The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-01-13

Chicago, Ill.-Nore than 500 persons,
mostly women and children, perished
by fire in the Iroquois Theatre. 1t is
estimated that the total number Of the
dead is 563.
The fire began while matinee per-
formance of "Mr. Bluebeard" was be-
ing played. An electric spark from a
broken wire shot into the flies and an
explosion followed. Then a panic en-
sued.
From that time on until the flames
filed the place the death crush con-
tinued. A mass of humanity was
TANNED into the balcony stairway, sur
rounded by smoke and flames. The
mass soon settled back into death
pose, and there they were found by fire
men. Trucks, express wagons and pa
troll wagons were all in use carrying
away the bodies.
The asbestos curtain in the theatre
would not work, and the flames swept
at once to the pit and adjoining walls.
All the exits were soon choked by
frantic women and children, and those
on the inside, terror stricken at the
advancing flames and smoke, were un-
able to move either way. Children
were taken from the ruins, some
burned to a crisp, and others trampled
beyond recognition. Women by the
score were found in a tangled and
scorched mass near the stairway.
The theatre was almost in darkness
in the second act. The stage was
lighted only by the soft artificial beams
from the calcium, which ntsbeauty to
the scene during the singing of the
Moonlight Song" by the double sex
tette. A flash of fame shot across
through the flimsy draperies, started
by spark.
A show girl screamed Historically.
The singers stopped short, but with
presence of mind the director increased
the volume of the music. Scores rose
in their. seats as the stage manager
shouted an order for the continuation
of the song. 1t was obeyed with feeble
hearts. The girls forced the words
from their throats until two of their
number Swooned.
Clouds of smoke poured from the
stage into the auditorium, enyeloping
the struggling mass of panic-stricken
men, women and children.
Behind the scenes all was confusion.
1t required but q moment to perceive
that the fire had gone too far to be
conquered by the amateur fire brigade
formed by the stage hands. In the
dressing rooms as high as the sixth
story were the score of girls of the
ballet. At the first alarm the elevator
boy fed from his post, and the flames
soon shot upward in the wings and
made escape by the narrow stairway
impossible.
The screams from the imprisoned
girls in the upper rows of dressing
rooms came to the ears Of the more
fortunate below, as they rushed to the
stage doors. Some stopped for brief
moment, thinking to give aid, but the
clouds of smoke. growing denser and
denser, forced them to flee. Their
escape even then was miraculous.
The blackened bodies which choked
the aisles and stairways, the lines of
policemen and firemen carrying limp
forms from the building, the overtaxed
hospitals. the rows of dead and dying
in the surrounding buildings, which
were thrown open to the sufferers, tell
briefly the tale. Only few Of the
terrifying incidents will ever be
known.
Great loss of life was prevented and
many lives were saved by the heroic
rescue work of the students. faculty.
janitors and workmen in the North
western University building. The res
cue work Of the people in the top bal
cony was effectively done by the peo-
pie in the university building. The
platform of the theatre fire exits on
the top balcony was directly opposite
the third floor fire escape platform of
the university building and on line
with the law school lecture room.
Kalsominers, decorators and painters
were at work in this lecture room,
using large planks to make plat
forms.
The first seconds Of the rush for life
d.