Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-01-07


were anxious to learn something OF
them. A large number, however, sue
ceeded in breaking through the police
lines and entering the theater, and in
many cases did heroic work rescuins
the injured and carrying out the dead
EXTENT NOT GRAsPED.
The building was so full of smoke
when the firemen first arrived that the
full extent of the catastrophe was not
Immediately grasped until a fireman
ana a newspaper man crawled up to
the balcony, holding handkerchiefs
over their mouths TO avoid suffocation
As they reached the doorway, the fire,
men, whose vision was the better
, trained in such emergencies, seized
his companion by the arm and shouted
Good God man, don't walk on their
faces"
DOOR TANNED WITH DEAD.
They tried vainly TO get through the
door, which was damned with dead
women piled higher than either of
their heads. The two Immediately
hurried to the door below and inform
ed Fire Chief Musham that dead bodies
were piled high in the balcony and
prompt assistance must be rendered
if any were to be saved. The work of
lighting the fire was abandoned and
the firemen went at once to the rescue.
The place was in entire darkness, but
soon 200 lanterns were carried into the
building and the work of rescue com.
menced.
AS AFTER GREAT BATTLE.
men passed in and out, returning to
get more bodies. Although all the
patrol wagons and every ambulance
owned by the city was pressed into the
service they were inadequate to carry
away the dead. Corpses were piled in
a line so feet long and two and three
high on the sidewalk and scores were
placed in neighboring restaurant.
1t was found necessary to use trucks
to convey the bodies to the morgues
and the dead were hauled away like
so much cordwood. The big stores
sent wagonloads of blankets, rolls OF
linen and packages of cotton to bind
up the wounds of the injured and GOV
er the dead. Drug stores furnished
their stock to any one asking for it In
the name of the injured, and scores Of
doctors and trained nurses were on the
ground giving assistance.
HEAVY TRUCK STALLED.
One truck ordinarily used for con
veying freight to the depots was 81
heavily loaded with dead that thu
horses were unable to start the loaf
and the police were compelled to as
sist by Juggling at the wheels.
| BISHOP IN RESCUE WORK.
Bishop Samuel B. Fallows wa
passing the theater at the time of tn
fire and Immediately entered the the
alter and assisted in carrying out tn
victims
| WORSE THAN BATTLEFIElD.
Afterward he said he had been o.
the bloody fields of battle but in al
his experience he had never see
anything half so gruesome as .thi
sight, when with the aid of Lantern
he entered the balcony.
There was pile of bleeding bod
les ten feet high, with blackene,
faces and remnants of charred cloth
ing clinging to Them" he said. "Som
were alive and moaning in thei
agony. Others, and, oh, by far tn
| greater number were dead"
MILLioNAIRE's TERROR.
| Alexander H. Revell, who had sen
his daughter ana little friend to tn,
theater in charge of maid, heard o
the disaster while at his store. H,
drove madly to the theater and by thu
greatest good fortune encounters
the, hysterical maid who informed
him that the children were SAFE II,
then entered the theater and assisted
in the work of rescue Recountins
his experience in the balcony he said
| "The sigh. of those poor womer
and their little children with clench
ed fists raised as though trying t.
beat their way to safety, and stricken
down in the very act, is too horrible
! to attempt TO describe"
FIGHT WAY TO LOVED ONES.
Sheriff Barrett, who with a score Of
deputies assisted in the rescue work
said there were heaps of manglet
and charre6 humanity on all sides
and that they carried out so many
dead that they were unable to keeI
count. Such a dreadful sight,
hope | never will be called to witness
again. Crazed men fought TO get
within the building, thinking to fno
their loved ones among the pile OF
corpses that filled every available
foot of space. Strong men with tear
blinded eyes stood on the sidewall,
and called loudly the names of their
loved ones as though there were a
chance of being heard"
MAD FIGHT FOR LIFE.
Others lay with their arms stretched
out in the direction toward which
lay life and safety, holding In theil
hands fro Umauto nf oorrnonfo not thai,