Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1904-01-07
DEATHS
FEARFUL
HARVEST
HUNDREDS OF LIVES RUSHED TO
ETERNITY in BRIEF SPACE
OF TEN MINUTES.
APPALLING DISASTER
IN A CHICAGO THfATER
FIRE BREAKS OUT ON THE STAGE
AND AUDIENCE Is THROWN
INTO A PANIC.
582 KNOWN TO BE DEAD
AND OVER 300 MISSING
SOME BURNED TO DEATH, MANY
suFFocATED AND SCORES
TRAMPLED TO DEATH.
CHASTITY SCENTS THAT
RIVAL DANTf'S INFERNO
HEAPS OF cHARRED AND MAN
GLED HUMANITY CHOKE THE
AlsLEs AND EXITS.
HEAPS OF cHARRED AND MAN
GLED HUMANITY CHOKE THE
AlsLEs AND EXITS.
VICTIMS TRAMPlED INTO
UNlECGGNiZABlf PULP
PANlc-sTRlcKEN PEOPLE TEAR
EACH OTHER TO PIECES IN
RUSH FOR EXITS.

| Chicago, Dec. 31.-About 5S2 per-
sons were killed In ten minutes yes
terday afternoon during fire in the
/ Iroquois theater, the newest. the
largest and as far as human power
could make 1t, the safest theater in
Chicago
The count of actual corpses most
generally agreed upon was $50 includ-
ing SCI identified and 81 unidentified
Lists OF the missing vary greatly, one
authority putting the total at BIZ. The
Injured now figure as 104.
A few OF these people we're burned
ito death by the fire, many were sui
located by gas, and scores were
trampled to death in the panic thai
followed the, mad plunge of the fright
ened audience for the exits. There
are scores OF bodies from which nearly
everything that could reveal their
identity is gone. Their clothing is
torn to rags or burned to einders and
their faces have been trampled
Into an Unacceptable Pulp
by the heels OF the crowd that
trampled them down as they fed for
safety.
The fire broke out during the second
act of the play, Mr.. Bluebeard," which
was the. first dramatic production pro-
duced in the theater since it's erection.
The company, which was very large,
escaped to the street in safety, nearly
all of them, however, being compelled
to fee into the snowy streets with no
clothing but their stage costumes. A
few members of the company sus-
tanned minor injuries, but none were
seriously hurt.
The accounts OF the origin of the
fire are conflicting, and none Of them
certain, but the best reason given is
that an electric wire near the lower
part OF a piece Of drop scenery sud-
denly broke and was grounded. The
fire spread rapidly toward the front Of
the stage, causing the members of the
chorus who we're then engaged In the
performances to flee to the wings
With Streams of Terror.
The fire in itself up to this time was
not serious and possibly could have
been checked had not the asbestos cur
tain failed to work. As soon as the
fire was discovered Eddie Foy, the
chief comedian Of the company,
shouted to lower the curtain, and this
was Immediately done. 1t descended
about halfway and stuck. The FIRE
thus was given practicany tlue
through which a strong draft was set
ting, aided by the doors which had
been thrown open In the front of the
tn eater. With a roar and bound.
the flames shot through: the opening
over the heads Of people on the first
floor and reaching clear up 10 those Ia
the first balcony. caught them and
burned their to death where they sat.
Immediately following this rush 81
names there came an explosion which
lifted the entire roof OF the building
from its walls, shattering the great
sky lights into fragments AS soon as
the flames first appeared beyond the
curtain q nan In the rear of the hail
Shouted "Firel FiressP''
md the entire audience rose as one
3 person and made for the doors. il is
believed that the explosioa was CAUSED,
\ by the flames coming Iii contact win
the gas reser yoirs Of the theater, causs
Ing them To b,lrst. VIII j Davis.
I manage Of the thsater, said after the
scatastrophe that 80 the people mad "a.
ma ned 10 their seats aud had MOI bean
xcited sby the cry of IRE, not q singh,
8 life would have been LOST. This is
ssh6Wever runtrallict IL Nv III i 81 q r'