Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1904-01-02
New Years Day Given Over
to Burial of Victims
THE CLOSING OF THFATERS
Mayor Harrison is Determined That
There Shall be no Violation Of the
Law, Followed by Repetition of
the Horror of Wednesday.

Chicago. Jan. Mayor Carter Har-
rlson today look steps to provide as far
as possible against u repetition of
Wednesdays horror at the Iroquots
Jheater. AS a result of an investiga-
tion made at his orders and lasting but
few hours nineteen theaters ana
museums were ordered closed, some of
them being among the leading and
popular play houses in the city The
action of Mayor Harrison is based
on single violation of the ordinances
which are intended 20 protect the pa
irons of theaters from just such oc-
currences as that which cost so many
lives on Wednesday. This was that
every one of these places had omitted
to supply an asbestos curtain.
The theaters ordered closed are
Howards, Sam T. Jacks, the Marlowe.
the New American, the Olympic, the
Academy of Music, the Alhambra, the
Avenue the Bijou, the Chicago Opera
House, the Columbus Stock. the
Thirty Fifth Street, the Criterion.
Fiegenbaums, the Milwaukee Avenue,
the Garrick and the Glickman.
In addition to these the London
museum and the Clark Street museum
were compelled to close their doors
The Chicago Opera House and the
Olympic theater are vaudeville of the
highest class and probably do as much
business in point of members as any
other theater in the city at single
performances. They give, however, "a
matinee every day in the week and
it is seldom that seats can be obtained
at any of the performances at the time
of opening. In addition to this they
have to l.,
numbers of tickets for standing room,
and as Il general thing more people
are within these places of amusement
at the average performance than can
be found at any other playhouse in
the city.
The Garrick theater which was or
dered closed is a small play house on
the northwest side of the city and
should not be confounded with the
larger theater of the same name sit
uated on Randolph street, one block
west of the Iroquois.
The inspection ordered by Mayor
Harrison today was carried out by
Building Commissioner Williams and
Chief of Police O'Neil. The scope Of
the investigation included no other
feature than the curtains.
The mayor instructed Commissioner
Williams to report to him promptly
at the conclusion of his investigation,
declaring that it was his intention that
no theater should be allowed to open
its doors in Chicago hereafter unless
it was provided with an asbestos cur
tain Of standard quality, that would
work at all times and under all con-
ditions. 1T may not be possible" said
Mayor Harrison, ito prevent the loss
Of
doorways. But l have determined that
every precaution shall be t. ken to pre-
vent the rush of alarmed people ana
such occurrences as will alarm the
people and start them on a rush for
the exits. 1t is all very well to say
that the great loss of life in the Iro-
quois theater was due to the fact that
the people lost their heads and crowd
ed into the doorway and aisles like
maniacs, but the fact remains, and it
cannot be denied, that there would.
have been no panic if the apparatus
in this theateT. which, judged by all
ordinary standards, was the best
equipped play house in the city, had
been in proper working order. From
all evidence now in hand it is clear
that if the asbestos curtain in this
theater had been in the condition it
should have been there would have
been no loss of life, comparatively
speaking"
a SAD NEW YEAR.
Such a day of morning Chicago
never witnessed as that which ushered
in the New Year. In every portion OF
the city almost, it seemed as though
there We're funerals going or under
takers wagons arriving with the dead
who were being brought to their homes
for the last time.
While the fuperal professions were
moving through the snow covered
streets to the various cemeteries, the
throng about the various morgues and
undertaking establishments seemed al