The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-08
FIRE CLAIMS
566TH VICTIM
Miss Harriet; Harbough Died To-day
Another Woman Goes Insane
from Horror.
Witnesses at the Inquest Present an
Z Amazing Story of Locked
Doors.

Chicago, Jan. S.-Miss Harriet Har-
Dough, another victim Of the Iroquois
theater, is dead at the Samaritan
hospital as the result of her in
juries This brings the total Of dead
to 566, according to the coroner's list.
Agnes Hopkins, Is years old, has
been declared insane by Judge Will
liams and ordered to Dunning. The
Wolnan's mind, had been unbalanced,
her relatives said, as a result of in
cessant reading of accounts Of the
Iroquois fire horror.
Three more suits for total of $780,
O00 damages resulting from the fire
have been filed. A feature of the
suits is the making Of Building Com
missioner Williams party defendant.
Engineer Testifies.
Robert E. Murray, stationary engi-
neers Of the Iroquois theater, testify
ing at the inquest to-day, declared
that there was one standpipe on the
stage, two in the basement and one
in the smoking-room. There was no
hose attached to any Of them, altho
there was hose in the building on a
reel. Nobody had ever been instruct
ed how to use it. The hose in the
building consisted Of one coil, and was
located in the smoking-room, at the
front of the building. 1t was not his
business, he said, to look after fire
all alarm could reach the fire depart
ment was by use of the telephone or
by going two or three blocks to the
nearest fire station.
Ordered to Sit Down.
Ruth Michael, a. school girl testi-
fed that when she and other mem
bers OF her party noticed sparks drop
ping from above the stage one men,
Der remarked that they had better
get out. They started to do so, but
a man in the front row rose and said
he would knock their heads off if they
did not sit down. The girls sat down
and remained there until mighty
draught of air blew flames directly
over the audience. Thereupon she
and her party rushed to the north
side Of the building, crawled out onto
fire escape and dropped to the alley
below.
Audience CaIm-Door Locked.
Mrs. Elvira D. Pinedo was the most
important witness at the inquest yes
terday. She said.
l was standing near the boxes on the
right of the main floor In the rear people
were standing four deep. I~saw sparks. on
the south side of the stage back of the
scenes and q man capping his hands in
an effort to put them out. I saw what I
believed to be an exit on my right.
The fire spread rapidly and people in
the audience got up and urged everybody
to remain seated. I never say a saner or
calmer audience in my life. Half were
women and children. They calmly
watched the sparks change into flame
without screaming or getting panic strick-
en-. Suddenly a big ball Of fire dropped
from the top of the stage to- the floor. 1t
was burning scenery.
: i walked to the exit and tried to open
the door. 1t was locked. A man demand
ed that the usher openfit. He either said
| that he would not or could not. Suddenly
a. powerful draft opened the doors sand
blew us into the alley.
Foy's Boy ON the Stage.
Eddie Foy, the principal comedian
or the "Bluebeard'' company, said ibis
own son was on the stage when the
fire broke out. There was no seat
available in the auditorium. Foy' 8
first effort on reaching the stage after
room was to get the boy out by assmall
door at the back Of the stage. When
he arrived there people were trying
to escape. He threw, the boy to a
man, telling him to take him out, and
then ran back to the stage and out to
the footlights. The audience was get
ting into a panic, and in order to quiet
the people he called to the stage
hands: Drop the curtain" and to the
musicians, Keep up your music He
urged the audience repeatedly to re-
main quiet and not get excited.
Mr.. Foy declared that he was salts
fled that the fire was caused by sparks
from the "spot" light, but had no per-
sonal knowledge of the fact. The only
precaution against fire that he knew
of was the rule against smoking,