Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1904-01-02
OVER 500 LIVES WERE LOST
IROOIJOIS THEATRE in CHICAGO
DESTROYED BY FIRE.
Crossed Electric Wires Cause It--Hunanity
Packed Ten Feet DeepPeople
Were Panic Stricken.

This mass of dead bodies in the cen
ter of the doorway reached to within
two feet of the top OF the passageway.
All of the corpses at this point were
women and children. The fight for
! life which must have taken place at
these two points is something that is
simply beyond ability to adequately
describe. A faint idea of it's horror
could be derived from the aspect of
the bodies as tney lay. Women on
| top of these masses of dead had been
overtaken by death as they were
crawling on their hands and knees
over the bodies of those who had died
before. Others lay with arms stretch
ed out in the direction toward which
lay life and safety, holding in their
hands fragments of garments not their
own. They were evidently torn from
the clothing of others whom they had
endeavored to pull down and trample
under foot as they fought for their
own lives.
Latest AdVices.
Chicago, ian. 1.-According to the
latest estimates about $50 people were
killed during the ire in the Irouuois
| theater, the newest, the largest and
as lar as human power could make 1t.
The safest tneater in Chicago. EST.
mates of the dead ana injured vary.
Inc police count of the dead is $50.
The estimate of the newspapers is
562. There are 55 people missing at
midnight, the majority of whom are
probably among the dead in the
morgue and various undertaking es-
adjustments. Eighty-six of the dead
have been positively identified and 92
others are known to be injured.
Coroner TRACER at 7:45 p. m. re-
ported by actual count, 536 dead in
the fire.
AT $3.50 p. m. the coroner was mott.
fed that there were 422 bodies at the
different morgues and hospitals. All
had not been heard from, rs a num-
Der Of bodies we're taken to the I'M
dertakfrs in different parts of the
city.
According to the morgue keepers
there are 1872 bodies at five of the
morgues and at st. Luke's hospital
Ralston's $50, Jordan's Is. Carroll's
SO, Gavin's %. County 10, st. Luke's
hospital II.
The crowds around Ralston's and
Jordans were so large that it was i'm
possible to get the excited people into
! line to view the dead. Therefore. the
crowd was notified that no one would
be admitted to see if they could iden-
| tlly their relatives or friends. ONLY
one body was identified at the county
morgue
Owner Talks.
Chicago Jan. Twill j. Davis. one
of the owners of the Iroouois theater
the scene of the horror. was indie
tatgable in his efforts to alleviate suf.
terlng and to assist in caring for the
dead. He said:
mere was no need, as far as I
know, of a single life being lost. There
were over 40 exits to the theater The
building is fireproof, and if somebody
'ad not screamed Fire | think that
as far as those Killed in the panic
concerned. could have reached the
III safety. And of those who
uffocated by the gas nearly all
have been taken out by the time
losion occurred If order had
eserved in making the exit. AS
have learned, everybody on
floor. except three, escaped,
some sustained bruises and
injuries. The great loss
the first and second bal
Acombined will seat