The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-02
WICHITAN SAW Big
' FIRE AT CHICAGO
LW. Gill Could Not Get Seats
al Theater.
SAYS DOORS WERE LOCKED
Sparks from Arc Lamp Started
Conhagration.

But for the fact that standing room
only was obtainable at the Iroquois the
alter and that he would not purchase tick
cts on these conditions l. w. Gill his wife
and two sons escaped being in the build
: ing when the terrible fire broke out in
Chicago Wednesday afternoon and more
than 500 people were killed.
Mr.. and Mrs. Gill and their two sons
returned from Chicago last evening. Mr.
Gill said: Il went TO the Irocuois theater
about o'clock on the afternoon OF he
fire for the purpose of obtaining tickets
Tor myself and family. After standing in
alne Tor some time L learned that only
standing room was obtainable. My wife
thought if we couldn't get four seats per-
maps L could get one and she and the
children would go to another theater /
would not do that, otherwise 1 would have
undoubtedly been a victim Of the awful
nre which broke out later. l understand
that about 800 standing room tickets were
sod, SO that at the time the performance
began the house was crowded.
Mr.. Gill and his family decided not to
attend any of the theaters and left the
place. Later he heard of the fire and WIS.,
tied the building lie said: when | ar
rived, about 4:30 o'clock. the work of car
ryins out the bodies Of the dead and in
5ured was going on. A picture of the
scene can not be painted too black 1t
was undoubtedly the most terrible human
being ever witnessed L saw dead bodies
piled six and eight deep outside the thea
ter Among them were the bodies of
young women. In some instances the
Clothing was almost entirely torn and
burned from their bodies On others the
face had been burned and the skull was
exposed. The principal part of the attend
ance seemed to have been children rang
Ing from 10 to l6 years, 1t being matinee
IL Will be weeks before it is known Just
who and how many persons were killed
Every available vehicle was put into use
10 carry away the dead. l visited one
morgue where there were the bodies OF
1S2 victims of the fire. The place was
crowded with people searching for rela-
tives ard friends who it was known had
ATTENDED the theater that afternoon.
When the body of a relative or friend
would be identified heart rending scenes
would be enacted. l don't believe l Will
ever forget the terribleness of the scene
To realize the full force of the catastro-
phe one would have to see. There are not
words to describe the scene"
When asked about the report that the
doors of the many exits of the building
were locked, Mr.. Gill said: 1T has baen
learned since the fire that all of the exits
with perhaps the exception of one or two
were locked. There was scarcely no pos
sible way for those inside TO escape except
BY the front doors. Those who were not
killed by being crushed and trmapled on
met their death by suffocation Another
thing that l learned after the fire is that
there was 10 fire alarm in the theater 1t
was necessary for the fire department to
be summoned at a call box nearly one
block away"
''The fire originated" said Mr. CHI,
from sparks emitted by large arc light
They set fire TO a quantity Of light ,aimsy
stuff used in the scenery. The asbestos
curtain refused to work because the the
atrical company had placed wires used in
part of the play which interfered with
the working of the curtain when the en-
ployes tried to let it down.
Mr.. Gill says that the same kind Of a
catastrophe might result in any building
where there are no fire exits and where
those places are not left open. He said
Il understand that the city authorities
Fersfromausedowng SHJ
after examining several Kansas City
theaters recently found that some OF the
exits were locked An order was issued
Immediately TO the effect that the doors
be unlocked and kept that way. 1t was
said that if those exits We're ever found
or heard of being locked again each the
alter would have no more attractions
That was business. If the same precau-
tons had been INDUCED in at Chicago
the terrible catastrophe OF "Wednesday
would never have resulted"