Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1904-01-07


lent was not yet in place. This was
unfortunately the case with fire es-
cape in the rear of the building. The
small iron balconies to which the
iron ladder was to be attached were
up, but the ladder had not yet been
constructed. When the panic was at
it's height a great number of women
ran for these fire escapes, only to
find as they emerged from the door
way up on the little iron platform,
that they were 30 to so feet from the
ground a fire behind aud no escaL c
in front.
Those who reached the platform
first endeavored to hold their footing
and to keep back the crowd that
pressed upon them from the rear.
The effort was utterly useless and in
a few moments the iron lodges were
iammed with crowds of women who
screamed, fought and tore at each
other like maniacs. This lasted but
brief interval, and the rush from
the interior of the building became
so violent that many of them were
crowded off and fell to the granite
paved alley below. Others leaped
from the platform, fracturing legs
and arms and two were picked up at
this point with fractured skulls, hav-
ing been killed instantly.
The building in wi,icn the calamity
occurred stands midway between
State and Dearborn streets on the
north side of Randolph street.
Although all the patrol wagons and
every ambulance owned by the city
was pressed into service, they were
utterly inadequate to carry away the
dead and in short time there was a
line of corpses 80 feet long piled two
and three high on the sidewalk in
front of the theatre.
Doctors and trained nurses were
on the ground by the score within
half an hour after the extent of the
calamity was known, and every
wounded person who was carried
from the building receiving prompt
medical aid.
Chicago, Jan. For the first time
since Chicago has possessed bells to
peal, whistles to shrek, and horns to
blow, the old year was allowed
silently to take its place in history
and the New Year permitted to come
with no evidence of JOY at its birth.
The list of dead continues as it waS
given Wednesday, in the neighborhood
of $50. 1t is generally accepted at
this time that the most accurate es-
innate is 56i. This nulaber will be
increased somewhat, as there are
people in the hospitals who cannot
survive for any length of time. 1t is
l., n 1 fol
number of dead will not in any event
exceed 575. Including the missing, it
is estimated that the total number of
casualties at the present time is APP
proXimately 1000.
The best evidence obtainable is to
the effect that the fire was caused by
the sparks from an are light striking
the edge Of the drop curtain, but the
actual fact, however, will not be
known until after the conclusion of
the coroncr's inquest.
Although the lroquois theatre was
undoubt cdly the safest theatre in
Chicago, it became evident yesterday
that the city building department
had not strictly enforced one or two
sections of the building ordinances.
Chicago, Jan. 2.-Mayor Carter
Harrison yesterday took steps to pro-
vide as far as possible against repe-
tition of Wednesdays horror at the
iroquOis Theatre. AS a result of an
investigation made at hi. orders and
lasting but a few hours, 10 theatres
and museums were ordered closed,
some of them being among the lead
ing and most popular playhouseS of
the city. The act of the mayor was
| based on one single violation of the
ordinances which are intended to pro-
tect the patrons of theatres from just
such an occurrence 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 theatres ordered closed
are:
Howard's, Sam r. Jacks, Marlowe,
! New American, Olympic, Academy OF
! Music, Alhambra, Avenue, Bijou, Chi
cago Opera House, Columbus Stock,
| Thirty-frst Street, Criterion, Fiegen-
! baum's, Milwaukee Avenue, Garricli
and Glickman's.
superintendent of Schools Cooley
announced last night that the theatcr
! fire had killed "a teachers in the Chi
cago public schools and six teachers
are still reported missing.
Mayor Harrison in company with
| Building Commissioner Williams, Al
derman Mayer and several architects
visited the lroquois Theatre building
and went over it thoroughly.
II. II. Marshall, the architect of the
building, accompanied the mayor
throughout the trip.
The failure to comply with the or
! dinance requirement that exits shall
| be indicated by printed signs struck
/ the mayor, and when he noted that
heavy damask curtains hung before
some of these doors he inquired OF
Architect Marshall why they had
been placed there. Mr.. Marshall re
piled that it was done to improve the
appearance of the place. It was al
so noted by the mayor that the or
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