ninety-two others are
known to be injured.
A few of these people were burned
to death by fire, many were suffocated
by gas, and scores were trampled to
death in the panic that followed the
mad plunge of the frightened audience
for the exits.
There are bodies lying by dozens in
the undertaking rooms, in the police
station and in the hospitals, from
which nearly everything that could
reveal their identity to those who
knew them best is gone.
Their clothing Is torn to rags or
burned to cinders, and their faces
udNS Dttu ihto Oil NNoo
able pulp by the heels of the crowd
that trampled them down as they fed
for safety.
The fire broke out during the sec.
ond act of the play "Mr. Bluebeard, y
which was the first dramatic produc
ton produced in the theatre since its
erection. The company, which was
very large. escaped to the street in
safety, nearly all of the members
however, being compelled to fee into
the snowy streets with no clothing
but their stage costumes. A few mem
bers OF the company sustained minor
injuries, but none was seriously hurt
The accounts Of the origin of the
| fire are conflicting and none Of them
certain, but the best reason given is
that an electric wire on the lower part
of a piece OF drop scenery suddenly
broke and was grounded.
The fire spread rapidly toward the
front of the stage, causing the mem.
bers of the chorus, who were then en-.
! gagged in the performance, to fee 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
Eddie Foy. the chief comedian of the
company, shouted to lower the curtain
and this was Immediately attempted
1t descended about half way and then
stuck. The fire thus was given prac
tically flue, through which strong
draft was setting, aided by the doors
which had ben thrown open in the
front of the theatre. With a 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.
| ioiio"iHS tLlo vi
flames there came an explosion, which
| lifted the entire roof of the theatre
from its walls, SCATTERING the great
skylight into fragments, AS soon as
the flames first appeared beyond the
curtain q maa in the rear of the hall
shouted Fire! Fire!" and the entire
audience rose as one person and made
| for the doors, 1t is believed that the
| explosion was caused by the flames
coming In contact with the gas reser
voirs Of the theatre, causing them to
burst
Will ]. Davis, manager Of the the
atre, 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, however. is contradicted by
the statements of the firemen, who
found numbers of people sitting II
their seats, their faces directed to
ward the stage, as II the Performance,
was still going on. II Is the opinion
OF the flremen that these persons hat
been suffocated at once by the flow OF
gas which came from behind the as
bestos curtain.
AS near as can be estimated at the
present time, about 1900 people were
in the theatre, Three hundred of thesa
were on the first floor. the remainder
being In the balconies and in the hall
ways back OF them.
The theatre is modelled after the
Opera Comique In Paris, and from the
rear Of each balcony there are three
doors leading out to passageways to,