Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1904-01-07
death SWIFT and AWFUL


taken by death as they were crawling
on their hands and knees over the
bodies of those who had died before.
Others lay with arms stretched out in
the direction toward which lay life and
safety, holding in their hands frag-
menus Oh garments not their own.
They were evidently torn from cloth
ing Of others whom they had endeav-
ored to pull down and trample under
foot as they fought for their own lives.
| AS the, police removed layer after layer
of dead in these doorways the sight
became too much even for police and
firemen, hardened as they are to such
sights, to endure. Tie bodies were in
such an inextricable mass and so
tightly we're they damned between the
sides of the door and the walls that
1t was impossible to lift them one by
one and carry, them out. The only
possible thing to do was to seize a
limb or some other portion of the body
and pull with main strength. Men
worked at the task with tears run
ming down their cheeks and the sobs
of the rescuers could be heard even in
the hall below where this awful scene
was being enacted. A number of the
men were compelled to abandon their
task and give 1t over to others whose
nerves had not as yet been shaken by
the awful experience. AS one by one
the bodies were dragged out of the
water-soaked, blackened mass of
corpses the spectacle became more and
more heart-rending. There were wom-
en- whose clothing was torn complete
ly from their bodies above the waist,
whose bosom had been trampled into
a pulp and whose faces were marred
beyond all power Of Identification.
Chicago Stirred by the Calamity.
Rarely in the history Of Chicago has
its people been so stirred as by the Ca
lamity Of yesterday. 1t is next to the
Chicago fire, the greatest catastrophe
that has ever occurred, and the speed
with which 1t came and went seemed
for brief period to appal the business
section Of the city. The news spread
with great rapidity and in short time
hundreds Of men, women and children
were rushing toward the theater. The
building in which the calamity oc-
Cured stands midway between State
and Dearborn streets, on the north side
of Randolph street. Although every
available policeman within call Of the
department was Immediately hurried
to the spot and the men placed in lines
at the end of the block, allowing no.
body to enter Randolph street from
either Dearborn or State, 1t was found
for time at first impossible to hold
back the frenzied crowd that pressed
forward, many Of them having friends
or relatives in the theater. and anx-
ious to learn something of them. The |
conduct of the police was beyond all |
praise. The officers held their ground |
firmly and gently pushed back all |
those who sought to gain an entrance
to the theater, although in some in
stances frantic men, anxious to look
for their loved ones, actually beat the
officers with their fists in their rage at
being prevented. In spite Of the eff
forts of the police, however large
number Of people succeeded in break
Ing through their lines and entering
the theater and in many cases did he
roic work in rescuing the injured and
carrying out the dead.
Dead Women Piled In Heap.
The first newspaper men upon the
ground also carried out many of the
lead and injured. The building was
10 full of smoke when the firemen first
arrived that the full extent of the ca
was not Immediately grasped
Until a fireman and newspaper man
.rawled up the stairway leading to the
balcony, holding handkerchiefs over
heir mouths to avoid suffocation. AS
hey reached the doorway the fireman,
whose vision was better trained in
uch emergencies, seized his compan-
on by the arm, exclaiming: Good
Tod, man, don't walk on their faces"
The two men tried vainly to get
through the door, which was damned
With dead women piled higher than
ither Of their heads. All the lights
n the theater were necessarily out
nd the only illumination come through
he cloud Of smoke that hung between
he interior of the theater and the
treet. The two men Immediately hur-
led to the floor below and informed
,hief Musham, Of the fire department,
hat the dead bodies were piled high 4
n the balcony and prompt assistance 4
lust be rendered II any Of them were
D be saved. a
1ss Molnes Jeweler Robbed of $4,000.