The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1904-01-09
INCIDENTS OF
CHICAGO DISASTER
Stories of Survivors of the Iro-
quois Theater Fire.
fREEzIED STRUGGLES FOR LIFE.


by Courage and Goodness, Rescued
Mother and Little GirI--Comedian
Toy's Efforts TO Aiiny the Panic--A
ChfId's Touching hut Vain Appeal.
One of the most graphic descriptions
OF the Iroquois theater disaster in Chi
cage was given by Frank Houseman,
professional ball player, who. with
Charley Dexter, another baseball play
er, was occupying an upper box In the
theater when the fire started. Here is
Honseman's story:
"Charley Dexter and l were in the
front upper box on the right hand
side. We had just been talking about
the double row OF little boys and girls
that filled the front balcony seats. The
thcater was dark for the second act,
and the stage was only partly lighted
too. Maybe dozen Of the chorus were
on the stage singing i Meet You In the
Moons Pale Light when | noticed a
little tongue of flame back fin the flies
up just below the bottom of the drop
curtain, which was raised, and looked
just like somebody shaking a blazing
handkerchief.
"'Charley, said, its me to the
exits. This may not be anything, but
you know the dark little hall we had
to come through So we moved along
quietly before anybody In the audience
knew anything was wrong. We hadn't
any more than got to the next floor
when the stage began to get smoky,
theater begin to get worried. Just
then Eddie Toy came out to the front
of the stage, and, with the little blaz-
ing bits of scenery dropping back of
him. he kept saying: Don't get fright
ened; sit still. It's only a little stage
fire. by this time the whole theater
was in an uproar. Big chunks OF
blazing scenery began to fall. The
girls on the stage were fainting, and
Dexter and | rushed to a couple OF
exits on the east side.
"'Open the doors, said to an usher.
await till the drop curtain comes
down. he said.
10y this time the crowd WIS getting
Wild and a,s~hing against the doors.
The stage was blazing eyi the smoke
rolling out into the body OF the theater.
For Gods sake, open the doorsp |
shouted. The usher didn't move. Well,
1 grabbed the fellow and threw him as
far as l could and burst open the door.
The minute IL gave way the crowd
showed me with rush and damned
me against pair of iron doors that
were locked. | felt of the latch and
found it was like the one on my ice
box at home. This is easy I said to
Dexter. who had broken open another
door. We caught hold OF the big iron
latch and with few wrenches pulled
ii open. At that minute n big sheet of
fire came out from the stage with
pun that drove the crowd mad. In
flash | saw Eddie Toy apparently bur
led in flames, and before | could catch
almost threw me clear across the alley
lending to state street
''In that alley was the most awful
sight / ever saw The fire escapes over
the alley were packed with struggling,
screaming people fighting TO jump 70
the ground. They were falling like
raindrops ana making a pile OF dead
and dying under tie escapes.
zone man landed on the mass Of peo-
pie and struggled TO his knees, when a
woman fell on his head and struck him
dead. | saw another woman clinging
TO the outside of the lower fire escape.
jump | yelled. It's only ten feet
AS she came down | held out my arms
TO break her fall. and she struck my
shoulder. by this time the smoke was
piling out OF the door we had broken
open, and Dexter and ] worked till we
were exhausted pulling out women and
children who were overcome by the
smoke and the horror
1T was terrible. Mothers were call
ing for their little ones. Little girls
were screaming and bewildercd A
mass Of crazy human beings were al
most tearing each other 20 pieces try
ing to crowd out of that one small
opening that we had made"
or the deeds OF heroism that marked
the dreadful fight for life in the Iro-
auois thcater horror few cclipsed an
act OF devotion and self sacrifice per
formed by fourtecn-ycarold Byram
Green, son OF A. w. Green. chairman
OF the board OF directors OF the Ma
tional Biscuit company.
Little Byram. who bore like a stole
the agony Of dozen cruel burns, FIRST
guided his mother 10 safety through
the struggling throng, fighting nercely
IA tho aisles, and then, though bali suf-
located, fought his way back through
fame and smoke and deadly gas and
carried and dragged 10 safety help
less little gir who was In his mothers
pnrfy