Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1904-01-14
NO SAFE DEVICES
MANAGERS OF THE lRoQUolS
THEATER ARE EXAMINED.
NOTHING DONE TO PROTECT LIFE
Testimony of Company Officers
Shows that Eleven Exits Were
Locked and Bolted When the Fire
Occurred.

CHICAGO-By their own evidence
given before Monroe Fulkerson, who
is conducting the fire department in
vestigation into the lroquois theater
horror. the proprictors of the theater
showed that a worse condition OF al
fairs existed than had heretofore been
thought possible.
Will J. Davis, Harry Powers and
Thomas J. Noonan, active managers
of the Iroquois theater, were eNamin-
ed by Mr.. Fukerson Wednesday. All
of them pleaded ignorance Of any pre-
cautions taken to prevent loss Of life
by fire at their theater. They admit
ted failure to instruct employees in
fighting fire and failure even to pro
vide suitable appliances for use
against flames. Their statements
were corroborated by the testimony
of twenty employees of the theater,
none of whom had ever been told his
duty in case of fire.
Noonan. who Is working manager
of the theater. under direction of Da-
Wis and Powers admitted that eleven
of the theater exits were locked and
bolted. Two of these exits leading
to the front of the theater on the
ground floor were locked, three addi-
tional exits on the north side were
bolted three exits on the north side
of the theater in the first balcony
were boted and three exits on the
north side of the second balcony were
bolted
The greatest loss of life in the fire
was in the first and second balconies.
where hundreds of people were suf
located through their inability to get
out or were trampled to death while
trying to do so. Had these three exits
in each balcony been available, ac-
cording to Mr.. Fulkerson, the loss of
life must have been greatly dimin-
ished
Noonan declared that no person had
been named by the theater manage
ment to superintend the operation Of
Venti!ators of the theater in cases
OF fire. and that, in consequence, the
the place, instead of seeking a natu-
raj outlet through the stage roof. It
was said by Noonan that George NJ.
Dusenberry, the head usher; Archi-
bald Bernard, chief electrician, and
the theater engineer knew how to OBJ
crate the ventilators. 1t was proven
by the evidence of these men, how
ever, that two of them never went
upon the stage and that The other
had never been told to assume charge
of the ventilators in case of fire.
Dusenberry declared that his duty
as usher kept him in the front of the
house. The engineer was always be-
low the stage attending to his engine,
and Bernard, the only one of the three.
knowing how to operate the ventil-
ators who was upon the stage during
the performance, testified that he had
never been told TO assume charge of
them.
Mr.. Noonan declared that the two
balconies, including seats and people
standing, held $50 people. The total
number of fatalities in the fire is to
date 591, of whom three were killed
on the first floor. This would make,
according to Manager Noonans state
ment, 5SS deaths out of SS9 people in
the two balconies.
Will j. Davis testified that he had
given no orders to place a fire alarm
box in the theater; that he had given
no direction to place a pump on The
stage beyond the fact that any appar.
atus the firemen wanted should be
provided as soon as possible He de
clared he could not say as to whether
the building had been finally accept
ed from the Enllnr cn1nnnnu or MT