Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-01-09

I chicago, Jan. lat E.oU O'CLOCK tlHs
morning 500 persons had been identi-
fed among the dead, and there were
still fifty or nfty-five bodies which had
not been recognized.
Chicago, Jan. 1.-For the FIRST time
since Chicago possessed bells TO peal,
whistles to shrek and horns to blow,
| the old year was allowed to silently
take It's place In history and the new
| year permitted to come with no evil
I dence Of joy at it's birth.
| In an official proclamation issued yes
| terday afternoon by Mayor Carter
Harrison he made the suggestion that
the usual New Years eve celebration
be for this time omitted. The idea
| found a ready response In the hearts
Of the people and the mayors words
in fact only gave utterance to the un-
expressed thoughts that had filled them
all.
The appalling calamity In the Iro-
quois heater has. cast Chicago into the
deepest grief and gloom, and for the
time being at least seems to havs
chilled and deadened all the ordinary
ambitions of life. Business yesterday
was performed with the sole view to
actual necessity, and even that much
Was carried out In a ~perfunctory man
ner.
Ordinarily on New Years eve the
streets of the city are filed with mer-
rymakers. but tonight the only thronfs
to be found were those around the
morEue5; ordinarily numbers of fash
Iptiable restaurants in the heart Of the
city are filled with light-hearted rev.
elers who toast the year that passes
and hail the year that comes. These
places were comparatively deserted.
a nd ~, 80 fbnN, plnun1 antiHnlv ttitH
doors ecked ahi Curtains drawn. Us
seiiS Among these gay people are found
fhany members of the theatrical pro-
f~ession. Tonight not a single one Of
them was In evidence.
Whole City Mourns.
For the second time in her life the
city OF Chicago has been stricken III
the heart. Not only have many of her
sens and daughters met death In a va
riety of horrible and torturing forms,
but the blow has fallen almost as heav-
lily upon the strangers within her gates
There is hardly a village or town with
in a radius of 100 miles of Chicago
whose people are not directly. ~ ipdi-
rectIe interested III the piles OF dead or
in the injured which fill the hospitals,
or in the fate of those who seem TO
have passed from human knowledge in
the fact it is believed they are in the ill
IuIGu structure ana OIL WHOM no WOTu
has since been heard.
The list cf dead continues ms II was
given laEt night, N. the heighbothH6d
or ESQ. II Is generally accepted at this
time that the most accurate estimate is
564. This number will be increased
somewhat, as there are people in the
hospitals who cannot survive for my
length OF time. 1t is believed. however,
that the total number of lead will not
In INV aNyant a~nAnl E7E. InnIhlipn Tho
tnisslhg, It Is estimated that the total
humber Of casualties is at the present
time approximately 1000. There are
among the missing the names Of many
are at their homes and of some
were not at the theuthf at all. In
the first settlement following the ca
these people were reported by
their relatives as among the missing,
and numbers of them have since re-
turned TO their homes and no report
this fact has been made to police
headquarters. Their names, however,
still swell the list Of the missine. when
the, n-r;es 6t the dead who are still to
Be Identified have been subtracted from
the list OF the missing it is probable
that the extent of the catastrophe will
fully revealed.
Building Overtaxcd.
There have been numerous reports,
lLb lFu F'oNENTtt tiidt tl' |
a~isles anu bassageWays III the reet nf
The seats were blocked by a crowd 6f
people who occupied the standing
Dom The actual seating capacity Of
the theater is First floor, 700; first bal
cony. $50; second balcony, 465; total,
els.
Will j. Davis. one Of the proprietors
Of the theater, was questioned last
night MS to the number OF tickets sold,
49, ..1.aI 10 - .,rn - NH,,n NInN Enn .a,Aa4ta |
we're standing In the aisles and In rows
back Of the seats on each floor. Mr..
Davis was plainly utistrufg, and
to be excused from talking Of
matter, which. he said, was too
nonstrous to dispose Of in a few or
words"
Mr.. Davis said he had not seer Mr..
who alone Of the theatef en-
,luyes knew the number of persons adj
II do not credit the state
said Mr.. Davis, "ascribed 10 one
If the ushers that as many as 500 pee
pie were standing in the ear Of the
On Wednesday afternoon after the
ire, however, several of the ushers de-
Jared that et least 1000 people were in
Beginning Of the Fire.
The fire broke out during the Sec
md act of Mr.. Bluebeard," which was
he first DRAMATIC production produced
n the theater after its opening. The
members Of the theatrical company,
which was large, escaped, nearly all of
hem, however, after being compelled
o flee into the snowy streets with no
lothing but stage costumes. A few
members OF the company %suetnined in
uries, but none was severely hurt.
The accounts Of the origin of the
re are conflicting, and none Of them
; certain. but the best reason given
) that an electric wire near the lower
art of q ,prece of drop scenery broke
caused q short circuit, setting fire
, NE scenery. The fire spread rapidly
? the front of the stage, causing the
ho<us, which was on the stage to fee
the wings, screaming. The fire in it
elf up to this time VA not serious, and
ossibly could have been checked had
OF the asbestos curtain failed to work.
AS soon as the fire was discovered
'ddie Foy. chief comedian Of the COM
shouted for the asbestos curtain
} be lowered, and it was Immediately
half way. Then it stuck.
The fire thus was given a flue, ,
which a strong draft wan
aided by the doors, which had
een thrown open in the front of the
The flames shot. roaring,
'ngue-shaped, through the opening
yer the heads of the people on the first
Dor, almost licking the faces of those
the first balcony, and smothering I
any where they sat. r
Explosion Starts Horros.. I
Immediately followhk the. rush Of !
amas came an explo9Sn. whAh lifted I
" entire root Of the 5neater Effom Ns.E